NY Sea Grant | New York's Great Lakes

NY's Great Lakes: Funding Opportunities (to implement Great Lakes Restoration Actions)

Updated: November 2019

Note: Consider referencing NY’s Great Lakes Action Agenda goals and/or the federal GLRI Action Plan III in your applications.

Subscribe to DEC’s NY Great Lakes News, Funding and Events Listserv to receive updates on grant funding availability. To request a pdf copy of this document or to seek additional information on a grant program, please contact greatlakes@dec.ny.gov.

Opportunity Title	Source	Focus Areas	Deadlines
GREAT LAKES PROGRAMS
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative www.glri.us	Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	Funding and initiatives for toxic substances, areas of concern, invasive species, nearshore health, non-point source pollution, habitat/wildlife protection and restoration, education/partnerships and climate change adaptation.	As funding is available
Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act Grants	US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)	Restoration, research and regional projects to support conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes basin. (Consult with Betsy Trometer, Lower Great Lakes USFWS)	January 7^th, 2020
GLRI Cooperative Weed Management Areas www.fs.usda.gov	USDA Forest Service	Detect, prevent, eradicate, and/or control invasive plant species to promote resiliency, watershed stability, and biological diversity on Federal, State, or private land.	January 10^th, 2020
NY's Great Lakes Basin Small Grants	NY Sea Grant, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)	Support stakeholder-driven efforts to restore and revitalize the state’s Great Lakes region and demonstrate successful application of ecosystem-based management (EBM).	Available annually
Great Lakes Research Consortium Small Grants www.esf.edu/glrc	Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC), DEC	Funding cooperative approaches to researching and protecting the environmental quality of the Great Lakes.	Typically announced in January
Sustain Our Great Lakes www.nfwf.org/greatlakes	National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)	Restoring and Enhancing Stream and Riparian Habitat, restoring and enhancing Coastal Wetland Habitat, Expanding Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Great Lakes Communities, and Maintaining and Enhancing Benefits of Habitat Restoration through Invasive Species Control.	Typically announced in January
NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Regional Partnership Program Grants www.fisheries.noaa.gov	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)	Planning and/or on-the-ground restoration activities to restore degraded Great Lakes coastal habitat and native riverine/lacustrine species	Typically announced in January
NOAA Great Lakes Region Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET) Grants https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/bwet/greatlakes/	NOAA	Supports existing environmental education programs, fosters the growth of new programs, and encourages development of partnerships among environmental education programs within watershed systems.	Typically due in July
GLRI Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Grants www.fs.usda.gov	US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service	Tree planting, green infrastructure, and forest health improvement in the Great Lakes Basin.	Typically due in June
Great Lakes Protection Fund http://glpf.org	Great Lakes Protection Fund	Supporting innovative, results oriented projects that have basinwide impact and foster sustainable water resource management.	Ongoing
FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAMS
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program www.nrcs.usda.gov	USDA	Wetland reserve and agricultural land easements.	Landowner can apply year-round
Environmental Quality and Incentives Program (EQIP) www.nrcs.usda.gov	USDA	Financial and technical assistance to address agriculture-related natural resource concerns.	Applications accepted year-round
Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program www.nfwf.org	NFWF	Supports diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support.	Typically due in January
North American Wetlands Conservation Act – Small Grants and Standard grants www.fws.gov	US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)	Long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated upland habitats for wetlands-associated migratory birds. Public-private partnerships to implement projects (1:1 match).	Small Grants due in Oct; Standard Grants due Feb & July
National Fish Passage Program	USFWS	Restore aquatic organism passage at man-made barriers including dams and culverts; Priorities: freshwater mussels, brook trout, lake sturgeon, Atlantic salmon, American eel. Contact USFWS’s Lower Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Conservation office (Betsy_Trometer@fws.gov)	Accepted year round
EPA Environmental Education Grants	USEPA	Supports environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship.	January 6^th, 2020
NYS GRANT PROGRAMS
