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DEC Announces More Than $3.2 Million in Smart Growth
Grant Awards to Communities in the Adirondack Park, Including Two Lewis
County Projects
Published: March 12, 2026 at
12:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Announces More Than $3.2 Million in Smart Growth
Grant Awards to Communities in the Adirondack Park
Funding Supports Affordable Housing Initiatives,
Recreational Access, and Economic Growth Compatible with Environmental
Protection
New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton has
announced more than $3.2 million in Adirondack Park Community Smart Growth
Grant Awards to 26 communities and organizations for smart growth
initiatives. The funded initiatives will support a region renowned for
connecting visitors to nature by improving and expanding recreation
opportunities; addressing hamlet infrastructure, energy, and affordable
housing needs; providing visitor center, theater, and museum enhancements;
improving accessibility and safety issues; and supporting comprehensive
planning efforts.
“Smart Growth
Grants are an investment in our communities and foster sustainable
development, economic growth, and enhanced recreational opportunities for
all New Yorkers,” said Commissioner Lefton. “The
Adirondack Park communities play a significant role in protecting the
region’s unique and treasured natural landscape. This funding will empower
local leaders to address local challenges while protecting the natural
resources that make the Adirondacks one of the most remarkable places to
live, work, and visit.”
Smart growth is
an approach to community planning and development which promotes land use
in a way that creates livable, sustainable, and equitable communities.
Smart growth can provide the right balance between development and
preservation, promoting several land use planning principles like the
renewal of land use patterns that once came naturally in the Adirondack and
Catskill parks.
Today’s funding
announcement complements years of State action to support smart growth
planning and implementation of sustainable projects. This includes
the recently completed Adirondack Rail Trail, a 34-mile,
multi-use recreational corridor between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake now
available for all-season enjoyment.
New York
Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “From hamlet revitalization to
accessible outdoor recreation and affordable housing, smart growth has
contributed greatly to the vitality and vibrancy of the communities in this
magnificent park. With these awards, our longstanding partnership with DEC
and APA in advancing Smart Growth planning and development will continue to
yield economic, social, and environmental benefits throughout the
Adirondack Park for residents, businesses, and visitors. The New York State
Department of State looks forward to enhancing this partnership through our
own smart growth programs, including Smart Growth Community Planning,
Downtown Revitalization Initiative, NY Forward, Brownfield Opportunity
Area, and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.”
Smart Growth
Grants
DEC’s Smart
Growth Grant Program supports capital projects and community development
initiatives that link environmental protection, economic development, and
community livability within the special protective conditions of New York
State’s Forest Preserve.
The 26 Adirondack
region awardees receiving a total of $3,284,250 are included below.
Projects
addressing affordable housing needs:
Clinton County
- Clinton County: $109,749–Nashville Road
Workforce Housing Pre-Development: A Housing Needs Assessment identified five priority
locations for housing development, including one within the Adirondack
Park—Nashville Road in the Town of Saranac. This project advances the
completion of key pre-development tasks including surveying,
environmental testing, permitting, easement identification, zoning
analysis, and infrastructure needs assessment.
Essex County
- Town of North Elba: $300,000–River Street
Redevelopment: The Town
of North Elba is partnering with the Adirondack Housing Development
Corporation (AHDC) for a transformative project in the North Elba area
of Saranac Lake. AHDC plans to purchase five adjoining parcels on
River Street for redevelopment into affordable housing and commercial
spaces.
Projects focusing
on recreation, environment, sustainable economic growth, and other smart
growth priorities:
Clinton County
- Adirondack Architectural Heritage: $122,935–Establish Architectural Warehouse in
Ausable: Adirondack Architectural Heritage proposes the
establishment of an architectural salvage warehouse in the Town of
Ausable. The warehouse will accept donated building materials for
reuse and make them available for the Adirondack Park community. This
project will divert waste from landfills while providing high-quality
building materials at a low cost for residents. In addition, the
warehouse will offer opportunities for hands-on traditional trades
training.
Essex County
- Adirondack Ski Touring Council Inc.: $100,000–Final Phase, East Branch Mountain Bike
Trails: Funding to finalize all work on trails and facility
infrastructure at the East Branch Community Trails in the Town of
Keene. In partnership with the Town, Barkeater
Trails Alliance will build approximately 1 mile of new multi-use,
nonmotorized trails at the East Branch; create a series of short jump
trails for youth and novice riders; expand the parking lot to better
serve the fast-growing demand; and refurbish the valuable picnic
shelter to allow for greater use and protect the structure. This will
complete all development work on this popular trail network visited by
mountain bikers and walkers.
- Society for Strings Inc.: $75,750–Needed Repairs to Campe Concert Hall and
Dormitories: Funding to complete critical repairs to Meadowmount School of Music Campe Concert Hall and
on-campus dormitories. These restorations preserve Meadowmount
as an Adirondack historic and cultural resource and ensure a tradition
of musical excellence for the upcoming season and beyond.
