NARROWSBURG, NY — The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, a non-profit organization, awarded $17,400 for community projects in 2023 through its four competitive grant programs and event sponsorships.

Vista Enhancement Along the Byway

Grants are offered to improve views for travelers on the NYS Route 97, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and byway corridor. To be eligible for selective clearing work, public or private properties must be located along designated portions of the byway.

The board combined three Vista Enhancement projects in the town of Delaware into an $8,200 award for new or deferred work. This work has three parts:

• $4,000 to open up the view of the Delaware River heading north on Route 97 across the viaduct into Callicoon by reducing the height of trees and removing obstructive vegetative along the lower part of Viaduct Road, the railroad trestle, and along the Callicoon Creek by the Delaware Youth Center and the Sullivan County Democrat office;
• $2,200 to extend the riverside view at a prior work site located across from the Route 97 intersection with Starcks Lane between mile markers 1396 and 1398; and
• $2,000 to thin out trees on Central New York Railroad property to improve the vista.

Rosie DeCristofaro, an Upper Delaware Scenic Byway board member, coordinated obtaining quotes, property owner permission releases, scheduling, and oversight of the work done by contractor Mootz Tree Trimming LLC of Callicoon.

Promoting Butterflies on the Byway

Grants are available for habitat promotion, pollinator gardens, and similar projects, including:

• $700 in 2023 to create a display titled “Butterflies that Travel from New York to Mexico,” which was installed in April at the Ten Mile River Scout Camps Museum in Narrowsburg. It includes an indoor display case describing the life cycle and annual migration of monarch butterflies. Outdoor signage at a stand of milkweed explains the plant’s critical role in sustaining habitat for this threatened species. 

The applicant was museum co-director Glenn Pontier, with exhibit design work accomplished by Dorene Warner of W Design in Barryville. 

Culture and History Along the Byway

Grants were awarded in 2023 to the following cultural projects:

• $1,500 for the fourth annual Deep Water Literary Festival, which took place on June 16-19 in Narrowsburg. Deep Water Projects Director Aaron Hicklin and his team organized the literary festival, which incorporates the Delaware River and surroundings by celebrating local creators, creating an opportunity for locals to engage with literary legends, and this year partnering with the Lenape Center of New York for programing about the Lenape people and heritage of this region.
• $1,500 for the second annual Halloween Harvest Festival held October 28 in Barryville. The Barryville Farmers’ Market treasurer, George Billard, submitted the application for the festival, which was held in conjunction with the Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce and other sponsors. It included trick-or-treating among vendor booths, a performance by the Disney song classics national touring band Little Mermen, lectures, art activations, a recipe contest, and a non-profit information alley.

Signage Along the Byway

No application for these grants were received in 2023. This program is open to businesses and non-profits to develop new signs promoting byway attractions or replace deteriorated signs.

Other grants

Additional grants awarded in 2023 include:

• $500 for the third annual Upper Delaware Litter Sweep;
• $5,000 for the annual Festival of the Founding Fish. Activities included an Upper Delaware Scenic Byway 20th anniversary Shadfest bus run with historical narration from John Conway and numerous community stops roundtrip from Port Jervis to Hancock; an Angler’s Trade Fair; Shad Shindig at Fort Delaware in Narrowsburg; a Youth Fishing Day with students from The Homestead School in cooperation with the National Park Service, local casting experts, and A Single Bite healthy foods program; and a shad theme at the Barryville Farmers’ Market. The byway’s sponsorship was a match to the $5,000 contribution allocated by Sullivan County Legislature Chair Robert Doherty from his District 1 discretionary funds 

Grants for the byway

Grants awarded to the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway in 2023 included:

• $25,000 through the Sullivan County Legislature’s Discretionary Funds Contracts for non-profit organizations; 
• $40,000 through a New York State Legislative Initiative Grant secured by NYS Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (100th District) to assist with operational expenses. The grant is administered by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Applications accepted year-’round

The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway Committee accepts applications for its grant programs on a rolling basis year-round to review at their regular fourth-Monday-of-the-month meetings. To request guidelines and application forms, leave a message on the 866-511-UDSB (8372) or email info@upperdelawarescenicbyway.org.