Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $80 million in new grant funding available to communities across New York State for climate resiliency projects. The grants, funded through the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, will support nature-based and green infrastructure projects designed to reduce flood risk and enhance community resilience to extreme weather.
“Making New York more resilient in the face of increasingly devastating storms and other extreme weather emergencies is a top priority for our state,” Governor Hochul said. “With $80 million now available from the Environmental Bond Act, communities statewide will be able to take necessary steps to protect flood-prone areas, safeguard infrastructure, and ensure the safety of their homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure. These investments will not only strengthen our ability to withstand future storms but also create healthier, more sustainable communities for future generations.”
The funding will be distributed through three new grant programs, each focused on investing in adaptation and improvements that will protect lives and minimize the financial burden of recovering from future extreme weather events. The projects represent a proactive approach to emergency preparedness, prioritizing investments that mitigate the effects of extreme weather driven by climate change.
The three resiliency related grant programs are:
- Resilient Watersheds Grant Program: $45 million will be made available through the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), building on the success of the Resilient NY program and advancing the State’s goal of strengthening infrastructure and protecting New Yorkers from the impacts of extreme weather.
- Coastal Rehabilitation and Resilience Projects Program: $20 million will be made available through the Department of State (DOS) for coastal communities. The program prioritizes projects using nature-based solutions to enhance community resilience while also delivering environmental, economic and social benefits.
- Inland Flooding and Local Waterfront Revitalization Implementation Projects Program: $15 million will be made available through DOS for implementation projects that improve waterfront and watershed resiliency and reduce climate impacts, particularly flooding.
DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Through Governor Hochul’s leadership and historic Environmental Bond Act investments, New York State is improving community resilience to extreme weather events driven by climate change. Leveraged with comprehensive Executive Budget proposals, DEC and our State agency partners are advancing comprehensive flood risk reduction projects across the state that will restore our environment, improve water quality and safeguard communities.”
Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “By helping municipalities protect their critical water infrastructure from extreme weather events, we are investing in a safer, healthier, and more livable future for New Yorkers. EFC is pleased to partner with DEC to further Governor Hochul’s coordinated efforts to tackle water quality issues statewide and ensure equitable access to clean, safe water.”
Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “The Environmental Bond Act is a historic and transformative investment in the future of the Empire State that will pay dividends for generations to come. These essential programs and projects will have far reaching economic, social and environmental benefits for people and businesses, protecting lives, livelihoods and properties from the ravages of climate change and restoring critical habitats and ecosystems.”
Resilient Watersheds Grant Program
The goal of the Resilient Watersheds Grant program is to implement projects that take a comprehensive approach to building community resilience. This competitive statewide grant program is open to local governments, Indian Nations, County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, state agencies, and not-for-profit corporations.
Projects will promote flood risk and ice jam reduction and restoration, enhance flood and climate resilience, implement natural and nature-based feature construction, or ecologically sustainable projects while supporting healthy riparian habitats. Projects are funded to the extent of available funds based on the evaluation criteria.
Projects identified by existing and future Resilient NY Program studies are eligible to apply for the program. Additional eligibility information can be found here: Flood Recovery And Resilience - NYSDEC
Coastal Rehabilitation and Resilience Projects Program
The program supports the implementation of projects that increase resilience with an emphasis on natural processes that provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to communities within the New York State Coastal area and the Coastal Nonpoint Source boundary.
Complete information on this DOS program can be found here: https://dos.ny.gov/funding-bid-opportunities
Inland Flooding and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Implementation Projects Program
The program supports implementation projects that improve waterfront and watershed resiliency and reduce climate impacts, particularly flooding.
Complete information on this DOS program can be found here: https://dos.ny.gov/funding-bid-opportunities
Webinar and How to Apply
DEC, DOS and EFC will co-host a webinar for all three funding opportunities on March 12, 2025, from 10 to 11 a.m. To register for the webinar, click here.
Applications for all three funding opportunities can be submitted through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) portal at https://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, June 6, 2025.
New York State continues to advance resiliency initiatives and investments that are helping to protect communities. Today’s announcement complements Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal to invest more than $1 billion to help fund a more sustainable and affordable future. The ambitious proposal is the single-largest climate investment in state history, generating thousands of jobs, slashing energy bills for households, and cutting harmful pollution.
The announcement today also demonstrates the ways New York State’s continued commitment can be achieved, by working with local communities to identify and address potential future climate impacts related to storm surges, rising sea levels, and other conditions. The Executive Budget also includes $108 million for climate resiliency initiatives that support coastal resiliency and additional funding for Green Resiliency Grants and continues a record $400 million for Environmental Protection Fund programs that include measures to adapt and mitigate climate impacts. Progress also continues in administering the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which has allocated approximately $1.25 billion, or 25 percent, of Bond Act funds to date.
New York State's Climate Agenda
New York State's climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.