Lake Champlain Basin Program to Fund Projects that Preserve and Interpret Cultural Heritage

Grand Isle, VT – The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) seeks pre-proposals for projects and programs to protect, restore, interpret, and showcase the historical resources and cultural heritage of the Champlain Valley, the Lake Champlain Basin, and the Adirondack Park.

The projects supported through this process will advance the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership’s (CVNHP) Conservation & Community interpretive theme in 2024, emphasizing the people and natural heritage of the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere.

“The preservation of the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park by the State of New York was one of the first truly large-scale land conservation efforts in America,” said John Krueger, chair of the LCBP Heritage Area Program Advisory Committee. “Focusing on the Conservation & Community interpretive theme in 2024 allows us to consider that early work, interpret the conservation efforts that followed, and recognize the good work that continues today in the Champlain Basin and the Adirondack Park.”

The CVNHP will offer grants in two categories:

Special Programs: These large grants up to $40,000 will serve the CVNHP Conservation & Community Interpretive Theme to encourage multi-jurisdictional, or regional projects that interpret, highlight, and support the objectives of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program associated with the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Region and support the CVNHP Management Plan.

Core Programs: Smaller grants up to $9,000 will also support the interpretive theme; or provide internships, museum collection improvements, and focus on local history in 2024.

Applicants are invited to submit multiple pre-proposals for each category.

After review of the submitted pre-proposals, a subset of applicants will be asked to submit a full proposal later in Fall 2022 for funding consideration for projects to begin on or after October 1, 2023. The grant awards will be announced in April 2023.

“The CVNHP has awarded more than two hundred grants, which have supported educational programs, new interpretive displays, internships, and the inventorying, preserving, and interpreting of museum collections. Our partners have done an amazing job in researching, conserving, and celebrating the rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage of the Champlain Valley,” said Eric Howe, Director of the CVNHP and LCBP.

The deadline for submission of pre-proposals is October 9, 2022.

The pre-proposal guidelines, list of eligible entities, and submission requirements are available on the CVNHP website at https://champlainvalleynhp.org/resources/grants/.

It is anticipated that these projects will be supported with funds awarded to NEIWPCC on behalf of the CVNHP by the U.S. National Park Service and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

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.

For more information about the CVNHP Request for Preproposals, 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 and finances. LCBP is a program partner of NEIWPCC. 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 www.lcbp.org.