McHenry Community & Compact Grants

Unlock Financial Assistance for Local & Regional Planning Projects

How to Apply

  • Identify Project
  • Identify Partners
  • Highlight Greenway Criteria
  • Submit Application
Apply

McHenry Community & Compact Grants

The Hudson River Valley Greenway works to celebrate and protect the region’s ecological, scenic, cultural, historic, agricultural, and recreational treasures.  

 

HRVG’s McHenry Planning Grant Program provides financial assistance for local and regional planning projects in the Greenway Area. To be considered for a Greenway Community Grant or a Compact Community Grant, projects must incorporate Greenway Criteria – Natural and Cultural Resource Protection, Regional Planning, Economic Development, Public Access to the Hudson River, Heritage and Environmental Education.  

 

In 2025, the program was renamed in honor of Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council Founding Chairman Barnabas McHenry. 

 

Important Dates:

  • Application Opens: March 23
  • Application Closes: April 24
  • Grants Awarded: June 

 

Maximum Funding Available for Projects

 Greenway CommunityCompact Community
Municipal Projects

$20,000

$50,000

Intermunicipal Projects

$45,000

$110,000

Compact Plan Update

-

$75,000

Compact Plan Development

-

$100,000

 

Eligible Projects

A variety of projects are eligible to receive financial assistance from HRVG. All applicants must incorporate Greenway Criteria and clearly demonstrate how the requested project will be completed within the grant contract period. 

 

Projects Categories:

  • Community Planning

  • Public Participation

  • Open Space Protection

  • Cultural Resource Protection

  • Natural Resource Protection 

  • Economic Development

  • Scenic Resource Protection 

Greenway Communities

Municipalities located within the Greenway Area can become a Greenway Communities. This includes most municipalities in the counties that surround the Hudson River from New York County to Washington and Saratoga Counties. 

 

To become a Greenway Community, a municipality must adopt a resolution committing to HRVG’s resource protection, regional planning, economic development, public access, and education criteria. After the resolution is adopted, municipalities can access funding for municipal and intermunicipal projects.  

Compact Communities

All counties located within the Greenway Area can become Compact Counties. Currently, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, and Dutchess are the only Compact Counties. However, counties as far north as Washington County can join by adopting a Compact Plan - a regional strategy that identifies how a county will integrate Greenway Criteria into its planning work. 

 

To become a Compact Community, a municipality must adopt its county’s plan. After the plan is adopted, municipalities can access higher levels of funding for municipal and intermunicipal projects. 

 

Additional funding is available to develop or update a County Compact Plan.  

 

A comprehensive plan can function as a Compact Plan if it addresses the Greenway Criteria. 

Supporting Documents