New York State Conservation Partnership Program	NYSDEC	Eligible for land trusts, to strengthen land conservation and public outreach programs, build community partnerships and implement best business practices.	December 16^th, 2019
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Source Water Buffer Program www.agriculture.ny.gov	NYSDAM	Purchase of conservation easements on agricultural lands that support protection of public drinking water supplies and implementation of riparian buffer systems, in partnerships with land trusts and/or municipalities.	Open until funds expended
DEC Trees for Tribs School Seedling Program	NYSDEC	Provides schools with free trees to plant on school property.	March 31^st, 2020
DEC Urban and Community Forestry Grants	NYSDEC	Assists communities in the development of comprehensive projects to create healthy urban and community forests while enhancing the quality of life for urban residents.	December 4^th, 2019
Clean Energy Communities Program	NYSERDA	Provides tools, resources and technical assistance, and supports clean energy projects for local governments.	Sept 30, 2020
Community Resiliency Training Program	NYSDAM	Community and Municipality-based Training Events to increase resiliency to future flooding and outbreaks of harmful algal blooms in high-risk waterbodies.	Open enrollment through February 28^th, 2022
NYS Invasive Species Grant Program	NYSDEC	Aquatic invasive species spread prevention; terrestrial and aquatic invasive species rapid response and control; terrestrial and aquatic invasive research; and lake management plans	As funding is available
Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Grants	NYSDEC	Nonagricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control including green infrastructure, nature-based shoreline stabilization and riparian restoration; Municipal Wastewater Treatment; Land Acquisition Projects for Source Water Protection; Aquatic Habitat Restoration; Salt Storage; Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems.	July
Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning Grant	NYSDEC	Funds planning reports for nonpoint source water quality improvement projects.	July
Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP)	NYS EFC	‘Green’ stormwater infrastructure design and technologies.	July
Local Waterfront Revitalization Program	DOS	Community and watershed planning and implementation grants funding watershed management, redevelopment, community resiliency, revitalization, and tourism development projects including land and water-based trails.	July
Climate Resilient Farming Program	DAM, NYS Soil & Water Cons Committee	Projects to mitigate the impact of agriculture on climate change and to enhance on-farm adaptation and resiliency (e.g. soil health, waste storage cover and flare systems, water management)	Typically September
Integrated Solutions Construction Grant Program	NYS EFC	Projects that incorporate green infrastructure into Clean Water State Revolving Fund projects to remove stormwater from combined, sanitary, or storm sewers.	Ongoing
Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program	NYS Soil & Water Cons Committee	Funds support nonpoint source abatement and control projects that plan (AEM Tier III) or implement (AEM Tier IV) Ag BMPs on farms. Soil & Water Conservation Districts are eligible to apply.	Available annually
NYS Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) Grant program	NYS EFC	Assistance for municipalities to fund water quality infrastructure. Grants are available for drinking water and clean water projects to improve water quality and/or protect public health.	Typically July
Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Grant Program	NYSDEC	Climate adaptation and mitigation projects related to flood risk reduction, extreme event preparation, reduction of vehicle miles, waste, etc. and certification projects that advance land use, planning, and assessment actions aligned with CSC certification.	July
EPF Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage	OPRHP	Acquisition, planning, development and improvement of parks, historic properties, and heritage areas.	July
Parks and Trails NY Stewardship Grants Program www.ptny.org	Parks & Trails NY, OPRHP	Projects and capacity to support stewardship of public lands.	December 3^rd, 2019
OTHER FUNDING RESOURCES
Water Finance Clearinghouse (web portal)	EPA	Contains two searchable databases: 1) available funding sources for water infrastructure and 2) contains resources, such as reports, weblinks, webinars etc.	N/A

More funding opportunities:

GreatLakesResilience.org

Sustainable Development & Collaborative Governance
Comprehensive planning is the essential process of defining a community’s goals and directing resources, over time, to achieve them. Through comprehensive planning, public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to promote sustainable development. The Handbook for New Yorkers Sustainable Development & Collaborative Governance is an overview of grant and funding opportunities for municipalities, businesses, and community organizations statewide to undertake projects that support a region’s sustainable development goals.