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September 2023

WATERSHED DIGEST
monthly newsletter

Update from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance

Annual Watershed Conference

Wednesday, October 11 - webinar session

Tuesday, October 24 - in-person session, at the

FDR Presidential Library & Museum in Hyde Park, NY 

Registration + More Info

The Hudson River Watershed Alliance’s 2023 conference theme is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.


Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice (DEIJ) is critical to achieving our goals of clean water and healthy tributaries in the Hudson River watershed. We can’t find solutions to the complex and intertwined problems of water pollution, climate change, and racism without working together as a community.


This year’s Annual Watershed Conference will share DEIJ strategies and highlight water-related case studies that are moving this critical work forward in our region.


Our Annual Watershed Conference will have two components:

  • Thursday, October 11 from 1-3:30 pm: a virtual session via webinar and
  • Tuesday, October 24 from 9 am to 3 pm: an in-person session at the Henry A. Wallace Center, FDR Presidential Library & Museum in Hyde Park, NY.


Conference registration and more details about each session are now available on our website.

Thank you to our sponsors!


Watershed Sponsors:

Creek Sponsors:

Delaware Engineering

Fuss & O’Neill

Hudson Valley Credit Union

JSA ESG Impact

Nuvance Health

Pace University

Restaino Design Landscape Architecture

SLR Consulting


Stream Sponsors:

Bard College Center for Environmental Studies and Humanities

Gordon & Svenson LLP

Riverkeeper

Rockland County Soil & Water Conservation District

Tighe & Bond

Water Action Compliance Assistance and Planning

Westchester County Soil & Water Conservation District


Brook Sponsors:

American Dairy Association North East

Blair Environmental Consulting

CEA Engineers, P.C.

Common Ground Consulting, LLC

Insite Engineering

Resilience Communications & Consulting, LLC

Scenic Hudson

thread collective

Wallkill River Watershed Alliance

Sponsor the Annual Watershed Conference!


Your sponsorship will fund the conference proceedings and support individuals and groups in need of financial assistance to attend. We anticipate strong participation from watershed communities from throughout the Hudson River watershed. In 2022, our hybrid conference reached over 200 people.


For more details, see our Sponsorship PDF here, and our online payment form here.

Breakfast Webinar: Watershed Opportunities in Climate Smart Communities


Thursday, September 14, 8:30-9:30 am

Register here

Hudson River Watershed Alliance’s fall 2023 breakfast lecture series focuses on water and watershed-related Climate Smart Communities case studies. Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate.


Carolyn Klocker and Kelsey West from Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County will provide an overview of intersections of water and climate change within the CSC program. They'll share ideas for getting points for existing projects, examples of municipalities they've worked with on these actions, and opportunities for communities throughout the Hudson River watershed to receive technical assistance and support.

Our breakfast lectures are held as webinars via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 8:30-9:30 am. In addition to September 14, save the dates for October 12, November 9, and December 14.


This program is organized by the Hudson River Watershed Alliance in partnership with the Hudson Valley Regional Council, and supported by funding from the Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, in cooperation with NEIWPCC.

Monitoring Green Infrastructure:

Data, Observations, & Lessons Learned


Wednesday, September 20, 10:00-11:00 am

Register here

Join the Hudson Valley Regional Council for a two-part webinar series on green infrastructure. Green infrastructure is an important tool to manage stormwater and reduce runoff.


Emily Vail, Executive Director of the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, will present findings from her research assessing the performance of 13 different green infrastructure practices in 2 parking lots in the City of Kingston. The study included quantitative monitoring of water level in 10 of the practices, including bioretention areas, rain gardens, and dry wells, and visual observations provided important qualitative context. Emily will share important lessons learned on green infrastructure design and maintenance for future installations.

Partners for Climate Action: Climate Action Mixer


Thursday, September 14

Hutton Brickyards, Kingston, NY

Register here


3:00-4:00 pm - Kingston’s Sustainability Coordinator Julie Noble will host a walk along the Kingston waterfront. Join her to learn about local sustainability efforts and coastal resiliency projects


4:00-7:00 pm - Mixer. As a kick off to Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week, we'll gather on the banks of the Hudson River at Hutton Brickyards in Kingston to enjoy delicious snacks, drinks, and great company. Hosted by Partners for Climate Action, this event is for anyone interested in local climate work. Co-sponsored by the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, along with other partners.

Opportunities

GRANTS & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:


New York State: Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Survey

Deadline: September 15, 2023

More information


The State has created a new web-based survey as part of ongoing efforts to involve stakeholders and all New Yorkers during the Bond Act rollout. The survey is not a formal funding application, but instead helps users share potential project ideas and other feedback on the State's funding mechanisms. The survey will help collect feedback about the types of projects communities may be seeking to support with Bond Act resources.



NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: Community Forest Conservation Grant Program

Deadline: October 11, 2023

More information


DEC’s Community Forest Conservation Grant program helps preserve an area’s biodiversity and safeguards the ecosystem benefits forests provide, such as stormwater mitigation, temperature regulation, and carbon sequestration, which in turn improves a community’s climate resilience. In addition, these community forests will create new opportunities for public access and outdoor recreation. $1 million is available for municipalities to purchase land or conservation easements to create new or expand existing community forests and protect land from development. Grant awards ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 are available for reimbursing the costs to acquire land, including the purchase price, appraisal, survey and boundary marking, title search, recording fees, and attorney fees. A 10 percent match is required. 



U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Section 165(a) Pilot Program for Water Resources Projects for Small or Disadvantaged Communities

Deadline: October 20, 2023

More information


The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is launching a pilot program to fully fund small water resources projects for economically disadvantaged communities (based on the federal definition of disadvantaged communities). This program was directed by Section 165 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. 



NYS DEC: 2023 Invasive Species Grant Program

Deadline: November 1, 2023

More information


$3 million is available in the third round of the State's Invasive Species Grant Program (ISGP). This grant program, supported by the State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), is designed to advance projects that target both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species across the state, with six funding categories that address invasive species spread prevention; early detection and rapid response; research; management planning; and education and outreach. 



Hudson Valley Greenway: Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program

Deadline: November 3, 2023

More information


The Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program provides matching grants to Greenway Communities and Compact Communities. Greenway Communities are eligible to receive up to $10,000 to develop plans or projects consistent with the five Greenway criteria: natural and cultural resource protection, economic development, public access, regional planning, and heritage and environmental education. Higher amounts are awarded for intermunicipal projects. Watch the HRWA's Breakfast Lecture on the Hudson Valley Greenway Grants Program.



NOAA: Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants

Deadline: November 17, 2023

More information


$240 million in funding is available for habitat restoration and coastal resilience through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Projects selected through this funding opportunity will have a transformative impact for coastal communities and tribes across the country. They will help sustain our nation’s fisheries, make significant strides in the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and help protect coastal communities and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. They will support efforts such as reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains, outplanting corals to rebuild reefs, building living shorelines that protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise, and more.



Partners for Climate Action: Building Decarbonization Grant Program 

Deadline: November 21, 2023

More information


The Building Decarbonization Grants (BDG) will assist municipalities and local nonprofits in the Hudson Valley that are reducing the carbon footprint of their buildings. This can include heat pumps and geothermal, additional insulation, new windows and weatherization, solar installations, energy star appliances and induction stoves—anything that gets a building to greater energy efficiency and removes the need for fossil fuels. Grants will be in the range of $5,000 - $100,000, with no match required.



NOAA: Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities

Deadline: December 19, 2023

More information


$45 million in funding is available for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Through this funding, NOAA will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to more fully participate in restoration activities. 



NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation: Community Assistance Teams (rolling)

More information


EFC's Community Assistance Teams help municipalities (small, rural, and disadvantaged communities ) address their clean water infrastructure needs. Teams host regional events and connect communities with experts who can help them undertake their critical water infrastructure projects. These Teams provide on-site or virtual consultations to help communities across the state jump start planning, submit funding applications, and see their projects through to completion.



New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health: Applications for Free Technical Assistance for Municipalities on Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) (rolling)

More information


The Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) is a state-run program created to assist municipalities with proactively protecting their drinking water sources. The goal is to help municipalities develop and implement their own unique drinking water source protection plan for the source(s) of their drinking water. In order to do so, the State is looking for communities to work with a technical assistance provider (TA provider), free of charge, to develop a DWSP2 Plan for their source of drinking water. TA providers will work with the community every step of the way, using the DWSP2 Framework, to develop a community specific DWSP2 Plan. As a result of this program, participating municipalities can use their newly developed DWSP2 plan to start implementing protection measures.



Assistance from EPA’s Municipal Ombudsman

The Office of the Municipal Ombudsman provides a unique service specifically for utilities/municipalities in identifying technical assistance opportunities, brainstorming federal funding options (BIL and more!), clean water act flexibilities, integrated planning assistance, and more. Please reach out to municipalombudsman@epa.gov or 202-564-1709 to discuss your projects, permits, or other clean water concerns today.



JOB POSTINGS


Albany County Soil & Water Conservation District: Conservation District Technician

More information



The Ashokan Center: Publicist & Marketing Manager

More information



Columbia Land Conservancy: Vice President of Finance and Operations

More information



Groundwork Hudson Valley: Climate Resilience Program Associate

More information



Hudson River Foundation: Project Associate

More information



National Wildlife Federation: Lead Architect

More information




NEIWPCC: Environmental Analyst – Drinking Water Specialist (Albany, NY)

More information



Riverkeeper: Advocacy Consultant (part-time)

More information



Riverkeeper: Advocacy and Policy Coordination (full-time)

More information



Rockland County Division of Environmental Resources: Coordinator of Environmental Resources

More information

The Hudson River Watershed Alliance unites and empowers communities to protect our shared waters.

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