Northern Border Commission offers grants to Upstate groups

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) can provide community and economic-development grants for local governments and nonprofit organizations in upstate New York.

The office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced the availability of the grant funding for organizations in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, and North Country.

The NBRC is a regional economic-development partnership among federal, state and local governments.

Cuomo’s office expects the program will provide New York $1.1 million in funding in 2014.

The Commission is currently accepting applications from organizations and municipalities in select counties in the Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley and North Country regions.

Municipalities and nonprofit organizations in Cayuga, Oswego, Oneida, Madison, Herkimer, Hamilton, Seneca, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Clinton, Franklin, Essex, and Fulton counties are encouraged to apply for federal funding of up to $250,000 per project.

The New York State Department of State will accept, review and submit applications for federal assistance to the NBRC. The department will also work with the local-development districts in eligible areas to assist applicants.

Eligible projects must meet one of the following criteria: develop transportation, water, sewer, and telecommunications infrastructure in the region; assist residents in the region with acquiring job skills and employment-related education, or training with respect to entrepreneurship, technology and business development; provide basic health care and other public services for areas that are “severely” economically distressed; promote resource conservation, tourism, recreation and preservation of open spaces in manners consistent with economic-development goals; or promote the development of renewable and alternative energy sources in the region, according to Cuomo’s office.

New York has had “tremendous success” with NBRC projects over the past few years, Dierdre Scozzafava, deputy secretary of state for local-government services, said in the news release.

“I am pleased to hear that, this summer, we will see the completion of the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton, which received funding from the 2011 NBRC program. Over the past year, we have also seen how funds from the 2012 NBRC round have been leveraged with the Northern New York Maple Project in the Tupper Lake region,” Scozzafava.

Congress created the Northern Border Regional Commission in 2008 to “alleviate economic distress, and to save and create employment opportunities,” according to Cuomo’s office.

A board that includes a federal co-chair, whom the President appoints, and the governors of the four northern border states governs the NBRC.

This year’s allocation for the NBRC is $4.5 million, to be split among New York, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com