In New York, a wave of climate-resilience funding is being routed into land-protection projects aimed at reducing flood and fire risks in the Catskill Mountains region. The Nature Conservancy’s sixth round of its Climate Resilience Grant Program is now offering grants of up to $50,000 for efforts that preserve lands, protect floodplains and shorelines, and enhance communities’ ability to cope with extreme weather.
These grants support a range of activities—including acquiring easements on forested or wetland parcels, planning and capacity-building for local organizations, and connecting landscapes so they can better withstand storms and fires.
While not all grants are specifically earmarked for the Catskills, the region is among areas identified for increased risk of flooding and fire due to changing climate patterns. Communities, conservation groups and municipalities in the Hudson Valley and Catskills have previously engaged in flood-preparedness planning and land-use strategies to reduce those risks.