Grants available for Schoharie Watershed towns

MARGARETVILLE, N.Y., June 15, 2007 -- A new CWC grant program offers an incentive for municipalities within the Schoharie Reservoir Watershed to anticipate and prepare for the impacts of potential development.

The grants to create Generic Environmental Impact Statements (GEIS) are being provided within the CWC’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). The Schoharie Watershed’s 13 towns and villages are eligible for apply for funds to assess potential environmental impacts of future build out, paying particular attention to turbidity and infrastructure.

"This is a great opportunity for communities to consider how best to prevent or reduce stormwater runoff and flooding that may result from future development," said CWC Executive Director Alan Rosa.

Grant applications have been sent to eligible municipalities. They can also be found at www.cwconline.org, go to Programs/LTAP.

This program is one of several initiatives that are designed to reduce turbidity through education, stream rehabilitation, planning and water quality data collection. The projects are funded by New York City as conditions of a 2006 State Pollution Discharge Elimination (SPDES) permit issued to the City for its discharges of turbid water from the Schoharie Reservoir via the Shandaken Tunnel into the Esopus Creek/Ashokan Reservoir Watershed.