- Essex County: $125,000–Ausable Street Bridge: An Upper Bridge Feasibility Study to
develop a four-design-option scope of work, including reopening the
bridge to foot traffic and two-lane traffic while maintaining
historically significant infrastructure. The project will advance
transportation links and provide the public with a feasibility study
regarding the abandoned bridge and measures to assist in revitalizing
their hamlet and downtown.
- Essex Food Hub Inc.: $300,000–Phase 2
Renovation Main Street Building: A transformative project to renovate and reconstruct an
idle Main Street building in the Town of Westport to enable Essex Food
Hub to continue expanding its vital business development and
agritourism support for burgeoning small farm businesses and food
entrepreneurs in New York State’s North Country region. Funding Phase
2 of Essex Food Hub’s project includes expanded food processing and
storage and publicly accessible space for community events and retail
shopping.
- Town of Essex: $100,000–Zoning Code: The grant helps support a comprehensive
update of townwide zoning codes to align with the forthcoming Smart
Growth Comprehensive Plan funded by the New York State Department of
State. The update represents a critical next step in implementing the
community’s long-term vision for sustainable growth, protection of
community character, and enhanced quality of life.
- Town of Minerva: $100,000–Comprehensive Plan: The Town of Minerva is known for its
pristine lakes, expansive forests, and other popular recreational
areas. To help address recent issues within the Adirondack Park, such
as limited housing, aging infrastructure, and sustaining year-round
economic viability, the grant will support an updated plan that
includes smart growth principles and thorough public engagement. It
will emphasize the protection of natural resources, strengthen
hamlets, and support small businesses, while ensuring that Minerva
retains its rural identity.
- Town of Moriah: $75,000– Comprehensive Plan: Grant funding will support a
comprehensive plan to guide revitalization and protect valuable
community assets. This project will help create a single, cohesive
plan that reflects current conditions, community priorities, and
future growth opportunities. The updated plan will address economic
development, housing, land use, infrastructure, and natural resource
protection while fostering collaboration and setting a clear vision
for the next decade.
- Town of Schroon: $79,000–Unified Development
Code/Zoning Code: In
May 2025, the Town of Schroon adopted a new comprehensive plan. This
community-driven, two-year effort replaces the 1977 plan, provides a
roadmap and planning tool for land use and local resources, and
outlines priorities for future development, including a recommendation
to rewrite the Town’s zoning code as a unified development code. The
Town will utilize this grant to hire a planning consultant to
facilitate this process in coordination with a local zoning advisory
committee.
- Town of St. Armand: $125,000–Modernize and
Expand the Mount Pisgah Trail System: A new master plan will modernize the summer
bike trail system at Mount Pisgah, a recreation center in Saranac
Lake. The 15-year-old trail network is difficult to navigate, lacks
beginner-friendly terrain, and has sustainability issues. Developed
with local groups like the Barkeater Trails
Alliance, the proposed project will modernize the 5-mile network.
Guided by the motto "Built for the community and inviting to visitors," the project aims to
improve sustainability, enhance the user experience, and boost the
local economy through mountain bike tourism.
Franklin County
- The Wild Center (formerly called the Natural
History Museum of the Adirondacks): $77,400–Recreational Access to the
Raquette River: Funding
will support a project to forge a new 300-foot All Persons Trail
leading to the waterfront, build a new dock for safe and secure canoe
and kayak launches (including access for persons with mobility
challenges), and replace an existing shed with a new compost
toilet—all aligned with universal design principles.
- Paul Smith’s College of Arts and Science:
$35,264–Visitor’s Center Accessibility: Funding will help complete a full
accessibility assessment of the Paul Smith's College Visitor
Interpretive Center (VIC), a major
recreational resource located in central Franklin County. The VIC
hosts 40,000 residents and visitors annually and offers diverse
trails, programs, and exhibits that showcase Adirondack
ecosystems.
- Town of Harrietstown:
$300,000–Town of Harrietstown Community
Recreation Facility Project: The
project will construct accessible year-round recreational
infrastructure in phases. This includes the construction of a
refrigerated hockey box as part of a comprehensive recreation park
including T-ball and wiffle ball fields, regulation bocce courts, and
a warming hut with bathrooms and a covered pavilion. Connected by
pathways compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
facilities support intergenerational programming including Special
Olympics to youth sports. This phased investment strengthens Saranac
Lake's identity as a healthy community while providing essential
recreational amenities.
- Town of Tupper Lake: $141,365–Train Station
and ADK Trail Projects: Funding
for the completion of a previously funded DEC Smart Growth
Transformational Project (Round 7 Grant). The scope of work is focused
on completing a major enhancement of the historic Tupper Lake Station
to support the new Adirondack Rail Trail.
