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In this Coastal Resiliency Network webinar, Samantha Klein, Environmental Analyst for the Town of East Hampton, discusses her experience in paving the way to a more resilient East Hampton with the development of their CARP (Coastal Assessment Resiliency Plan). She focuses on lessons learned, funding, and providing guidance on how to get started creating your own CARP. The Coastal Resilience Network, led by the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC) with assistance from NY Sea Grant, is a collaborative open forum for communities in coastal Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties to discuss and learn about opportunities to increase their resilience to sea level rise, flooding, and extreme events.

In this Coastal Resiliency Network webinar, Barbara Kendall from the NYS Department of State provides an overview of Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs (LWRP) and then representatives from four NYS coastal communities discuss their experiences developing and implementing their LWRPs. The Coastal Resilience Network, led by the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC) with assistance from NY Sea Grant, is a collaborative open forum for communities in coastal Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties to discuss and learn about opportunities to increase their resilience to sea level rise, flooding, and extreme events.

In this Coastal Resiliency Network webinar Suzette Lopane with Westchester County and Marian Russo with the Village of Patchogue spoke about two exciting living shoreline projects. The Coastal Resilience Network, led by the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC) with assistance from NY Sea Grant, is a collaborative open forum for communities in coastal Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties to discuss and learn about opportunities to increase their resilience to sea level rise, flooding, and extreme events.

In this Coastal Resiliency Network webinar, Jess Kuonen from NY Sea Grant presents on MyCoast New York, a portal used to collect and analyze photos of changing water levels, shorelines, and hazardous weather impacts across New York’s varied coasts and water bodies. Additionally, Nelson Vaz from the National Weather Service – NY shared the National Weather Service Coastal Flood Webpage resources and the benefits of collecting local impact information from sources such as MyCoast NY. The Coastal Resilience Network, led by the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC) with assistance from NY Sea Grant, is a collaborative open forum for communities in coastal Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties to discuss and learn about opportunities to increase their resilience to sea level rise, flooding, and extreme events.

In this webinar hosted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, participants learned about successful strategies to access and manage NYS grant funding from their peers. Municipalities shared information such as; how they access grant funds, what barriers they’ve had to overcome, lessons learned, the skill sets needed, and who are the key players necessary to access grant funding. View the recording to see how you can access grant funding.

The first annual Long Island Sound Bi-State Sustainable and Resilient Communities Workshop brought together more than 260 people virtually on Dec. 1, 2022 to learn about opportunities to increase the resilience of the Sound’s communities to climate change and other environmental threats. Interactive sessions included opportunities to learn more about the SRC Extension Professionals’ needs assessment findings and recommendations, the newly released Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program, and tips for success with Long Island Sound funding opportunities. Concurrent breakout sessions highlighted the work of partners related to shoreline planning and implementation, using green infrastructure for stormwater management, sustainable climate planning for relocation, and new sustainability/resilience tools available in both New York and Connecticut. Videos of the workshop’s six sessions are available on YouTube. They can be accessed below along with supporting documents.

On Thursday, June 15, Save the Sound, Connecticut Sea Grant, New York Sea Grant, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Earth Economics hosted an invite-only workshop, “Expanding the Benefit-Cost Analysis for Nature-Based Solutions,” which was attended by more than 50 professionals from federal and state agencies, municipalities, environmental NGOs, and engineering firms.
The workshop reviewed the results of an effort by Save the Sound and Earth Economics to identify opportunities for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies and funders to improve the ability of benefit-cost analysis tools to account for ecosystem-based benefits. See here for the associated report, Expanding FEMA’s Benefit Cost Analysis: Chittenden Living Shoreline Case Study (published June 2023).

On July 18th, 2023 NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NY Sea Grant hosted a free public webinar to share more about what steps homeowners can take in their own yards to protect and improve Long Island waters! Featured experts from New York Sea Grant, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection, Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County, and Rewild Long Island discussed smart fertilizer practices, water conservation, and native plantings.

This online information session held Sept. 19, and repeated Sept. 21, provides an introduction to resilience planning in the Long Island Sound region. It includes discussions on local climate impacts and projections, resilience planning strategies, and climate certification programs for both New York and Connecticut municipalities. In addition to the main presentation, videos of the Connecticut and New York breakout sessions can be accessed below. The presentations and other resource materials are available here.

These webinars were presented by NEIWPCC, Long Island Sound Study, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The webinars introduced the Marsh Interactive Fate Viewer, discussed the process of creating marsh conservation plans for Westchester County and Mattituck Creek (Suffolk County) in 2021, and laid the groundwork for developing additional marsh conservation plans over the course of 2023.

Held at Port Jefferson Village Center in Suffolk County on May 10, 2023, this forum brought together state and local decision makers and other stakeholders, working to address coastal erosion along the Long Island Sound shoreline. Panelists highlighted strategies and options to address coastal erosion, discussed the Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas Program, local codes, updated New York State sea level rise projections and more. During small group discussions, attendees discussed challenges and identified opportunities to increase resilience, all in an effort to enhance coordination across communities. This forum was hosted by New York Sea Grant and Long Island Sound Study, in partnership with Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District and Suffolk County Legislators Sarah Anker, Stephanie Bontempi, Kara Hahn, and Al Krupski.

Held at Locust Valley Library in Nassau County on May 4, 2023, this forum brought together state and local decision makers and other stakeholders, working to address coastal erosion along the Long Island Sound shoreline. Panelists highlighted strategies and options to address coastal erosion, discussed the Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas Program, local codes, updated New York State sea level rise projections and more. During small group discussions, attendees discussed challenges and identified opportunities to increase resilience, all in an effort to enhance coordination across communities. This forum was hosted by New York Sea Grant and Long Island Sound Study, in partnership with Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is a partnership between Restore America’s Estuaries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Long Island Sound Study (LISS). The purpose of LISCIF is to build capacity for organizations located in communities affected by disproportionate environmental and human health risks. The purpose of the LISCIF is to provide technical and financial assistance to communities and improve the quality and accessibility of the Long Island Sound. The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund seeks to increase organizational capacity through training that supports day-to-day operations, project implementation, and future funding opportunities.

The programs covered in this webinar were developed by the Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional team to assist with the development of sustainability and resilience focused projects that will impact a community or communities within or partially within the Long Island Sound coastal boundary. On Oct. 16, 2023 a new LIS Resilience Planning Support Program in addition to a second round of the Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program were made available for municipalities and community organizations. These separate programs (Track 1 and Track 2) are supported by funding from the U.S. EPA through the Long Island Sound Study and administered through New York Sea Grant and Connecticut Sea Grant.

