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NY Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Grants Program is sponsored by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). NY Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Grants Program is a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that funds capital projects protecting the environment and enhancing communities across New York State.
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Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) - NYSDEC Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) New York State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) is a source of funding for capital projects that protect the environment and enhance communities. Capital projects are usually large projects that purchase land or construct facilities. Most projects that receive grants of EPF money combine it with other funding sources that require matching funds.
Some examples of projects using EPF money are: Purchasing land for the NYS Forest Preserve Controlling invasive species Upgrading municipal sewage treatment plants Cleaning up waterfront property and creating a public park Helping business develop ways to recycle material The EPF also supports the stewardship of public lands, including state parks and millions of acres of public lands throughout the state.
Through partnerships with volunteer organizations, state agencies use stewardship funding to manage trails and lands, protect natural resources, preserve wildlife habitats, make critical capital improvements at parks and campgrounds, educate students about conservation and provide access to persons with disabilities.
Read the EPF 20th Anniversary Report (PDF) to learn about all the great projects that have been accomplished using this dedicated funding. Created by the state legislature in 1993, the Environmental Protection Fund is financed primarily through a dedicated portion of real estate transfer taxes. The EPF has gradually grown from its original appropriation of $31 million in fiscal year 1994-1995.
Over the past 20 years, the EPF has provided more than $2. 7 billion for a variety of environmental projects. As a trust fund created in state law, these resources must be kept separate from other state monies.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo recognized the 20th anniversary of the Environmental Protection Fund, noting "Smart EPF investments in communities across the state are protecting New York's air, land, water and natural resources, helping to expand recreation opportunities that attract tens of millions of visitors each year and promote economic development."
Each year, during the budget negotiations, the legislature and governor negotiate the level of funding that will go into the EPF and assign amounts to specific categories within three accounts: Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Each category has legislatively designated uses per Section 92-S of the State Finance Law, described in detail in Article 54 of State Environmental Conservation Law.
Additionally, some purposes are authorized in other sections of state law (i.e.; the Farmland Protection Program), as well as spending authorizations included in year-to-year budget appropriations. Projects selected to receive resources are chosen based on a number of variable criteria, depending on the category.
Several New York State agencies administer the funds and award grants to eligible state-led projects, or to partnerships, either between state agencies and municipalities or between state agencies and nonprofit organizations: Department of Environmental Conservation Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Empire State Development Corporation Department of Agriculture and Markets DCEE, Bureau of Digital Services
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Nonprofits, municipalities, school districts, public authorities in NY. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows varies (typically $10,000 – $500,000). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
NY Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Grants Program is funded by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in New York. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
Community Impact Grants is sponsored by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). $7 million is available for community-based organizations for projects that address exposure of communities to multiple environmental harms and risks. Eligible projects must include a new research component that will be used to expand the knowledge of the affected community.
Water Quality Improvement Project Program (WQIP) is sponsored by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The WQIP program is a competitive, statewide reimbursement grant program that supports projects directly improving water quality or habitat, promoting flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protecting a drinking water source. Eligible project types include non-agricultural nonpoint source abatement and control, dam safety repair/rehabilitation and dam removal, aquatic connectivity, marine district habitat restoration, and fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement.
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act funds wetland and migratory-bird habitat through two tracks — U.S. Small Grants (up to $250,000, closing June 25, 2026) and the larger U.S. Standard Grants. Both require a 1:1 non-federal match, and that match is where most applications are won or lost. Here is how the program works, who is eligible, and why land trusts and Tribes should care.
Read articleOn June 11, 2026, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled that the EPA's February 2025 termination of the $2.8 billion Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program — created by Section 60201 of the Inflation Reduction Act — was arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful. The ruling voids the termination but does not order the EPA to resume the program, leaving the September 30, 2026 statutory deadline as the binding constraint. For the 116 grantees and the coalition of nonprofits, cities, and tribal partners that were already in award negotiations, the next 105 days will determine whether the program survives in any operational form or migrates entirely to the Court of Federal Claims as a damages action.
Read articleThe EPA Gulf of America Division announced up to $50 million on May 5 for 20-30 Farmer-to-Farmer demonstration grants of $1.5M-$2.5M each across EPA Regions 3-8. Applications close June 19, 2026. The geographic scope spans from Pennsylvania to Texas — eighteen states drained by the Mississippi-Atchafalaya system — and the funding model rebuilds the federal conservation playbook around farmer-led demonstrations rather than top-down agency design.
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