A NY Great Lakes Basin Small Grant funded the installation of this kayak launch ramp along Lake Ontario. Credit: Maxine Appleby, Wayne County SWCD
Contact:
Dave White, NYSG Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist, E: dgw9@cornell.edu, P: 315-312-3042
New York Sea Grant manages the New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program to the benefit of diverse coastal communities
Oswego, NY, March 8, 2021 - Since its inception in 2015, the New York Great Lakes Basin (NYGLB) Small Grants Program has awarded more than $1.2 million to projects addressing the needs and issues identified in New York’s Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River watershed communities. Grants up to $25,000 have been awarded to 38 projects in partnership with more than 29 distinct not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, county and local government or public agencies, regional planning and environmental commissions, and educational institutions.
Each project is focused on the implementation of Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) concepts and principles that encompass the entire ecosystem, versus a single issue/single species focus and incorporates stakeholder participation. Funding priorities were identified and selected from New York’s Great Lakes Basin Action Agenda (GLAA) and through discussions with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Great Lakes Sub-basin Work Group meetings that identified regional and basin-wide collaborative actions and priorities.
NYGLB Small Grants Program funding priorities have focused on four of the GLAA goals thus far:
• control sediment, nutrient and pathogen loading so drinking water quality is protected, desired aquatic biotic communities flourish, humans and wildlife are protected from coastline health hazards, and natural processes are sustained;
• conserve and restore native fish and wildlife biodiversity and habitats to achieve and sustain resilient ecosystems and vibrant communities;
• enhance community resiliency and ecosystem integrity through restoration, protection, and improve resource management; and
• secure additional access to local waterways for swimming, boating, shore fishing, and other recreational activities.
Several of these community-based projects have also led to larger projects that are carrying forward the results and actions started as part of this grant program: www.nyseagrant.org/glsmallgrants.
Project Partners:
• New York Sea Grant
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Funding: NYS Environmental Protection Fund Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Program
More Info: New York Sea Grant
New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University
and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based
programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Sea Grant College Program.
Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated
research, education and extension services promoting coastal community
economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness
and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists
and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based
information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries,
federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers,
educators, the media and the interested public.
The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY
Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office
in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook
University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative
Extension in NYC and Elmsford and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly.