The second annual Long Island Sound Bi-State Sustainable and Resilient Communities Workshop brought together nearly 200 people virtually on Dec. 7, 2023 to learn about a new Long Island Sound Resilience Resource Hub (launching in early 2024), hear from communities and groups around the Sound working on resilience planning, and consider pathways for updating codes and ordinances. Videos of the workshop’s six sessions are available on YouTube. They can be accessed below along with supporting documents.

Website includes guidebook, fact sheets and open funding opportunities available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The goal is to help partners across the country know what to apply for, who to contact for help, and how to get ready to rebuild.

This map identifies priority salt marshes within each state that are good candidates for restoration, enhancement, and/or management to provide persistent high-quality Saltmarsh Sparrow nesting habitat. A second map shows priority marsh migration space for easement and acquisition.

lists native trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, sedges, reeds and herbaceous plants suitable for planting along the banks of a river, stream or other body of water.

Aimed at municipalities, this website provides workshop materials and legal issue fact sheets on topics relating to climate adaptation, including living shorelines, flooding, liability, shoreline boundaries, and more.

Helps shoreline homeowners choose appropriate landscaping options including plant species.

Website (also available as a PDF) to help coastal property owners evaluate threats to beaches and dunes and consider potential solutions. It includes background information on dune systems, and how to identify shoreline erosion.

List of native plants that will grow well in Connecticut’s coastal zone. Includes wildlife and pollinator benefits.

A guide listing the trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, reeds and herbaceous plants best for the banks of rivers, streams or other bodies of water (a companion to: A Planting Guide for Riparian Sites Along the Connecticut Coast)

Provides resources that help Connecticut’s municipal leaders fill gaps in local
extreme heat planning including
1. Communication templates
2. Cooling center best practices
3. A diverse collection of policy and planning actions
4. Advice on creating a heat response plan
Also provides Connecticut-specific information on how extreme heat impacts the
health of residents, especially vulnerable people, and extreme heat safety tips.

A policy guide to help formulate position statements, legislative recommendations, and other policy-based actions, and to recommend program funding at the federal and state government levels.

This policy guide identifies specific ways in which the drafting, public engagement, application, mapping, and enforcement of zoning regulations can be changed to dismantle the barriers that perpetuate the separation of historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

A policy guide to that outlines the hazard mitigation planning process, including consideration of how to enhance awareness of risks and efforts to improve community preparedness, health, resilience, and sustainability in the face of both natural and human-caused hazards. The guide also discusses adaptation, response, and recovery—including decisions about whether and how to rebuild following a disaster.

This guide is designed to assist decision makers and coastal professionals with applying and integrating the information in the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report, produced by the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Scenarios and Tools Interagency Task Force, into local sea level rise planning and adaptation decisions.

The purpose of the Long Island Sound Blue Plan is to identify and protect places of traditional use and ecological significance, and to minimize conflicts, now and in the future. Contains data layers with policy and planning areas, ecologically significant areas, and significant human use areas.

A platform with resources by state for brownfield remediation, resilience, and sustainable redevelopment.

Shows various SLR scenarios and flood event scenarios calibrated for the Long Island Sound CT coast. Also includes FEMA Limit of Moderate Wave Action boundary for referencing building codes.

Sea level preparation guidance for CT. Recommends planning for 20″ by 2050.

CLEAR, a program of UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, provides information, education, and assistance to land use decision makers, in support of balancing growth and natural resource protection.

Water quality is strongly related to land use. New high-resolution land cover data for Connecticut has made it possible to look at the land/water connection at a finer scale than ever before. Using the three sections of this website below, you can learn about our study, explore the landscape surrounding the over 4,300 local waterways in our state and the implications for the health of these waterways, and test out landscape change scenarios to see what effects they might have.

Shows areas vulnerable to near-term flooding from different combinations of sea level rise, storm surge, tides, and tsunamis, or to permanent submersion by long-term sea level rise. Within the U.S., it incorporates the latest, high-resolution, high-accuracy lidar elevation data supplied by NOAA (exceptions: see Sources), displays points of interest, and contains layers displaying social vulnerability, population density, and property value.

This booklet from the EPA and CDC summarizes why extreme heat is on the rise, how it might affect people, and outlines steps to prepare for extreme heat events to reduce health risks.

The CCVI combines built, social, and ecological factors to identify areas that are vulnerable to flooding and heat related impacts of climate change. These mapping tools can be used to view vulnerability at both a regional scale and at specific sites to see how factors are contributing.

This document offers foundational learning opportunities for the emergency management community and beyond. By sharing communication techniques, climate information, data resources, and guidance for connecting with experts, this resource helps advance the integration of climate change considerations into actionable efforts before, during, and after disasters.

Contains guidance documents and information on coastal permitting from the State of Connecticut.

Guide that lists various beach-related actions/activities, permitting pathways, and other considerations

This interactive map can help you find your way to over 350 diverse shoreline sites in Connecticut that provide a variety of opportunities for coastal enjoyment.

Provides information about coastal hazard management in Connecticut including steps for developing plans and responses.

A centralized source of information for municipal officials, coastal property owners, state coastal managers, and the general public on coastal hazards in Connecticut.

Connecticut-specific site with maps, data, and visualization tools. Contains: Blue Plan, MS4 Viewer, CT Parcel Viewer, Sea Level Rise Effects on Roads & Marshes, CT DEEP Fish Community Data – Inland Waters, CT Aquaculture Mapping Atlas, CT Coastal Hazards Viewer, Carbon Stock & Land Cover Viewer

This Guide provides planning tools, regulatory information, and best management practices to jumpstart shellfish restoration-based project planning.

The Map Viewer is the state’s first geospatial collection of key ecological, biological, and human-use data intended to assess the viability of a coastal location to support shellfish restoration. Further, qualitative oyster habitat surveys characterize, for the first time, the condition of intertidal oyster populations across the state and establish a baseline to inform the planning of future quantitative assessments.

The Connecticut Shoreline Change Project analyzes how the Connecticut shoreline has changed between the late 1800’s and 2006 through loss (erosion) and gain (accretion) over time.

Resource guide for CT shellfish and aquaculture. It provides information and tools about all things shellfish and aquaculture in Connecticut with sections for businesses, consumers, recreational shellfishing, and shellfish restoration.

Guidance for coastal property owners, buyers, contractors, or real estate professionals to understand if a shoreline structure, construction, or repair requires a permit.

