Seeds of Stewardship: $40K Grant Fuels Native Habitat Restoration Across Jefferson, Lewis & St. Lawrence Counties

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) have awarded nearly $200,000 in Great Lakes Basin Small Grants funding to five community-driven environmental projects throughout New York’s Great Lakes watershed — including a $40,000 award to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

The local project, titled "Seeds of Stewardship: Community-Based Native Seed Network for the Northeast Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Region," will spearhead a grassroots seed collection and propagation initiative across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. The effort will train volunteers, establish seed storage and propagation infrastructure, and utilize native plant material to support local habitat restoration and ecosystem resilience.

“This is a major win for environmental stewardship in the North Country,” said project leaders from Cornell Cooperative Extension. “With this grant, we’re creating a sustainable, community-based network focused on restoring and preserving native biodiversity for generations to come.”

The “Seeds of Stewardship” project joins four other initiatives across the state receiving funds in this grant cycle. These include shoreline and riparian restorations, invasive species education, and youth-led ecological projects — each chosen for their alignment with the New York Great Lakes Action Agenda, which prioritizes water quality, habitat restoration, and community resilience.

Other Projects Funded Include:

• Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper (Erie County): $40,000 for a living shoreline restoration in Tonawanda.

• Western NY Land Conservancy (Erie County): $40,000 to manage invasive plant species in key forest preserves.

• Genesee County Parks (Genesee County): $39,753 for youth-led riparian habitat restoration along Upper Black Creek.

• Atlantic States Legal Foundation (Oswego County): $39,943 for a tree-planting initiative addressing climate resilience in Pulaski.

Since its inception in 2015, the Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program has awarded more than $2 million to support 66 projects across the state. The initiative is administered by New York Sea Grant in partnership with DEC’s Great Lakes Program and is funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act.

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton praised the initiative, saying, “New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants support local, science-based projects that restore habitats, combat invasive species, and engage communities while strengthening the resilience of our shared environment and economy.”

📸 Photo Credit: Thousand Islands Land Trust — Past NYSG funding helped restore over 155 acres of native grassland, enhancing habitats for local bird species.