$5.9 Million Available to Address Environmental Concerns in EJ Areas
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced $5.9 million is now available to help communities facing environmental justice challenges implement innovative and effective projects to address environmental concerns. Funding for the Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) as part of New York State’s impactful Environmental Justice agenda.
“With a record of real accomplishments, DEC is proud of the results created by our grassroots partners leading projects supported by the Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants,” DEC Acting Commissioner Lefton said. “DEC is committed to providing resources for these groups that work tirelessly to provide our most vulnerable New Yorkers with a better future, and we look forward to the projects that lie ahead thanks to this next round of EPF funding.”
Since 2006, DEC has awarded nearly $17 million in Community Impact Grants to community-based organizations for projects engaging their communities around environmental justice issues and deploying community driven solutions. Recently during Earth Week, DEC announced $2 million in awards for the latest grant projects.
Community-based organizations can apply to receive up to $200,000 in funding for projects that address environmental and public health concerns of residents in impacted neighborhoods. Previous projects awarded by DEC have included public participatory science, community driven water and air quality monitoring, urban farming, habitat restoration, tree plantings, curriculum development, green infrastructure installation and more. A list of all previously funded projects and their project descriptions are available on Open Data NY.
Eligible community-based organizations, including not-for-profits and Tribal Organizations, are those located in or serve residents of environmental justice or disadvantaged communities, serving an area equal to or smaller than a county outside of New York City, or an area equal to or smaller than one of the five boroughs within New York City, and have a total annual revenue less than $3 million. Further eligibility information is available online at the Office of Environmental Justice Grant Programs webpage and on the Request for Applications (RFA).
Projects must address a community's exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks, and include a new research component that will be used to expand the knowledge of the affected community.
An example of past awardees in action includes Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity’s (RISE) impressive array of work with these grants. In 2021, the grant funded their successful project “Shore Corps,” a green stewards youth internship and workforce development program for low-income youth ages 14-18 who reside in Far Rockaway. Since that time, 10,000 plugs of grasses and 2,000 native shrubs were planted in the dune preserve at Beach 60th to Beach 63rd Street. They are also seeing unprecedented numbers of students apply for the summer cohort.
Questions regarding this grant opportunity will be accepted until close of business July 30, 2025. All questions and answers will be uploaded in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) on a rolling basis. Applicants are required to register and prequalify in the SFS Grants Management System before applying. Once registered and prequalified, organizations can apply for the grant in SFS. Instructions and application are available online at the Statewide Financial System website.
The deadline to submit applications is 3 p.m. EST on August 13, 2025. For a complete list of guidelines and more information, contact Department of Environmental Conservation's Office of Environmental Justice at 518-402-8556, justice@dec.ny.gov, or online at DEC's Environmental Justice web page.
Funding for this grant program was provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as environmental justice, land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, and water quality improvement projects.
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