Groups get $1.35M in Smart Growth grants

More than $1.35 million in grants were awarded to communities and organizations in the Catskills.

More than $1.35 million in Smart Growth grants were awarded to communities and organizations in the Catskills, including for the Catskill Park Scenic Byways, and to 18 in the north country, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

Funding was awarded to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations that responded to a request for applications earlier this year, according to a press release. The release said grants for projects in the Catskill and Adirondack parks was made possible by the expansion of the Environmental Protection Fund.

In the Catskill Park, a $60,000 grant was awarded to the Mountain Top Arboretum Education Center building project in Tannersville. A $50,210 grant was also awarded to the Shandaken Theatrical Society for a theater renovation in Phoenicia; and a $75,000 grant was given to the town of Hunter Trails Initiative. A $74,734 grant was also awarded to the town of Shandaken, with nine neighboring governments, for the Catskill Park Scenic Byways Implementation Project.

Smart Growth grants aim to help identify locally-led priorities for community development, leverage surrounding natural areas for public enjoyment, and collaborate on initiatives throughout the Catskill and Adirondack parks, the release said.

“The Catskill and Adirondack parks are two of New York’s premier year-round destinations, offering unmatched outdoor recreation and stunning natural beauty for residents and visitors alike to enjoy,” Cuomo said. He said the grants give the communities the resources they need to build on six years of tourism and economic growth.