Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

GRANT APPLICATION CYCLE IS CLOSED

GUIDELINES AND FORMS ARE REVISED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH GRANT ROUND. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATED GUIDELINES TO BE POSTED IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT GRANT APPLICATION ROUND.

In the meantime, please use the guidelines and forms from the previous application round as an example only to see what is involved in assembling an application.

Consolidated Funding Application (CFA)

The Consolidated Funding Application is the system to be used to apply for OPRHP's Environmental Protection Fund Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage (EPF) Program. The link to the Regional Economic Development Councils website and the CFA is provided below. Attachments are required to be submitted by the deadline in order to be eligible for these grants. Those items are provided in the checklist. Templates are provided below for your use for a number of the required documents.

The deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

Grant program questions can be directed to your regional grants administrator.

CFA system and process questions should be directed to the regional economic development contact for your region.

The Consolidated Funding Application is available through: http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov.

Grants Workshop Announcements

Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Workshops: May 22, 2024 – June 20, 2024
Visit https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov for the CFA Workshop Calendar.

Grants Program Webinars

View recorded informational webinars for grant programs available through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA).

Grant Program Information

Environmental Protection Fund (EPF)

• CFA Guidance Document (pdf)
• Grant Selection Criteria (pdf)
• Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
• Attachment Checklist (pdf)
• Percent Below Poverty Level Table by ZCTA (pdf)
• Historic Preservation Work Detail (Planning, Construction, Sectarian) (pdf)
• Historic Preservation Terms and Professional Qualifications (pdf)
• Information and Instructions for Sectarian Projects (pdf)
• Photography Tips and Guidance (pdf)
• Cost Share and Budget Help (pdf)
• Cost Share Summary (fillable pdf)   | Cost Share Summary (xlsx)
• Cost Share Summary - Sectarian (fillable pdf)   | Cost Share Summary - Sectarian (xlsx)
• Sample Cost Share Summaries
  • City Park (pdf)
  • Heritage Area Visitor Center Exhibits (pdf)
  • Historic Hope House Acquisition and Restoration (pdf)
  • Old Dutch Mill Planning (pdf)
  • Brown Church Restoration - Sectarian 50% Eligible (pdf)
  • Little Brown Church Restoration - Sectarian 75% Eligible (pdf)
  • Using the Grants Map for CFA (pdf)
  • Grants Map for CFA
  • Value of Volunteer Time for New York State (pdf)
  • Instructions for Authorizing Resolution and Certification (Not-for-Profit Corporations only) (pdf)
  • Authorizing Resolution and Certification (Not-for-Profit Corporations only) (pdf)
  • Instructions for Authorizing Resolution and Certification (Municipal Entities only) (pdf)
  • Authorizing Resolution and Certification (Municipal Entities only) (pdf)
  • Environmental Review Form (Not-for-Profit Corporations only) (pdf)
  • Heritage Area Contacts for Endorsement Letter (pdf)

  State of New York Contract for Grants

  Successful applicants will be required to execute a contract with the State, utilizing the State of New York Contract for Grants, found at https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/state-agency-resources, to undertake the grant project.

  Long Term Protections

  To ensure the public benefits from the investment of State funds, all properties acquired or developed with grant funds will receive long-term protections. The method and term of the protection is dependent upon the type of applicant and project undertaken. Generally, the long-term protections include:

  • Municipal parkland acquired or improved with EPF funding must remain parkland in perpetuity. For municipal parkland, information is available in the “Handbook on the Alienation and Conversion of Municipal Parkland,” located at https://parks.ny.gov/publications/ under Other Publications.
  • Public access covenants or preservation covenants, for a specific term, conveyed to the State and recorded against a property deed, run with the land and apply to the grant recipient and all successive owners, operators and lessees.
  • Perpetual preservation covenants or conservation easements conveyed to the State and recorded against a property deed, run with the land and apply to all successive owners, operators and lessees.

  Sample boilerplates for each type of long term protection are provided below:

  • Conservation Easement (pdf)
  • Conservation Easement-Preservation Covenant (pdf)
  • Preservation Covenant (pdf)
  • Public Access Covenant (pdf)