The former mayor of Gouverneur, now part of the governor’s cabinet, is urging St. Lawrence County to apply for some of the $1 million the Northern Border Regional Commission will get this year.

The federal money is for North Country economic development. Last year, St. Lawrence County projects received almost $450,000 from the fund.

Deputy Secretary of State for Local Government Services Dierdre Scozzafava, former mayor of Gouverneur and North Country assemblywoman, said last year’s experience should spur local municipalities to apply for the grants.

“I encourage local governments and organizations in the northern border region to take advantage of these competitive grants. Last year we were able to endorse more projects for funding and expand the project benefits into health care and natural resources management, both critical needs for the North Country,” Scozzafava said.

The NBRC is a regional economic development partnership among federal, state, and local governments. Local governments and not-for-profit organizations in New York’s northern border counties, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Franklin and Clinton, plus counties south of the border, Fulton, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego, Cayuga, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison and Seneca, are eligible to apply for up to $250,000 in federal funds. New York State is expected to receive up to $1 million through the program this year.

Last year’s awardees included the City of Ogdensburg, which received $250,000 to install water and wastewater infrastructure needed to secure the redevelopment of the Diamond National Brownfield site on the St. Lawrence River.

Also in St. Lawrence County, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, under the new parent organization St. Lawrence Health System, received $196,000 to work on a telemedicine project with the redubbed Gouverneur Hospital.

To be considered for these grants, an application must show how a project will:

• develop the transportation, water, sewer, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure of the region

• assist the region in obtaining job skills and employment-related education, as well as entrepreneurship, technology and business development

• provide basic health care and other public services for areas that are severely economically distressed and underdeveloped

• promote resource conservation, tourism, recreation, and preservation of open spaces in a manner consistent with economic development goals, and

• promote the development of renewable and alternative energy sources.

Applications forms for NBRC grants, including additional information about the Northern Border Region and Local Development Districts, are available at www.dos.ny.gov/funding. Submissions must be mailed AND emailed. Mailings must be postmarked by June 19, 2015 and addressed to the New York Department of State, Attention Kyle Wilber, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231, (518) 473-3355. Accompanying emails must be sent by June 19th to nbrc@dos.ny.gov.