March 19 Webinar for Applicants Eligible Projects Will Enhance Community and Ecosystem Resiliency and Capitalize on NY Water-Based Recreation and Tourism Ithaca, NY. New York Sea Grant and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced $200,000 is available for Great Lakes ecosystem-based management projects through the New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program, which is administered by New York Sea Grant in partnership with DEC. Up to $25,000 is available for each project. "These grants support eco-based recreation and tourism projects and reinforce Governor Cuomo's statewide efforts to connect more New Yorkers with the outdoors," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "Not only do these grants protect our environment, they support recreation and tourism, major drivers of New York's Great Lakes Basin economy." "These small grants create opportunities for stakeholders to build upon the unique natural strengths of their communities to enhance environmental quality, resiliency, and the economic benefits intrinsically tied to New York's Great Lakes coastal resources," said New York Sea Grant Associate Director and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Assistant Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth, Ithaca, N.Y. New York Sea Grant application instructions are available online. Proposals must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. EST on May 1, 2018. A webinar to help applicants will be held March 19 at 10 a.m. For more information, contact New York Sea Grant at 315-312-3042. Proposed projects must use a complete ecosystem-based approach rather than a single issue or single species focus, incorporate stakeholder participation, and address key priorities in the New York Great Lakes Action Agenda. Those priorities include enhancing community resiliency and ecosystem integrity through restoration, protection, and improved resource management; and enhancing recreation and tourism opportunities that capitalize on the rivers and lakes, scenic beauty, and natural and cultural resources that define the character of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region. Eligible projects may include planning, design, implementation, information management tool development, demonstration projects, and targeted educational outreach. Not-for-profit organizations, county and local government or public agencies, municipalities, regional planning and environmental commissions, and educational institutions, including, but not limited to, public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities are eligible to apply. The New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program is funded through the New York State Environmental Protection Fund and Article 14 of Environmental Conservation Law. Media Contacts:

Dave White, NY Sea Grant, 315-312-3042, dgw9@cornell.edu

Kristen Davidson, NYS DEC, 716-851-7220, region9@dec.ny.gov More Information:

New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program. Since 1971, New York Sea Grant has promoted coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State's marine and Great Lakes resources. New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices in Buffalo, Newark, and Oswego. For updates on Sea Grant activities, visit the NY Sea Grant website. For more information on the grant projects and other NY Great Lakes related information, go to the NY Great Lakes webpage. The public can connect with NY Sea Grant on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and with NYS DEC on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Instagram.