DEC Announces Availability of $225,000 for Hudson River Estuary Community Improvement Projects

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DEC Announces Availability of $225,000 for Hudson River Estuary Community Improvement Projects

Funding Available for Climate-Adaptive Design Phase II, Restoration of Watershed Connectivity and Improved Road Infrastructure

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that approximately $225,000 is available to help communities in the Hudson River Estuary watershed increase resiliency, conserve natural resources, and improve water quality. The funding is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund and administered by the NEIWPCC in partnership with DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program.

"Assisting flood-risk communities in their efforts to adapt to the changing climate and extreme weather events while protecting our natural resources is a priority for New York State," Commissioner Seggos said. "By partnering with local communities, environmental groups, and civic organizations, New York is significantly improving the environmental health of the Hudson River Estuary and this latest round of available funding will help more communities achieve our goals while boosting resilience."

Susan Sullivan, NEIWPCC Executive Director said, "NEIWPCC is pleased to be able to help Hudson River communities reduce localized flooding and protect against sea-level rise. These two RFPs will help restore habitat, improve infrastructure, and implement innovative climate-adaptive designs."

Two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are currently available:

Climate-Adaptive Design PHASE II

Approximately $125,000 is available to design a project to reduce shoreline or stormwater risk in one or more of the following communities - the village of Catskill, city of Hudson, city of Kingston, or village and town of Ossining. Each of these communities participated in the Climate-Adaptive Design studio, a program that links Cornell University graduate and undergraduate students in landscape architecture with flood-risk Hudson Riverfront communities to explore nature-based design alternatives for climate resilient and connected waterfront areas.

Eligible projects must reduce risks from shoreline or stormwater flooding and erosion while enhancing habitat value, which may include options for strategic relocation, resilient waterfront structures and infrastructure, natural and nature-based shoreline design, and stormwater green infrastructure. Locations that received Climate-adaptive Design Phase II funding in 2019 are not eligible for this RFP and include Kingston Point in Kingston and the Village of Piermont.

The deadline for proposals is July 23, 2021, at 12 p.m. There will be an informational conference call via WebEx for interested applicants on June 30, 2021, at 10 a.m.

Restoration of Watershed Connectivity and Improved Road Infrastructure

Approximately $100,000 is available to help municipalities document constrictions that cause flooding at culverts and bridges and are barriers to fish movement in Hudson tributary streams. The purpose of the grant is to develop municipal management plans and designs to improve inadequate road-stream crossings through a regional approach that restores aquatic connectivity and reduces flood hazards in multiple municipalities.

The deadline for proposals is July 30, 2021, at 12 p.m. There will be an informational conference call via WebEx for interested applicants on June 30, 2021, at 11 a.m.

The "Restoration of Watershed Connectivity" and the "Climate-Adaptive Engineering" RFPs with instructions on how to apply are available on NEIWPCC's website. General information about the RFPs can be found on the DEC website.

New York State is increasing investments for clean water infrastructure projects, including the State's unprecedented $4 billion commitment to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to clean water. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo also recently announced $3.5 million for Climate Leadership Coordinators, $2.8 million to help municipalities add zero-emission vehicles to their fleets and to install ZEV infrastructure for public use, and $11 million under the DEC Climate Smart Communities Grant program in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects.

The Hudson River Estuary Program helps people enjoy, protect, and revitalize the Hudson River and its valley. Created in 1987, the program focuses on the tidal Hudson and its adjacent watershed from the dam at Troy to the Verrazano Narrows in New York City.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/press.html