This web mapping application displays Water Quality Plans (TMDLs) developed by the 303 (d) program in conjunction with Water Quality Assessments conducted by the 305 (b) program.

This resource provides a variety of Aquaculture geodata in CT and can be used to support the decision-making process for aquaculture permitting applications, but does not include authoritative content.

This Story map illustrates climate change projections, considering scenarios that factor in temperature, precipitation, extreme heat, storms, and sea level.

This mapper provides a view of estuary data and the option to retrieve and save information about water quality, nutrients, land use, etc. There are also instructions provided to assist with usage.

Includes information about preparing for, and implementing green infrastructure with helpful links to other fact sheets and resources.

This story map illustrates historical hurricane tracks, strike frequency, and potential areas of coastal flooding and inundation from storms.

An overview of the processes that cause bluff erosion and how to mitigate erosion.

An effort by Save the Sound and Earth Economics to identify opportunities for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies and funders to improve the ability of benefit-cost analysis tools to account for ecosystem-based benefits.

The site includes updated design storm rainfall amounts. Includes estimates of extreme rainfall for various durations (from 5 minutes to 10 days) and recurrence intervals (1 year to 500 years). Regional extreme rainfall maps and graphic products are also available. This updates existing analyses to account for changes such as the increasing frequency of heavy rainfall events.

The primary goal of this guide is to help communities identify and engage the staff and resources that can be used to implement nature-based solutions to build resilience to natural hazards, which may be exacerbated by climate change.

This guide gives community leaders five main strategies to carry out Nature-Based Solution projects: 1) Building Strong Partnerships, 2) Engaging the Whole Community, 3) Matching Project Size with Desired Goals and Benefits, 4) Maximizing Benefits, and 5) Designing for the Future. This is not a technical guide for planning, constructing, or funding NBS. It covers the value of each strategy and suggests how to move forward with NBS projects.

The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Use the MSC to find your official flood map.

These community profiles are intended to be used by municipal officials and planners working to make their communities more economically, environmentally, and socially resilient. Includes datasets related to FEMA disaster and non-disaster funding, flood insurance claims, social vulnerability, and other community stats.

RAPT provides access to important data and analysis tools to support your community before, during and after a disaster.

This toolkit features legal and policy tools, best and emerging practices, and case studies to support learning and decision making around managed retreat and climate adaptation. It is meant to be used by state, territorial, and local policymakers in U.S. coastal jurisdictions

Provides the most up-to-date sea level rise projections for all U.S. states and territories, out to the year 2150. Extrapolations of available tide gauge observations are also provided. The sea level scenarios and information contained in this tool originate from 2022 technical report produced by the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Scenarios and Tools Interagency Task Force.

The Long Island Garden Rewards Program offers reimbursement of up to $500 total for making your yard more water friendly. Homeowners can be reimbursed for installing rain barrels, rain gardens, or native plantings on their properties. These actions reduce the amount of nitrogen pollution entering local waterways and helps conserve water. Funds are limited and available on a first come, first serve basis.

Due to the high participation in the program, as of May 20, 2025 the Long Island Garden Rewards Program is closed. Thank you to all who participated. Check back for when applications open again!

The purpose of the interactive viewer is to illustrate the fate of significant marsh systems on Long Island Sound under future Sea-Level Rise conditions. Model results are combined with tax-parcel information and integrated with information about marsh ecosystem services to assist municipalities and conservation groups in defining and assessing various land-management alternatives.

Learn about living shorelines and their benefits to communities. This website contains training modules, a white papers database, a database of living shoreline projects, professionals directory, and online forum.

New York Sea Grant (NYSG) created a new “Protecting Coastal Bluffs of Long Island” Sign (pdf) that is available for municipalities, community groups, homeowner associations and property owners to print and install next to your bluff. NYSG has created a post card version of “Protecting Coastal Bluffs of Long Island” (pdf) available for distribution.

Developed by the NEMO program at the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research, this website provides guidance and tools to help Connecticut municipalities and institutions comply with the MS4 general permit.

Submit your coastal flooding photos through this website/app. Photos are linked to real-time environmental conditions to create flooding reports that help stakeholders understand our changing environment and make informed decisions.

MyCoast NY collects and catalogs photos provided by volunteers that document changing water levels, shorelines, and hazardous weather impacts across New York’s varied coasts and water bodies. Photos are linked to real-time environmental conditions to create flooding and storm impact reports that help stakeholders like government agencies, business owners, and residents understand our changing environment and make informed decisions.

The Nassau County Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed through a year-long interactive planning process in close coordination with stakeholders. The process included identifying the hazards of concern within the County, assessing those hazards, estimating risk, and developing a strategy to mitigate risk to these hazards throughout the County.

Neighborhoods at Risk is an easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities identify neighborhoods that may be more impacted by climate change. It shows where people may experience unequal impacts from flooding and extreme heat.

The tool is designed to support shellfish and seaweed aquaculture siting in New York and Connecticut’s coastal waters.

Nitrogen Smart Communities (NSC) is a Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) program that encourages municipalities in Nassau and Suffolk counties to take meaningful and effective actions to reduce, prevent or eliminate nitrogen pollution in Long Island’s waters through community-specific plans of action.

This website and the associated tools can be used by planners and engineers to help understand how rising sea levels, more intense storms, and heavy rainfalls affect stormwater systems, and to generate reports that can be used to inform planning.

Assess your county’s exposure and resilience to flooding and the potential economic impacts.

Use this mapper to visualize people, infrastructure, and natural resources exposed to coastal flood hazards. You can save and share the online maps to communicate with stakeholders. Tip: watch the short video about the tool before getting started!

This tool produces location-specific scenarios for sea level and flooding, as well as information about present-day and past conditions. Local governments and other practitioners can use the information to make informed decisions about strategic adaptation investments. The site incorporates data, maps, and visualizations and produces automated, location-specific reports.

Healthy ecosystems provide a wide range of benefits, from recreational opportunities to storm surge protection. These benefits are often referred to as ecosystem services. Understanding how changes to the ecosystem may affect these benefits should play a role in the community’s decision making process. This page provides a guide to learning more and key NOAA Digital Coast resources useful for this task.

The Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model, or SLAMM, uses digital data and other information to simulate potential impacts of long-term sea level rise on wetlands and shorelines. Additional data related to dike locations or other protected areas, accretion rates, erosion rates, and other factors can be included within the model as optional factors. Requires ArcGIS for viewing outputs in a mapping environment and software, such as Microsoft Excel and Word, to view the text and tabular output.

