St. Lawrence River fund opens applications for 2027 projects
The St. Lawrence River Research and Educational Fund is accepting applications for its 2027 funding cycle.
By Caleb Mercer, ClickNNY North Country Desk
The St. Lawrence River Research and Educational Fund is accepting applications for its 2027 funding cycle, supporting research and environmental education projects connected to the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries.
The fund was created by the New York Power Authority during the 2003 relicensing of the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project. It began with slightly more than $1 million in funding.
Eligible projects must focus on the main stem of the St. Lawrence River, tributary areas within the St. Lawrence Valley or adjoining land. A tributary project must have a clear connection to the river’s main stem. The geographic focus runs from Ogdensburg to Summerstown, Ontario, with projects in upstream, downstream and international waters also eligible for consideration.
Since the program began in 2007, 25 projects have received nearly $317,000 from NYPA, according to the authority. Matching grants from other sources have brought total project funding to about $637,000.
Past recipients have included the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau, Save the River, SUNY Potsdam’s Research Foundation, Clarkson University’s Great Rivers Center and St. Lawrence University. Eligible applicants have included education groups, tribal education groups, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations.
The fund is particularly relevant to organizations and institutions in communities such as Massena, Ogdensburg, Potsdam and Akwesasne, as well as applicants on the Ontario side of the river. The St. Lawrence-FDR project is a 912-megawatt hydroelectric facility along the U.S.-Canada border.
The fund’s board includes environmental professionals, state and federal resource scientists, community representatives and NYPA. Applicants should send proposals to SLRREF Board Chair Jill Winters at NYPA at jill.winters@nypa.gov or (315) 764-6841. Applicants should confirm the 2027 deadline and current eligibility requirements with NYPA before submitting. More information is available from NYPA’s St. Lawrence relicensing page and its licensing and allocations information.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
More from ClickNNY
Guides and features from across the North Country.
Developing
After the midterms: why officials are saying get ready
Reports of a possible U.S. strike on Iran, Iranian threats aimed at Europe and a fresh federal cyber warning all point the same way. No specific threat to the North Country has been announced, but here's what to have on hand if something hits the grid or the supply chain.
ClickNNY Special Report · Preparedness
Is the end of the world coming? What it means for the North Country
From Brussels to Albany, governments are telling families to keep days of supplies on hand. The short answer to the big question is no. The longer answer, for a region that lived through Ice Storm '98, is worth a few minutes and a trip to the store.
ClickNNY Special Report · Your Money
The NYSE went to Texas. Has New York lost its green?
Most people missed it: Wall Street opened shop in Dallas, big banks are following, and New York City elected a mayor who wants to tax the rich. Here's what it all means, in plain English, for schools, taxes and banks in Northern New York.