For Release: Friday, October 26, 2007

DEC Announces Grants to Help Improve Habitat, Expand Recreational Opportunities

Projects to be Funded by DEC's Habitat Access Stamp Program

More than $100,000 will be given to local projects across New York State to improve habitat for fish and wildlife, as well as increase public access for outdoor recreation as part of a grant announcement made today by Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis. Funding for the grants is generated from the sale of DEC's Habitat Access Stamps.

"These projects will provide innovative ways for New Yorkers to enjoy our diverse and beautiful natural world and enhance the ongoing protection of our fish, wildlife, and habitat," Commissioner Grannis said. "I encourage everyone who loves the outdoors to support the Habitat Stamp program so that we can continue funding projects like those announced today."

A total of $108,673 will be awarded to fund 10 fish and wildlife habitat management and access improvement initiatives through New York State. Applications were submitted by municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for small scale projects that would benefit the management of and access to fish and wildlife resources in New York. The awardees were selected from among 41 proposals received by DEC.

The state's Habitat and Access Stamp is sold by license sales agents throughout New York. Proceeds from the sale of habitat stamps are deposited into a special "Habitat Account" within the Conservation Fund and are used specifically for projects like those announced today. A Habitat/Access Stamp is not required to hunt, fish or trap, nor is it necessary to purchase a sporting license in order to buy a habitat stamp. The Habitat Stamp costs $5 and included in the purchase is a complimentary lapel pin with the 2006-07 season design of a wild turkey.

For more information about the Habitat Stamp and the programs it helps fund, go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/329.html

Habitat/Access Stamp Proposals Selected for 2006-07
Location	Applicant	Grant Amount	Project Description
New York City	NYC Audubon	$10,700	To provide students and teachers access to New York Harbor's waterways to observe a wide variety of urban wildlife and their habitats
Ulster County	The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development	$7,600	Develop and implement a habitat management plan designed to maximize grassland habitat on two parcels of land
Dutchess County	Town of Beekman	$7,873	Improved fishing access to Fishkill Creek consisting of a 20-foot-wide gravel access pathway for vehicle use, an eight-vehicle parking area, and signage
Greene County	Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District	$10,000	Restoration of 2,000 feet of 10 Mile Creek channel using fluvial geomorphic principles and restoration techniques
Warren County	Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District	$8,500	Remove an existing dam and stabilize the banks of North Creek, improve in-stream habitat for invertebrate and vertebrate organisms, plant native trees and shrubs along stream bank
Franklin County	Franklin County	$14,000	Provide fishing access to the Salmon River through construction of a four-car parking area, ADA-compliant fishing ramp and connecting walkway, and control Japanese knotweed
Jefferson County	NYS DEC Region 6 Fisheries	$15,000	Construct a 100-foot-by-100-foot fishing access parking area and a 10-foot-by-1,478-foot-long footpath
Lewis County	Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District	$15,000	Restore riparian habitat along 2,800 feet of Deer River with riparian planting, and install "j" hook vanes to create riffle/pools
Schuyler and Seneca Counties	National Wild Turkey Federation	$5,000	Restore 500 acres of grassland habitat through mowing with a tractor-pulled rotary mower in summer of 2007
Oswego County	Village of Pulaski	$15,000	Salmon River Greenway Trail to provide an ADA- compliant streamside fishing platform for fishing access within Forest Glen Park
Total $108,673.25