Use this web mapping tool to visualize community-level impacts from coastal flooding or sea level rise (up to 10 feet above average high tides). Photo simulations of how future flooding might impact local landmarks are also provided, as well as data related to water depth, connectivity, flood frequency, socio-economic vulnerability, wetland loss and migration, and mapping confidence.

The 2022 State Climate Summaries provide new information on assessment topics directly related to NOAA’s mission, specifically historical climate variations and trends, future climate model projections of climate conditions during the 21st century, and past and future conditions of sea level and coastal flooding. Select your state to find state-level information for observed changes in climate, including both long-term trends and extreme weather events.

User-friendly access to expert-reviewed interactive maps on key topics such as marine life and habitat, marine-based industry, use and resources in the northeastern United States. The Data Explorer allows the user to define and view any combination of data hosted on the Portal on one map.

This story map examines the coastal processes and hazards of Long Island and provides options for sustainable and resilient shoreline management. Information is useful for coastal managers, planners and coastal property owners.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program helps local governments to implement clean energy actions, save energy costs, create jobs, and improve the environment. In addition to providing tools, resources, funding opportunities and technical assistance, the program recognizes and rewards leadership for the completion of clean energy projects and guides a path toward the Clean Energy Communities designation. Find your local CEC Coordinator to start!

The 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. The program offers grants, rebates for electric vehicles, and free technical assistance. Registered communities have made a commitment to act by passing the CSC pledge. Certified communities are the foremost leaders in the state; they have gone beyond the CSC pledge by completing and documenting a suite of actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change at the local level. Find your local CSC Coordinator to start!

Inclusive community engagement is essential for successful environmental decision-making. The New York State Climate Smart Communities Program seeks to guide local governments in their community engagement efforts, particularly for inclusion of Disadvantaged Communities (DAC). Only through the leadership of those most affected by the climate crisis and environmental pollution can environmental and climate justice be achieved.

This mapper, developed through the New York Climate Act, was developed by the State Climate Justice Working Group to identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that frontline and otherwise underserved communities benefit from the state’s historic transition to cleaner, greener sources of energy, reduced pollution and cleaner air, and economic opportunities. The interactive map identifies areas throughout the State that meet the disadvantaged community Criteria as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group.

New York State sea level rise projections. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is currently updating these projections.

This floodplain mapper shows the estimated boundary of future coastal floodplains for different sea level rise scenarios for New York State. Customize a scenario by choosing the amount of sea level rise in inches and a coastal flood recurrence interval.

The New York State Department of State (NYS DOS) developed the Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework to provide clear and consistent information to those planning projects to improve their shoreline resiliency.

The New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual provides designers with a general overview on how to size, design, select, and locate stormwater management practices at a development site to comply with State stormwater performance standards.

This interactive map provides information on boat ramps and saltwater fishing access points on Long Island in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

The NYSDEC document is to provide guidance on the issuance of permits for living shorelines techniques in the Marine and Coastal District Waters of New York (the Marine District) and encourages the use of green or natural infrastructure.

Use this website to find New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) permits, licenses, registrations or certifications.

This NYSDEC tool provides information on shellfish closures in NY’s marine waters and can be used to help resource users understand where it is safe to harvest to shellfish.

The Long Island Tidal Wetlands Trends Analysis measures wetlands loss and changes in marsh condition within the Long Island Sound, Peconic, and South Shore estuaries including all or parts of Westchester, Bronx, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties between 1974 and 2005/2008. The results of this project are intended for use by environmental managers, conservation advocates and elected officials across a variety of regulatory agencies, environmental organizations, and governments.

The New York State Department of State worked with the Department of Environmental Conservation and other partners to create model local laws to help local governments be more resilient to sea-level rise, storm surge, and flooding. Cities, towns, and villages are invited to adapt model local laws to meet the resilience needs of the community with the assistance of their municipal attorneys.

This document developed in support of the NYS Community Risk and Resiliency Act 1) Describes natural resilience measures and how they can be used to mitigate the risks of flooding and erosion, 2) Provides definitions for different types of natural resilience measures and distinguishes among conserved, restored, nature-based and hard structural approaches, 3) Provides information on the value and benefits of using natural resilience measures, along with information on the co-benefits they provide, 4) Lists key factors to consider in the restoration, design and construction of natural resilience measures, and 5) Provides background to support the development of NYS agency guidance on natural resilience measures in the future

Information from the NYS Department of Health (DOH) on extreme heat impacts and resources for the public.

This fact sheet is intended to assist landowners in understanding the various shoreline management options and considerations for their shoreline.

The purpose of this fact sheet is to assist landowners in identifying and understanding the primary causes and processes responsible for erosion.

This guidance document is intended for stakeholders pursuing FEMA HMA grants for nature-based solutions to mitigate risks associated with flooding (riverine and coastal) and wildfire.

This toolkit describes “how” local government leads and partners can design more fundable projects by pulling specific policy levers, seeking key partnerships, using innovative accounting practices, inverting power structures, and rethinking and redesigning internal processes. It will help local government leads and partners operate within current finance and policy systems to better prepare themselves and their communities for climate resilience funding and finance.

National Report with State-based County-level data detailing the experiences of communities as a result of climate change. State reports include eight maps that show where major disasters have occurred, where post-disaster support has been given, where the most socially vulnerable populations reside, and the energy reliability by utility area. It also provides county-level disaster data within State Assembly, Senate, and Congressional district boundaries.

ReduceFloodRisk.org was developed by the Association of State Floodplain Managers to help property owners and buyers in flood prone areas identify strategies to reduce their properties risk of flooding.

The Resilience Implementation and Strategic Enhancements (RISE) Local Assessment Tool helps you approach hazards and risks comprehensively; and assess and refine your laws and policies in a way that improves resilience and helps achieve desired community outcomes. The tool works by assessing two critical elements of building resilience:
the “how” – once identified, resilience-enhancing measures can be successfully integrated into existing land use laws, building codes, and planning policies; and
the “what” – gaps in policies and regulations that support resilience.

Developed by The Nature Conservancy, this tool identifies priority road-stream and tidal crossings in Suffolk County for replacement or upgrades. Prioritization is based on social and ecological criteria. Additionally, it includes data on current and future projected flooding and marsh extent under various sea level rise scenarios. The tool is meant to be a screening tool for planning efforts.

Save the Sound’s Sound Health Explorer displays information on water quality for Long Island Sound beaches, embayments, and open waters.

