Grant funding totaling about $600,000 is available to help municipalities, soil and water-conservation districts, school districts, college and universities, and not-for-profit organizations to implement efforts to conserve, preserve, and restore the Mohawk River and its watershed, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced.

The grants, supported by the state’s Environmental Protection Fund and administered under the DEC’s Mohawk River Watershed Grants program, will benefit those looking to implement the goals and objectives of the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda 2021-2026 five-year plan.

“Gaining a better understanding of the Mohawk River Basin’s unique watershed is critical to determining best management practices and procedures to improve it,” Seggos said in a release. 

Awards ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 are available for projects that have defined, measurable project objectives, tasks, and deliverables completed with a two-year contract term and located within the geographic boundaries of the Mohawk River watershed.

Examples of eligible project types include ones designed to reduce point and nonpoint source pollution; those that seek to conserve, protect, or enhance fish, wildlife, and habitats; those that promote flood-hazard risk reduction; and projects that improve stewardship within the watershed by creating and fostering partnerships and stakeholder engagement.

A request for applications is available at grantsgateway.ny.gov, the state’s online grants-management system. Applications are due no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, March 3. 

The Mohawk River is the largest tributary to the Hudson River and encompasses 14 counties and 172 municipalities. The action agenda aims to bring together local, state, and federal agencies with other organizations interested in the conservation and preservation of the river, its watershed, and its communities.