CORTLAND COUNTY AND TIOGA COUNTY, NY (607NewsNow) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has awarded more than $5.1 million from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund to fund 51 projects for round 4 of the Invasive Species Grant Program.
The Invasive Species Grant Program is ‘designed to advance projects across the state that help prevent, detect, respond to, and restore sites impacted by both terrestrial and aquatic invasive species,’ according to the New York State DEC website.
The $5,117,876 granted from the fund will be disseminated across 4 categories:
- $467,810 for 6 aquatic invasive species (AIS) spread prevention or boat decontamination projects
- $1,664,197 for 18 invasive species early detection/rapid response and control (terrestrial and aquatic) projects
- $699,142 for 8 invasive species research projects
- $2,286,727 for 19 invasive species restoration and resiliency projects
The Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District has received $79,569 to support a regional AIS Spread Prevention Program. The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District was granted $207,650 to restore 64.37 acres of degraded riparian and upland forest in New York’s Chesapeake Bay watershed.
To learn more about the awarded grants and how the Invasive Species Grant Program works, visit the New York State DEC website here.