The River Revival Project Map is a GIS-based map that identifies every river and stream in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. It also identifies the tributaries where river herring runs are known to exist, and shows all existing, planned or proposed connectivity projects on the island. The map is intended to be a tool to engage citizens in the restoration of rivers and streams in their communities.

Seatuck and the Greentree Foundation, in association with Cameron Engineering, initiated the Long Island Water Reuse Roadmap and Action Plan to catalyze the implementation of water reuse on Long Island and ensure that the strategy plays a larger and more meaningful role in safeguarding the region’s drinking water and surface water resources.

Suffolk County and the local governments within Suffolk County developed a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan, which documents risks from natural hazards and strategies to mitigate hazards.

Resources and information on Suffolk County’s Reclaim Our Water Initiatives and Septic Improvement Program. Through the Septic Improvement Program homeowners can access grants from New York State and Suffolk County to replace their cesspool or septic system with a nitrogen removal septic system and leaching structure.

Sustainable CT provides a wide-ranging menu of resilience best practices, opportunities for grant funding, and a voluntary certification program that recognizes thriving and resilient CT communities. Municipalities choose Sustainable CT actions, implement them, and earn points toward certification.

Coastal Resilience is a Connecticut-based decision support tool that provides local, regional, state and national stakeholders a step-wise process to guide decisions to reduce the ecological and socio-economic risks of coastal and inland hazards.

In cities across America, trees have historically been planted along race and class lines. Ensuring equitable tree cover across every neighborhood can help address social inequities so that all people can thrive. The map shows your city or town’s current Tree Equity Score and how it can be improved. Each score is calculated using a science-based approach and readily available data from a variety of sources.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map released every Thursday, showing where drought is and how bad it is across the U.S. and its territories. The map uses six classifications: normal conditions, abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4).

The Coastal Science Navigator is intended to help users discover USGS Coastal Change Hazards information, products, and tools relevant to their scientific or decision-making needs.

This mapper is intended to provide federal, state, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of wetlands. It allows you to display information on the unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, tidal range, and shoreline change rates for New York’s tidal wetlands.

WaterTraq program is the first of its kind in New York State that allows for research of groundwater contamination by location, compound, depth of wells, and other criteria.

This Story Map was developed to provide an overview of the Westchester County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) to facilitate county-wide access to the plan. The Westchester County HMP was developed to provide a roadmap to resilience by identifying hazards affecting the county and its communities.

Click through all the pages to find guidance on native vs non-native plants, where to buy native plants in Westchester, how to guides, and local ordinances.

This EPA StoryMap communicates the importance, history, and threats of Long Island Sound eelgrass meadows. It highlights Long Island Sound Study’s ongoing efforts to protect and restore these essential ecosystems, and emphasizes the importance of understanding climate change implications on eelgrass distribution and productivity.

The Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) is a multiyear initiative to reduce the amount of nitrogen entering Long Island’s groundwater and surface water from wastewater (sewer and septic systems), stormwater runoff and fertilizers. LINAP is led by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) along with Suffolk and Nassau counties, with input from multiple partners and stakeholders. Learn more about LINAP and actions you can take to reduce nitrogen to Long Island’s waterways.

10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Personal Nitrogen Pollution

This story map by the by the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) shows a snapshot of Connecticut Municipalities’ Low Impact Development Policies (LID) that are included plans of conservation and development, zoning/subdivision regulations, and stormwater/LID design manuals.

NOAA overview of living shorelines and their benefits, steps to construction. There is a good map of places where they have been constructed around the US. It is a good place to get basic info about living shorelines, with appropriate links to more specific information like how to get a permit

CT state resource on living shorelines, with a few good fact sheets and pages about types of living shoreline techniques and permitting for our state. There is also a list of pilot projects in CT.

A website and a downloadable app for your mobile device. The resource has information about rain gardens, designing, selecting plants, and installing a garden on your property.

This website provides an overview of each chapter of Connecticut’s new Stormwater Quality Manual, which includes guidance on how to design, install, and maintain these types of practices.

The Superstorm Sandy Review Task Force conducted an in-depth review of the preparation for and response to Superstorm Sandy in Suffolk County by government agencies, first responders, nonprofits and private sector entities to determine which measures were effective and what actions must be taken in the future to increase resiliency and improve response to extreme weather events.

The Suffolk County Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan serves as a county-wide roadmap for how to address nitrogen pollution through wastewater upgrades and other nitrogen pollution mitigation strategies. It was developed in collaboration with numerous project partners, stakeholders, and technical experts, and is the product of rigorous, science-based evaluations.

Otter Creek Preserve is located along a three-mile stretch of coastline on Long Island Sound in Mamaroneck, NY. It contains 90% of the remaining productive salt marshes in Westchester County, and is an important site for migratory birds, marine life, and other wildlife. The 35-acre preserve is the largest privately-owned tidal wetland designated and protected as a nature sanctuary in Westchester County.

Following improvements made to the coastal forest and tidal marsh in 2015 and 2016 with support from the Westchester Community Foundation, in 2017 Westchester Land Trust (WLT) received NFWF LISFF funding to continue removing non-native trees, shrubs, and vines, replant with native species, and conduct expanded outreach and educational programming at the preserve.

In 2023, Long Island Sound Study and Warren Pinnacle, in partnership with Westchester County and conservation groups/organizations, have developed a Plan to understand the benefits of, threats to, and recommended conservation actions for marsh ecosystems on Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, NY. The goal of the Plan is to help inform conservation and restoration efforts to maximize marsh ecosystem services under rising sea levels.

Increased development and the historic construction of a dam on Sunken Meadow Creek in the 1950’s led to reduced tidal exchange, increased water levels in the creek, poor water quality, and the proliferation of invasive species. In 2008 a number of partners (NYS OPRHP, NOAA, NYSDEC, LISS, TNC, Save the Sound, USFWS, LI Botanical Society) came together to work to restore the degraded marsh habitat around Sunken Meadow Creek, increase tidal flow, improve aquatic organism passage, limit invasives, and improve water quality. A restoration feasibility study was completed in 2010. In 2012 Superstorm Sandy blew out the dam on Sunken Meadow Creek, naturally kick-starting restoration. Following Superstorm Sandy, the project partners were able to quickly capitalize on available funding and grants, due to their prior planning efforts. A bridge was built across the Creek where the dam blew out, salt marsh habitat was restored at three locations, green infrastructure was installed in one of the parking areas to capture and treat stormwater runoff, fish passage feasibility on the creek was investigated, and education and outreach was conducted to thousands of people. These projects were completed in 2019. Now, with funding through Long Island Sound Futures Fund, Audubon NY is leading a large-scale marsh restoration project at Sunken Meadow Creek to restore important high-marsh habitat for at risk species, like the Saltmarsh Sparrow, and to increase the resilience of the marsh in the face of rising sea levels. Audubon will be working to finalize the designs and secure permits over the next two years, with on-the-ground restoration expected in 2026.

