Habitat Restoration- Open Grant: Advancing Habitat Restoration in Disadvantaged Communities

The grant program by the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) seeks proposals to support habitat restoration in disadvantaged communities, enhancing sites recognized in the Hudson Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan (HRE CRP) or similar plans. The grant prioritizes projects that enable community involvement in identifying restoration opportunities, meeting community needs, advancing community-supported projects for federal and state funding, and fostering collaboration among community, government, non-profit organizations, and scientists. Activities can include project development, planning, monitoring, community engagement, capacity building, and construction activities that align with Target Ecosystem Characteristics like public access, land acquisition, eelgrass beds, coastal and maritime forests, habitats for aquatic species, waterbirds, and oyster reefs. With roughly $200,000 available, the program expects to award two to four grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 each to projects that leverage additional funding and meet specified objectives.