Combating Climate Change Focus Of $60M In NY Green Projects

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul announced last week that $60 million in Green Resiliency Grant funding will support 13 green infrastructure projects across New York, with three of those projects right here in the Hudson Valley.

Hochul said the projects will combat the effects of climate change, particularly in flood-prone and disadvantaged communities. The GRG program, supported through the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, is part of the governor's commitment to protect state residents from extreme weather and provide equitable access to clean water resources.

The Village of Mamaroneck was granted $6.6 million for its Floodplain Restoration Effort which aims to mitigate flood risks in the high-risk area (confluence of the Sheldrake and Mamaroneck rivers) by creating two floodplain benches along the river banks. The project is expected to increase flood storage capacity and improve water quality with natural sediment filtering.

The City of Kingston will receive $4.375 million for its Safe & Accessible Flatbush & Foxhall Streetscape Project, which will add bioswales and stormwater tree pits in order to improve climate resiliency, reduce runoff, and protect natural resources. The streetscape improvements are expected to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety in a busy urban area.

The Village of Hastings-On-Hudson was awarded $2.5 million for its Farragut Parkway Wet Extended Detention Pond Project to store runoff, holding it in place for pollutants to settle out and for infiltration and evapotranspiration. The detention pond and drainage bypass are expected to reduce downstream peak flows to Boutilliers Brook, which is frequently overwhelmed during storms, and mitigate the persistent and destructive flooding experienced in a nearby neighborhood.

"Hurricanes Helene and Milton are another reminder of the urgency needed in investing in resiliency measures to keep our communities safe," Hochul said. "Strong and sustainable infrastructure is our first line of defense. Together with our state's unprecedented clean water investments, the Environmental Bond Act is shoring up our infrastructure and protecting our communities for generations to come."

GRG is part of the governor's comprehensive resiliency plan and actions to safeguard clean water in her 2024 State of the State Address and Executive Budget. Hochul committed $60 million to the program in April 2024 during Earth Week and the grants are administered through the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC).

"Green infrastructure solutions help protect our communities and the environment by capturing, absorbing, and better managing stormwater in the wake of increased flooding and severe weather fueled by climate change," Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. "Through Governor Hochul’s generational investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and other sources, New York is making sustained progress to improve resilience in flood-prone communities across the state, especially in those communities most burdened by environmental pollution and the impacts of climate change. Today’s investment of $60 million is one more shining example of how New York is safeguarding communities across the state."

The awards were announced by EFC President & CEO Maureen A. Coleman at an event in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

"Governor Hochul understands the importance of hardening municipal infrastructure to combat the effects of climate change," Coleman said. "EFC is committed to advancing the Governor’s bold resiliency plan by awarding critical grants to the communities that need it most. New York State is bringing new investment, modern infrastructure, and good-paying green jobs to communities."