Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced two grant opportunities totaling $26 million for projects aimed at addressing the impact of climate change and protecting water quality across New York State.
Twenty-four million of these funds will be made available through the Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program (CRF), and the remaining $2 million will be provided through the state’s Ecosystem Based Management Program’s Stream Corridor Management Pilot Program.
Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program
The CRF Program is funded through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund and is also part of the New York State Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase carbon sequestration on farms, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment. The $24 million will specifically help farm operators implement agricultural projects that support soil health, improve water quality, mitigate the impact of agriculture’s impact on climate change, and enhance on-farm adaptation and resiliency. For example, funds may be used to purchase more efficient equipment that reduces GHG emissions.
Funding through this program is available in four tracks:
- Track 1 – Livestock Management: Alternative Waste Management and Precision Feed Management: Projects that will reduce methane emissions from farms and increase resiliency to major precipitation events.
- Track 2 – Adaptation and Resiliency: Projects that help prepare agricultural producers for the impacts of a changing climate, such as flood events and droughts.
- Track 3 – Healthy Soils NY: Projects that improve soil health on farms and enhance a farm’s resiliency to climate change impacts.
- Track 4 – Agricultural Forestry Management: Projects that support forest management and tree planting on agricultural lands for carbon sequestration.
Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program applications and project proposals are due to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets on November 17, 2025, at 5:00 pm.
Ecosystem Based Management Program
Projects funded through the Ecosystem Based Management Program’s Stream Corridor Management Pilot Program will help New York’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts (local government subdivisions that promote the conservation of soil and water resources at the county level) improve water quality, reduce erosion and sedimentation, improve wildlife habitat, and support long-term health of the State’s waterways. For example, projects may include establishing riparian buffers (areas of trees, shrubs, and grasses that act as a natural filter, separating waterways from nearby land uses such as farms, to protect water quality and aquatic habitat). This program is also funded through the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, as part of the Ocean and Great Lakes Initiative.
Funding for this program is also available in four tracks:
- Track 1 – Stream Channel Restoration
- Track 2 – Stream Corridor Protection – Riparian Buffer Implementation
- Track 3 – Storm Water Culvert and Roadside Runoff Control
- Track 4 – Public Outreach and Education
Ecosystem Based Management Program project proposals are due to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets on December 8, 2025, at 4:00 pm.
These programs and funds demonstrate New York’s latest efforts to combat climate change and preserve the state’s natural resources.