Paul Smith’s College Receives $1 Million Award From Northern Border Regional Commission’s Forest Economy Program

Grant will allow the college to strengthen forestry and climate education programs by investing in critical infrastructure improvements

PAUL SMITHS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paul Smith’s College, today announced it has secured a $1 million grant from the 2023 Forest Economy Program, backed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). This grant will enable Paul Smith’s College to make essential infrastructure improvements on its rural campus in Franklin County, New York — an investment that will strengthen the institution's ongoing commitment to maintain and grow the regional forest economy and forestry-related industries.

Paul Smith's College receives its latest grant as the importance of sustainability, conservation and climate change continues to dominate national conversation — a conversation that Paul Smith's College has been at the forefront of for decades with its climate-focused curriculum. The college is one of the region’s most important forest training institutes and one of just two forestry schools in New York that offer degrees accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Paul Smith’s College prepares high-skilled, career-ready forestry graduates ready to join the workforce.

“Receiving this award from the NBRC is a testament to Paul Smith’s College's pivotal role in advancing sustainable practices and contributing to the vitality of the forest economy in New York State,” said Dan Kelting, President of Paul Smith’s College. “With the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the Northern Border Regional Commission, this funding will empower us to enhance essential college infrastructure, reinforcing our commitment to both environmental stewardship and the growth of forestry-related industries in the region.”

“This award ensures that we are providing clean, safe water for our students and are able to prepare for future growth at the college,” said Zoë Smith, Executive Director of the college’s Adirondack Watershed Institute and Paul Smith’s College Research and Grants Officer. “The project is an investment in the next generation of leaders in climate change, forestry, and sustainability.”

The Northern Border Regional Commission is a Federal-State partnership for economic and community development within the most distressed counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. This grant originates from NBRC’s Forest Economy Program, which supports the forest-based economy and assists in the industry’s evolution to include new technologies and viable business models across the 4-state NBRC region.

In addition to the $1 million Forest Economy Program grant, Paul Smith’s College has received nearly $3 million in other federal funding, demonstrating its dedication to researching and advocating efforts that improve the planet and the lives that inhabit it. This includes grants from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the USDA Acer Access and Development Program, USDA Rural Development, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice Violence Against Women, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Environmental Protection Agency and National Park Service’s Lake Champlain Basin Program, and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

To learn more about this grant funding, please visit paulsmiths.edu.

About Paul Smith’s College:

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences and natural resources. We are able to draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive and adventurous individuals collectively provide experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu »