Governor announces millions in grants to Adirondack programs

ADIRONDACK EXPLORER

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced nearly $2 million in state Environmental Protection Fund grants for Adirondack and Catskill “smart growth” projects.

The grants – most of them to Adirondack organizations and communities, with about $335,000 going to the Catskills – were open to applications through the Department of Environmental Conservation. They benefit a range of cultural, scientific, conservation, recreational and sanitation projects around the park.

This round of grants includes some focused on enhancing “age-friendly” communities.

“This funding will leverage existing state investments to spur further economic development within the Park and promote amenities for people of all ages,” Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chairman Todd Kaminsky said in the governor’s news release.

The Adirondack grants, written as described in the announcement, include:

• Historic Saranac Lake – $37,150 – Historic Saranac Lake Museum Campus Site Plan
• BluSeed Studios, Inc. – $100,000 – Expanding the View of BluSeed Studios: Building and Site Improvements Along a Village Travel Corridor
• Town of Ticonderoga – $100,000 – Building and Site Design for the Ticonderoga 18th Century French Sawmill Reconstruction
• Fort Ticonderoga Association – $100,000 – Accessibility Features for Fort Ticonderoga National Historic Landmark 1826 Pavilion
• Town of Westport – $18,660 – Westport Train Station / Depot Theatre Accessibility Improvements
• Town of Webb – $100,000 – Public Restroom Facility in Downtown Old Forge
• Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, Inc. – $50,000 – Adirondack Loons – Expanding the Educational and Retail Presence of the Adirondack Loon Center in Saranac Lake
• Village of Speculator – $100,000 – Village of Speculator Historic Fire Tower Assembly Project
• Adirondack Hamlets to Huts, Inc. – $30,000 – Adirondack Hamlets to Huts Trails Center – Interpretive Displays and Organizational Development Projects
• Town of Keene – $88,850 – Town of Keene Trails and Trailhead Parking Improvement Project
• Hamilton County – $66,500 – Hamilton County Trails in to Prosperity – Analysis of Conditions of Priority Trails and a Plan for Activating Local Capacity for Management and Sustainability of Trails
• Town of Caroga – $64,367.56 – Wheelerville Trails – Mountain Biking Destination
• Town of Lake George – $75,000 – McPhillips Preserve at French Mountain
• Town of Chester – $30,000 – Cunningham Community Forest Master Plan
• Adirondack Mountain Club, Inc. – $66,000 – Heart Lake Parking and Signage Improvement Project
• Village of Tupper Lake – $100,000 – Tupper Lake Hamlet Revitalization Façade Improvement Program
• Essex County Cornell Cooperative Extension – $99,624 – Increasing the Reach and Effectiveness of Adirondack Harvest
• Pendragon, Inc. – $100,000 – Pendragon Theatre LEED Integrative Project Planning and Design Process and Green Site Redevelopment
• Town of Tupper Lake – $100,000 – Enhancing the Winter Recreation Economy of Tupper Lake – Town-wide Winter Recreation Plan and Targeted Improvements to Outdoor Winter Recreation Center
• Adirondack Public Observatory, Inc – $75,000 – Support for Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory Launch! Phase: Design and Construction of the AstroScience Center Museum and Planetarium
• Essex County Industrial Development Agency – $100,000 – The Town of Ticonderoga, Main Street Revitalization, 2019 Microenterprise Grant Program