The Maidstone Landing Association, situated between Town of Riverhead Iron Pier Beach and Hallock State Park, wanted to take action to mitigate erosion of their bluff. First they worked with Town of Riverhead to put up signage and fencing to stop beachgoers from climbing and driving on or near the bluff, which was causing significant destruction. Next they opted for a small-scale, nature-based approach to help stabilize the bluff. They purchased snow fencing from Home Depot and native beachgrass from Long Island Natives. They engaged Riverhead Charter High School to help with putting up the snow fencing and the plantings. The Maidstone Landing Association is using their bluff as an “outdoor classroom” to teach students and the public about the importance of conserving our coastal habitats and best practices.

This comprehensive study and plan, funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Long Island Sound Futures Fund, identifies initial strategies to maintain and enhance the local watershed resources of Crab Meadow. It is meant to be a land management tool to guide the implementation of best practices. The plan was developed in consultation with many partners and stakeholders. There is now significant community buy-in to take action to protect and restore this important watershed. 

Following adoption of the plan, the Town of Huntington began working with US Fish and Wildlife Service and Audubon to study and restore Crab Meadow marsh and implement recommendations from the Stewardship Plan. Audubon, in partnership with Town of Huntington and USFWS, received a 2024 Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant ($429K) to develop design plans for marsh restoration at Crab Meadow.

In 2023, Long Island Sound Partnership and Warren Pinnacle, in partnership with committed municipalities and conservation groups/organizations, developed a Plan to understand the benefits, threats, and recommended conservation actions for the Stony Brook Harbor and West Meadow Creek marsh ecosystem. The goal of the Plan is to help inform conservation and restoration efforts to maximize marsh ecosystem services under rising sea levels.

In 2023, Long Island Sound Study, New York Sea Grant and Warren Pinnacle, in partnership with committed municipalities and marsh-conservation groups/organizations, developed a Plan to understand the benefits, threats and recommended conservation actions at seven focal areas across the harbors. The goal of the Plan is to inform local municipalities and marsh-conservation groups as to where they might focus their conservation efforts to maximize the conservation of marsh ecosystem services under sea-level rise conditions. This process brought together a diversity of stakeholders to develop a cohesive strategy for seven focal areas across Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor: Frost Creek, Mill Neck Creek, West Shore Road, Bayville Bridge to Centre Island, Centre Island, Shore Road, and Lower Cold Spring Harbor. The partners will now work to implement the recommendations in the plan.

St. John’s Episcopal Church (lower Cold Spring Harbor) and Village of Lattingtown (Frost Creek) were 2024 LIS Resilience Planning Support Program awardees. Their projects will build off the Oyster Bay & Cold Spring Harbor marsh conservation plan and develop specific recommendations to enhance and restore marsh habitat in lower Cold Spring Harbor and Frost Creek.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee and Village of Sea Cliff completed subwatershed improvements at Scudders Pond to address stormwater drainage problems impacting the water quality of the pond and Hempstead Harbor, highlighted as a priority in the 1998 Hempstead Harbor Water Quality Improvement Plan. The improvements included dredging the pond, installing a hydrodynamic separator to intercept sediment, removing invasive Phragmites australis and replacing with native plants, realigning the stream to reduce erosion, redirecting the stormwater from residences to the bioswale, creation of a biofilter wetland area, replacement of the weir between the upper and lower ponds and weir at Shore Road.

The Nassau County Museum of Art restored coastal grassland and use the restored grassland to educate visitors about the environment at the William Cullen Bryant Preserve, Roslyn Harbor, New York. The project will restore an important coastal habitat of Long Island Sound. The whole area was seeded mid-October 2023 and the meadow growth began in the spring of 2024, although it will take 2-3 years to resemble a meadow. See photos below of the established grassland approximately 2 years after the seeding.

In partnership with Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, an innovative cliff face stabilization system, engineered by Long Island based company Coastal Technologies Corp (CTC), was deployed as a pilot on Oct. 30th, 2022 at a steep & loose coastal moraine bluff located at The Sands Point Preserve, NY. The pilot project was designed to test the efficacy of this system to secure and stabilize sediment under constant erosive pressure preventing vegetation from taking hold. This bluff was selected due to its very high rate of stormwater & aeolian erosion. American beach grass, bayberry, beach plum & rose plugs, all protected from erosive forces, have thrived. Slope erosion was prevented by the devices, and all plants were successfully held against the slope, exactly as designed.

Friends of the Bay installed two raingardens at the Western Waterfront, which was done in October 2021 with the help of volunteers.

In 2019, the City of Norwalk secured a LIS Future Fund grant to install green infrastructure in the Webster Street Parking to reduce the impacts of stormwater on the Norwalk River and Harbor and mitigate local flooding of surrounding businesses through the installation of four different types of infiltration and bio-retention structures:
1) Underground infiltration systems.
2) Retention basins and curb inlet planters in eight different areas.
3) Porous pavement with storage in two areas.
4) Infiltration gutters and tree filters in two other areas.

This project restored 46 acres of the Great Meadows Marsh in Connecticut that was degraded from dredge material that was dumped on site, poor drainage, and sea level rise. The marsh was also overrun with invasive plants and mosquitoes. A controlled fire was started to kill the invasive reeds growing in the marsh. Then a construction crew removed invasive plants and the dumped dredge material. Lastly, channels were carefully dug for tidal flushing which will allow the marsh to keep pace with sea level rise. Soil hummocks were constructed for Salt Marsh Sparrow habitat. Now the area continues to be monitored, assessed for resiliency, and provides a field for innovative solutions to be tested in.

Partners

Trustees: USFWS, NOAA, State of Connecticut; Project Partners: Audubon Connecticut, Town of Stratford

This project consists of 750 feet of shoreline in Stratford, CT. The goal of the project was to protect the beach from coastal erosion and to help combat sea level rise. The steps consisted of adding a smooth cordgrass marsh, artificial shellfish reefs (reef balls), high marsh, and a coastal dune area. The site was awarded the “Best Restored Shore Area” from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association. To adaptively manage the site, a second restoration project is being developed to extend the marsh seaward by 0.35 acres over an additional 250 feet of shore using a combination of bagged slipper shell and small, modular oyster castles near the marsh edge, along with additional cordgrass plantings in the intertidal zone.

