The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced Nov. 20 grant awards totaling $902,888 for 24 Hudson River Estuary communities. "The Hudson River is a vital part of New York's identity and one of our defining natural assets," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "With the State's steadfast support and investments, many riverfront communities are pursuing projects that advance stewardship of their natural resources, such as sustainable shoreline techniques, source water protection, and green infrastructure planning. These grant awards build on local conservation efforts and priorities by advancing new possibilities for nature-based tourism and its associated economic benefits." The grants include $39,984 for Columbia Land Conservancy, Inc for am education program at the Greenport Conservation Area; $49,855 for Trout Unlimited, Inc. for culvert replacements in the Town of Taghkanic; $50,000 for a riverfront park in Rensselaer County's Village of Castleton-on-Hudson; $27,750 for an education program from Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad Bridge Co. Inc. on the Walkway Over the Hudson; $50,000 for Riverkeeper Inc. for Wallkill River water quality improvements; $37,700 for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater for an education program in Newburgh and Kingston; $49,285 for the villages of Piermont and Catskill and the city of Kingston for a flood resilience project; $50,000 for the Town of Esopus to strengthen the Esopus shoreline and regional trails; and $40,000 for the Hudson River Maritime Museum for a climate change education project. Find out more on the DEC's website.