News and Announcements
In a bold step toward environmental sustainability and climate resilience, the town of Bethlehem is establishing itself as a leader in open space conservation. Over the past seven years, the town has protected 693…
Open Space Institute has closed on the purchase of 91.6 acres of former farmland and forested property, 15 of which are set aside for the development of affordable housing. The property is planned for…
Cornell University and the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program are offering a free technical assistance opportunity for a community interested in using conservation overlay zoning to conserve priority lands and…
DEC announced $15 million is available through the new Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant Program to expand, restore, and create urban forested natural areas. The funding helps fulfill the 2024 State of the…
DEC announced proposed changes to the regulations for Real Property Tax Law Section 480a to lessen the administrative burdens on participating forest landowners while improving sustainability practices.
The draft list of New York's potential Species of Greatest Conservation Need and draft revised Species Status Assessments for the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan are now available for public review and comment…
Highlights from the Conservation and Land Use Team's work in 2024 include diverse partnerships that are addressing emerging issues, municipal planning and policy outcomes that incorporate biodiversity priorities,…
Conserved properties in Stanford and Pleasant Valley will preserve habitats for species of greatest conservation need, high priority forests, and ecological connectivity. Winnakee purchased 153.2 acres in Stanford…
Community preservation funds (CPFs) originated in Massachusetts in the early 2000s to support local initiatives for preserving farms, forests, historic buildings, open spaces, and other ecologically important…
DEC is offering the Establishing Large Forests Grant Program to increase the amount of forested land in New York State to help address climate change, provide wildlife habitat, protect air and water…
The DEC released a proposed regulation to implement a fund to help offset negative impacts to endangered and threatened species populations during the construction of renewable energy and energy transmission…
A suite of new and updated tools to be released by the Open Space Institute and the Forest Carbon Data Partnership to help land trusts, municipalities, land managers, and policy makers better integrate forest…