Project Lead:

Sacred Heart University

Dana Dam (aka Strong Pond Dam) at Merwin Meadows Park in Wilton, CT was the first barrier to upstream fish migration from Long Island Sound on the Norwalk River. A series of dams along the Norwalk River (historically, and presently) prevented fish from reaching their historic spawning grounds, have posed safety risks, and disconnected the river from its natural floodplain. On September 11, 2023, demolition of this dam began! In addition to restoring habitat and allowing fish passage, the removal restored natural floodplain connectivity, realigned 200 feet of river channel away from an active railroad embankment, and removed a known safety hazard.

Partners

• Save the Sound, CT DEEP, Trout Unlimited, Town of Wilton

The City of New Haven has installed 286 right-of-way bioswales throughout the city as part of a multifaceted approach to reducing flooding in the downtown area. Right-of-way bioswales are engineered planted areas that are located on sidewalks. They are designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater into the ground that would otherwise directly enter a storm drain. These bioswales were installed as the result of various partnerships and funding opportunities related to flood prevention, localized drainage solutions, combined sewer overflow mitigation, research, and traffic calming projects.

Project Lead

City of New Haven, Dept of Engineering

Project Partners

Urban Resources Initiative, EMERGE Inc., Save the Sound, Yale School of the Environment, and Quinnipiac University, among others.

This public greenspace was suffering from mosquito overpopulation, invasion from Phragmites, and poor tidal/stormwater drainage. The Wetland’s Habitat and Mosquito Management Program (WHAMM) created a new drainage area and tunnels, while also eliminating invasive plants. Then organizations and volunteers banded together to remove and replace invasive plant species with native plants.

This Avalonia and Sea Grant effort in Stonington, CT restored the preserve using native, well-researched plant species that would thrive in the forest and offer biodiversity. First, the area was cut down precisely to allow for new, ground-level growth. Then the preserve was seeded with plants chosen by the field team.

The purpose of this project was to mitigate 450 ft of coastal erosion on the Long Island Sound. A part of Crab Creek was moved further inland, thus allowing for beach and dune migration over time. New rock sills, plants, and sand sills were also positioned along the shore.

With support from the Nature Conservancy and Sustainable CT, East Haddam organized a Community Resilience Building process and workshop, the results of which were compiled into this summary. The team engaged with community members to determine the present hazards and vulnerabilities and identify resilient solutions.

In order to respond promptly to funding opportunities from various sources, ACFHP is soliciting applications for habitat conservation projects in need of funding that align with ACFHP’s objectives and priority habitats. The Request for Proposals is not linked to a specific funding source. Instead, newly submitted projects reviewed and approved by ACFHP will be added to our project database and recommended as funding becomes available.

The U.S. Standard Grants Program is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). These projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds.

The Cultural and Community Resilience program supports community-based efforts to mitigate climate change and COVID-19 pandemic impacts, safeguard cultural resources, and foster cultural resilience through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experience. The program prioritizes projects from disadvantaged communities in the United States or its jurisdictions, and NEH encourages applications that employ inclusive methodologies.

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) is seeking proposals to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound (Sound). The program is managed by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership). Major funding is from EPA through the LIS Partnership.

The goals of this funding opportunity are to enhance collaboration with recreational, subsistence, cultural, and non-commercial fishing communities, and to protect and restore habitat. Healthy habitat leads to more fishing opportunities and increased climate resilience, and there are numerous opportunities to advance habitat conservation by working together.

11th Hour Racing fosters systemic change to restore ocean health — our vision for the future includes cleaner, healthier waterways through strong local stewardship and collective action around the world. By supporting local pilot programs that model best practices of sustainability, restore coastal ecosystems, and advance ocean stewardship, our grantees are creating systemic change to restore ocean health. We are working toward a future of cleaner, healthier waterways through strong local stewardship and collective action around the world. 11th Hour Racing works to facilitate this transition by supporting local solutions to global problems, led by community organizations and industry leaders.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program’s guiding principles are to support communities through capability and capacity building, encourage and enable innovation; promote partnerships, enable large projects, maintain flexibility, and provide consistency.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program is a competitive program that provides funding to states, federally recognized Tribal governments, U.S. territories, and local governments. Since the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 was signed into law, funds are used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) is requesting project applications to restore and conserve habitat necessary to support coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish species along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Federal funding available through the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program will be used to support the top ranked proposals. To ensure available funding is being directed most effectively, projects should be geared toward meeting ACFHP’s conservation objectives described in its Conservation Strategic Plan.

The NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Habitat Protection and Restoration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Competition will fund designated Reserve agencies and universities to conduct land acquisition and habitat restoration projects that support the NERRS mission. NOAA will strengthen protection of key land and water areas, improve climate resilience, enhance long-term protection of Reserve areas for research and education, and support the habitat protection goals and priorities of the National Coastal Zone Management Act.

$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.

EPA Long Island Sound Study announced the second round of this program focused on the Long Island Sound watershed area within New York and Connecticut. The purpose of the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is to provide technical and financial assistance to communities to address environmental issues and improve the quality and accessibility of the Long Island Sound. Technical assistance will be provided through LISCIF and is available to communities/organizations even if one does not submit a funding proposal.  

Sea Grant and the NOAA Climate Program Office, with support from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, seek to establish programs aimed at placing people across the country into good jobs that advance climate resilience and assisting employers in developing a 21st century workforce that is climate literate, informed by climate resilience, and skilled at addressing consequent challenges. NOAA will assist communities in coastal and Great Lakes states and territories so they may form partnerships that train workers and place them into jobs that enhance climate resilience.

NOAA is seeking proposals for transformational projects that will restore coastal habitat and strengthen community resilience under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This funding will prioritize habitat restoration actions that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, use natural infrastructure to reduce damage from flooding and storms, promote resilient ecosystems and communities, and yield socioeconomic benefits. This funding opportunity will invest in projects that have the greatest potential to provide holistic benefits, through habitat-based approaches that strengthen both ecosystem and community resilience.

Nearly $85 million in funding is available for fish passage and tribal capacity building under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. This funding will support U.S. federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and tribal organizations in implementing fish passage work and building tribal organizational capacity.

