The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) will distribute more than $74,000 in funding for several recreational fishing projects that will benefit New York’s communities. The grants will be administered by NYSG’s Marine Fisheries Specialist Antoinette Clemetson, who is based at Stony Brook University.
The funding comes from the sale of New York State’s Marine and Coastal District license plates and will support six initiatives to help educate students, enhance fishing access for people of all abilities, and improve fisheries data collection to enable more New Yorkers to enjoy the state’s diverse marine resources.
The grant program is funded with $25 from the annual fee charged for the state’s Marine and Coastal District of New York license plate, which features the Montauk Lighthouse and striped bass. The grants promote marine sport fishing, increase participation in marine recreational angling, increase public awareness and appreciation of marine and estuarine natural resources, encourage conservation of marine fisheries resources, and promote research and increased knowledge of the state’s marine and estuarine natural resources.
More information on ordering a Marine and Coastal District of New York plate can be found at the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Updates on the program are provided via Facebook.
Thirty-one applications were submitted and evaluated by a panel of reviewers familiar with the Atlantic region and who work with Sea Grant College Programs, Cooperative Extension Network, and fisheries management. The Board selected six projects to fund in this first cycle, which will be completed over the next 12 months.
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