March 20, 2026

DEC Announces Nearly $1 Million in Grant Awards for 14 Water Quality and Environmental Education Projects in Hudson River Communities

Funding will Support Projects that Safeguard Water Resources and Enhance Environmental Education

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced grants totaling $964,468 for 14 projects to help communities along the Hudson River Estuary protect drinking water, enhance environmental education, and improve stewardship of natural resources. Funding for DEC's Hudson River Estuary Grants Program advances and complements New York’s nation-leading efforts to bolster the state’s preparedness amidst frequent extreme weather events.

“Governor Kathy Hochul continues to make record investments in resiliency efforts throughout the Hudson River watershed to protect New York’s natural resources and communities,” Commissioner Lefton said. “The 14 projects awarded Hudson River Estuary grants will help municipalities and partner organizations invest in planning, stewardship, and environmental education activities that will contribute to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future for the region.”

The program is supported by New York State's Environmental Protection Fund, a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. More than 90% of this year’s grant awards are located in areas identified as disadvantaged communities most vulnerable to pollution and climate impacts.

Grant recipients by county are:

LOCAL STEWARDSHIP PLANNING

Dutchess County

• Clarkson University: $75,000 for "Fishkill Creek Watershed Monitoring and Strategic Capacity Building," to produce a water quality report that analyzes data and makes recommendations, support a Fishkill Creek Watershed Alliance Program Coordinator who will help the group generate a five-year comprehensive strategic plan, and conduct a series of hands-on creek-based public and student participatory science programs.
• Dutchess County: $75,000 for "Intermunicipal Source Water Protection in the Mid-Hudson River Valley," to provide two years of operational support to the seven Hudson Valley communities that draw drinking water from the Hudson River. The Hudson 7 Council’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program includes actions such as stakeholder outreach, securing future grants, and organizing meetings, public events, and training workshops.

• Town of Pine Plains: $54,209 for "Pine Plains Natural Resource Inventory," to compile, describe, and map important natural resources, with particular attention to Stissing Mountain, the woodlands and waterways, and unique treasures such as the calcareous bog and active farmland.
  Ulster County

• Ulster County: $75,000 for "Ulster County Watersheds Coordinator Support to Local Alliances," to support the implementation of watershed management plans in the Wallkill River and the Rondout Creek, including education and outreach plans, riparian buffer plantings, and communication to the public regarding proper sewer system use.
  Westchester County

• City of Peekskill: $75,000 for "City of Peekskill Hollow Brook Creek Watershed Open Space Plan," to assess critical environmental areas for the protection of watershed water quality and make recommendations for preservation, zoning changes, and long-term stewardship of those resources.

• Hudson Valley Stream Conservancy: $74,976 for "Water Quality Improvement Planning for the Sleepy Hollow, NY, Hudson River Recreational Access Points," to locate specific inputs of raw sewage into the Pocantico River and along the Sleepy Hollow waterfront as a first step toward improving water quality at Sleepy Hollow Hudson River recreational access points.

• Groundwork Hudson Valley: $74,830 for "Developing a Model Strategy to Reduce Localized Flooding and Increase Biodiversity in the Saw Mill River watershed," to develop a model approach to reduce accumulation of natural debris at highly localized sites in the Saw Mill River stream channel.

• Town of Bedford: $63,150 for "Update Town of Bedford's Natural Resource Inventory," to serve as a local planning and project review tool and use as a building block for comprehensive and long-range community planning.

• Village of Briarcliff Manor: $27,770 for "Village of Briarcliff Manor Natural Resources Inventory 2025," to map and detail the village’s natural and cultural resources, serving as an essential tool for local planning, open space preservation, water quality protection, habitat assessment, and biodiversity enhancement.
  Entire Hudson River Estuary

• Hudson River Watershed Alliance: $75,000 for "Building Organizational Capacity for Clean Water and Healthy Tributaries in the Hudson River Estuary Watershed," to increase the capacity, effectiveness, and resilience of watershed groups within the Hudson River estuary watershed to achieve their local clean water and healthy tributary goals.
  RIVER EDUCATION

Dutchess County

• Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies: $100,000 for "Mid-Hudson Young Environmental Scientists Program,” to implement a paid summer research opportunity for 12 high school students to engage in environmental science research in the Hudson River Estuary.

• Marist University: $99,874 for "Real-world Investigations into Plants, Pollution, and Life on the Ever-Changing Hudson (RIPPLE Hudson)," to conduct a design-based research project that studies how elementary teachers learn about climate change and data science related to the Hudson River and create two research-informed curricula that can be used for future study and implementation.
  Greene County

• Columbia Greene Community College: $46,124 for "Community Capstone Project Experience," to enhance training for the next generation of environmental educators while making field trips more accessible for students in grades K–12 visiting the Hudson River Estuary.
  Ulster County

• YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County: $48,535 for "Connecting our Urban Farm to Our Watersheds," to hire youth scientists and farmers from the Kingston YMCA Farm Project for year-round hands-on water conservation-based projects, education, research, and community engagement.
  The grants announced today are supported by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Governor Hochul’s 2026–27 Executive Budget proposes a record $425 million for the EPF, a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. The Executive Budget also includes a historic $3.75 billion five-year commitment to clean water infrastructure and $50 million for the Resilient and Ready program to help homeowners recover from and better prepare for extreme weather events. Other initiatives included in the Governor’s Executive Budget and State of the State agenda include FloodSafe NY to better understand and manage flood risk; the new Adaptation and Resilience Network to consolidate guidance, tools, and resources across agencies; new Community Resiliency Hubs equipped to support residents during extreme weather and other emergencies; and ongoing investments in coastal resiliency, green infrastructure, among other initiatives. Learn more in the Governor's Release.

The Hudson River Estuary Grants Program implements priorities outlined in the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2021–2025. The grant program is administered by DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, which focuses on the tidal Hudson and its adjacent watershed from the federal dam at Troy to the Verrazano Narrows in New York City.

To learn more, visit DEC’s website.

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