An announcement by New York State Secretary of State Randy A. Daniels of a a $50,000 grant from the State Environmental Protection Fund's (EPF) Local Waterfront Program (LWRP) pushes the Tioughnioga River Trail project to $1 million in funding.

Beside the LWRP grant, other announced funding for the Tioughnioga River project includes:

• $200,000 NYS DOT Intermodal Grant to rehabilitate the Marathon Train Station into the Tioughnioga Heritage Center
• $250,000 HUD EDI funding for site preparation, engineering, project development and construction
• $500,000 US DOT funding for trail construction

"Reaching a million dollars in funding in just over a year certainly is a milestone," said BDC/IDA Chairman Paul Slowey. The BDC/IDA oversees the efforts of the Tioughnioga River Waterfront Development Commission which is spearheading the project. The Commission is jointly chaired by Congressman James Walsh and Cortland Line CEO Brian Walsh.

The New York State Department of State's Division of Coastal Resources administers EPF grants available to local governments for LWRP programs that encourage local communities to undertake their own waterfront redevelopment projects. Through the LWRP, the BDC and Cortland County Planning will work with eleven municipalities to help improve the recreational, cultural and economic value of their waterfront resources. The LWRP project will include the East, Main and West branches of the Tioughnioga River in Cortland County through a 65-mile stretch of waterfront. Specifically, the LWRP will encourage local communities to create plans that address:

• Open Space and Farmland Protection Strategies
• National Resource Strategies
• Habitat Management Plans
• Flooding and Erosion Management Plans

"The River provides enormous opportunities, particularly in the area of water based recreational opportunities and related economic spin-offs," noted Slowey. "Our goal is to develop the River as a first class trout fishery and provide waterfront access for kayaking, canoeing, hiking and biking. This grant will enable us to include important resource protection efforts as part the project."