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Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program Seeks Proposals for Conservation and Community Interpretive Theme Grants

Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in coordination with NEIWPCC, seeks proposals for projects that interpret, highlight, and showcase human interaction with the natural world. 

Awarded projects should highlight the Conservation & Community Interpretive Theme as described by the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP) Management Plan, as well as support the “Biosphere in Your Backyard” campaign developed by the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Network (CABN). 

The CVNHP is particularly interested in projects that focus on any of the following topics: 

  • Natural Heritage and a Sense of Place: Natural Communities of Plants and Animals, Soils; Perceptions of Wild and Settled Lands  
  • People on the Land: Towns, Villages, Hamlets, and Rural Settlement; Agriculture and Farm Life  
  • A Changing Landscape: Forests and Forestry, Industrial Growth, Sheep Farming Boom, Dairy Industry, Post War Development, Skiing  
  • Conservation Lands Movement: State Parks, Adirondack Park, Green Mountain National Forest, Farm Bureaus, Watershed Associations, Land Trusts  
  • Modern Markets: Contemporary Agriculture and Forestry, Farmer’s Markets, Local Foods Movement  
  • Sustainability: From Subsistence to Specialization, Energy Conservation, Greening of the Economy, Habitat Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry  

“Our region is rich in stories of human connection the landscape, both past and present,” said Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the CVNHP and LCBP. “The Conservation & Community Interpretive Theme and ‘Biosphere in Your Backyard’ campaign provide a framework for interpreting the many ways in which people have interacted with the land and waters of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Area.” 

Approximately $40,000 in funding is available to support awarded projects, and grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded. One proposal may be submitted per eligible organization. 

This grant opportunity is supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC by the U.S. National Park Service on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Proposals should offer a scope that supports work in the U.S. portion of the Lake Champlain Basin and the Adirondack Park. All awards are subject to funding availability. 

The CVNHP was established by the U.S. Congress in 2006 to recognize the importance of the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of the region and to assist efforts to preserve, protect, and interpret those resources. The National Heritage Area also works to enhance the quality of the tourism economy and to encourage working partnerships among state, provincial, and local governments and non-profit organizations in New York, Québec, and Vermont. 

Proposals are due on September 15, 2025. Projects are targeted to begin work in February 2026 and must be completed by March 2027. The proposal guidelines, list of eligible entities, submission requirements, and an electronic submission application link are available on the CVNHP website at https://champlainvalleynhp.org/resources/grants/. 

For more information about the CVNHP Request for Proposals, please contact CVNHP Assistant Director Jim Brangan at jbrangan@lcbp.org. 

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The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel, finances, and contracts. NEIWPCC is a program partner of LCBP. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit https://www.lcbp.org/.