CIG On-Farm Trials projects feature collaboration between NRCS and partners to implement on-the-ground conservation activities and then evaluate their impact. Incentive payments are provided to producers to offset the risk of implementing innovative approaches.  The Soil Health Demonstration (SHD) Trial component of On-Farm Trials focuses exclusively on the implementation of conservation practices and systems that improve soil health.   A critical element of each On-Farm Trials project is the project evaluation. Partners must propose robust scientific approaches to their On-Farm Trials, resulting in data and analyses of the environmental, financial, and to the extent possible, social impacts of the trials.  

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a competitive program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. Through creative problem solving and innovation, CIG partners work to address our nation’s water quality, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while improving agricultural operations.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program will award up to $24 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the removal of large marine debris throughout the coastal United States, Great Lakes, territories, and Freely Associated States. These removal projects should focus on large marine debris, including abandoned and derelict vessels, derelict fishing gear, and other debris that is generally unable to be collected by hand.

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 (PDF)). This program was directed by Section 165 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. : Project proposals under this pilot program are for projects under the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP). Under CAP, the Corps can plan, design, and implement certain types of water resources projects without additional project specific congressional authorization. The purpose of the CAP is to plan and implement projects of limited size, cost, scope, and complexity. While CAP projects typically require a costshare with a non-Federal sponsor, this pilot program will fully fund the selected projects.

The U.S. Small Grants Program is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). These projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds.

Each year, The Conservation Alliance awards four grants to groups led by Asian, Black, Brown, Hispanic, Indigenous, Latin American, or additional communities who identify as People of Color working to protect a natural place.

The Marine Debris Foundation is focused on strengthening, enhancing, and improving domestic and international efforts that address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the economy, environment, and/or maritime safety. The Marine Debris Foundation awards annual grants to augment the efforts and impact of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program.

EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program funds small businesses to develop and commercialize innovative environmental technologies in broad focus areas which include clean and safe water, air quality and climate, land revitalization, homeland security, sustainable materials management/circular economy, safer chemicals, and risk assessment. Proposals should be responsive to the annual topics under these broad areas.

The Saltonstall-Kennedy Program is a yearly grant competition that aims to promote U.S. fisheries by assisting the fishing community to address marketing and research needs. Approximately 40 projects worth $10 million are funded annually.

The Northeast Forests and Rivers Fund (formerly known as the New England Forests and Rivers Fund) provides grants to restore and sustain healthy rivers, forests, and grasslands that provide habitat for diverse fish and wildlife populations.

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program annually provides grants of up to $1 million to coastal and Great Lakes states, as well as U.S. territories to protect, restore and enhance coastal wetland ecosystems and associated uplands. Eligible projects include the acquisition of real property interest in coastal lands or waters and the restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Forest Service received a historic $1.5 billion to its Urban and Community Forestry program to support tree-planting, urban forest planning and management, and related activities, particularly in disadvantaged communities. In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for competitive grants for proposals that provide equitable access to trees and nature, and the benefits they provide, especially in disadvantaged urban communities.

The NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant Program is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent and challenging issues threatening the well-being of coastal and estuarine areas within determined estuaries of national significance.

Acres for America is the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) premier land conservation program and was established to provide urgently needed funding for projects that conserve important large-scale habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants through voluntary land acquisitions and perpetual conservation easements.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program will provide grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act provides an investment of $5 billion to support efforts by states, municipalities, air pollution control agencies, tribes, and groups thereof to develop and implement strong, local greenhouse gas reduction strategies. This two-staged grant program (Phase 1: Plan & Phase 2: Implement) provides funding of $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.

Intended to streamline grant funding opportunities for new conservation and restoration projects around the U.S., the America the Beautiful Challenge consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale projects that address shared funder priorities and span public and private lands.

NFWF will award up to $140 million in grants to create and restore natural systems in order to increase protection for communities from coastal hazards, such as storms, sea- and lake-level changes, inundation, and coastal erosion, while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species. NFWF prioritizes projects that are community led or incorporate direct community engagement and benefit underserved communities facing disproportionate harm from climate impacts.

WPDGs assist state, tribal, local government agencies and interstate/intertribal entities in building programs to protect, manage and restore wetlands. WPDGs provide applicants an opportunity to develop and refine comprehensive state/tribal/local government wetland programs.

Tribes and Nations are eligible to receive Clean Water Act (CWA) Section (§)319 grant funding to implement EPA-approved NPS programs. As required under the CWA, Tribes must be approved for treatment in a similar manner as a state and have an EPA-approved NPS assessment report and NPS management program to receive §319 funds. Each year, a §319-eligible Tribe may apply for a base §319 grant that support their NPS management program, and they are eligible to compete nationally for additional §319 funds (competitive §319 grants) to implement on-the-ground projects to restore and protect their waters.

The Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (LISSF) is a competitive grant program seeking proposals to restore and protect the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. LISSF is interested in empowering communities of all kinds (including communities typically underrepresented in environmental programs and projects) to access, improve, and benefit from Long Island Sound, its waterways, and surrounding lands. Up to $400,000 is expected to be available for grants in 2025. The most competitive proposals will incorporate multiple values including sustainability, resilience, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund is an innovative program that provides fast, flexible funding and support for engaging your community on wide-ranging sustainability projects. Eligible projects receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds from Sustainable CT.

Municipally-owned woodlands play a vital role in supporting well-functioning natural systems and a high quality of life for Connecticut residents. They improve air and water quality, support a variety of plant and wildlife species, strengthen landscape health and resilience, and provide recreational and other community benefits. These forests, however, face growing threats to their health from pests, diseases, invasive species, extreme weather events, and other stressors. Many of these stressors and threats can be managed or mitigated through resilient forestry practices.

With support from the Inflation Reduction Act, CT DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program has $1 million available to help rural communities in Connecticut implement resilient forestry practices.

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

This year, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Recreational Trails Program will make $10 million available to improve Connecticut’s trail infrastructure, which has seen significant usage increases since the onset of the pandemic. This grant program aims to help support communities managing the trail usage increases that have endured as more residents and visitors become familiar with the more than 2,500 miles of multi-use trails and greenways that crisscross the state.

The Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals Grant Program provides funding for local projects in Connecticut that benefit the environment. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded. Any application meeting the grant guidelines that is not successful in one cycle may reapply during any following cycle. The applications will be judged based on the environmental benefits of each project, in comparison to others. “Environmental benefits” can vary widely and successful applications have ranged from property clean-ups to environmental education.