- Village of Saranac Lake:
$119,107–Accessibility Upgrades at Lake Colby Beach and William
Wallace Park: Funding to
advance accessibility upgrades at Lake Colby Beach and William Wallace
Park through contractual services for construction drawings and bid
documents (Phase 1 only). This phase will produce shovel-ready
documents that modernize the beach/bathhouse facility, ensure ADA
compliance, and enhance community access.
Fulton County
- Town of Caroga: $125,000–Town of Caroga
Adaptive Trail Building: Wheelerville Trails is a Town-operated,
world-class mountain bike and hiking trail system located in the Town
of Caroga. The Wheelerville Trails:
Maintaining Accessibility Project will construct three new beginner
and intermediate trails in a new area designed for riders with
disabilities, execute a management/maintenance plan for existing
trails, and improve trail accessibility, specifically for adaptive mountain bike riders. The goal of the project is to
diversify the types of trails offered to appeal to a wide group of
trail users, improving the recreational assets of the Town of Caroga
and expanding the accessibility of the Adirondack
Park’s tourism resources.
Hamilton County
- Town of Indian Lake: $300,000–Rebuild Town
Museum: Funding will
support the demolition of the current town museum structure and
rebuilding of it on the same property with improvements, including a
one-floor ADA-accessible building with proper heating and ventilation,
a parking lot, and space for study and research opportunities for
scholars and visitors.
Lewis County
- Lewis County: $68,000–Grooming Equipment for
Recreational Trails: Funding
will support Phase I of the Lewis County Winter Recreational Master
Plan to provide the grooming equipment needed to implement the groomed
recreation trails for year-round community enhancement.
- Town of Greig: $125,000–Town of Greig Zoning
and Land Use Plans: Funding
to complete zoning and land use updates. This effort complements the
development of its comprehensive plan and will align with its
recommendations for more affordable housing and for additional
nonmotorized and motorized recreational opportunities. The Town of
Greig is also a Pro-Housing Community. The Town will hire a consultant
with expertise to translate the vision characterized in the
comprehensive plan into consistent land use regulations and
zoning.
Oneida County
- Town of Forestport: $100,000–Zoning and Land
Use Plan: The funding
will support the creation of formal zoning and land use plans for the
Town of Forestport. The Town will work with a planning consultant to
create zoning and land use regulations that will guide future growth
and development townwide.
Warren County
- Town of Chester: $120,000–Playground for
Community and Childcare Center: The funding will support a new playground to
serve both the broader community and the on-site childcare center. The
playground will meet inclusive design standards. Equipment will be
purchased from certified commercial playground manufacturers, and
installation will follow playground safety guidelines.
- Town of Thurman: $35,000–Town Veterans Field
Park Site Improvements: The
project includes a feasibility study for accessibility improvements, a
feasibility study for recreational improvements, and the design and
engineering of a large community pavilion on Town-owned land that
functions as the Town’s community center.
- Warren County: $40,680–Up Yonda Farm Trails: Family-friendly trails will be enhanced
with improved signage, inclusive wayfinding, benches, and a redesigned
trail map and naming system. Wayfinding and maps will be designed for
accessibility, including for people with color blindness. Supported by
multiple Warren County and Town of Bolton plans, the project
strengthens outdoor recreation, tourism, and community
connectivity.
- Village of Lake George: $85,000–Comprehensive
Plan: Funding to prepare a
new comprehensive plan that promotes smart growth principles and
guides sustainable development over the next 10–15 years. The proposed
plan will be designed to support the downtown, focus on year-round
housing and economic development, and enhance tourism while also
protecting the lake and its surrounding natural resources. The plan
will be developed through extensive public outreach and provide
strategies for land use, infrastructure, transportation, and
environmental stewardship. It will serve as a legal and strategic
foundation for updating zoning, prioritizing capital investments, and
securing grant funding to ensure the Village remains resilient,
livable, and economically viable.
New York State
Adirondack Park Agency Executive Director Barb Rice said, “The Adirondack
Park Agency congratulates all awardees for successfully securing smart
growth grant funds that will advance key local initiatives that build upon
the special conditions of the Adirondack Park. Adirondack Communities are
the heart and soul of the Park. Smart growth
investment in park communities is essential to ensure the long-term success
of New York State’s Adirondack Park.”
The grants
announced today are supported by the State's Environmental Protection Fund
(EPF). Governor Hochul’s 2026–27 Executive Budget proposes a record $425
million for the EPF, a critical resource for environmental programs such as
land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and
eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and
environmental justice projects. The Executive Budget also continues to
support New York State’s Forest Preserve with $8 million to the Catskill
and Adirondack parks for sustainability and stewardship projects, as well
as funding for locally important initiatives, including $250,000 for the
Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, with other highlights
including a historic $3.75 billion five-year commitment to clean
water.
Additional Smart
Growth Grant Award announcements were recently made for the
Catskill Park.
For further
detail on the grants awarded and on smart growth planning and
implementation activity within the Adirondack and Catskill parks,
visit DEC’s website.
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