The St. Lawrence Land Trust will share $275,900 in state Conservation Partnership Program grants with eight other North Country land trusts, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The money will support projects to protect farmland, wildlife habitat, water quality, enhance public access for outdoor recreational opportunities, and conserve priority open space areas important for community health, tourism and regional economic development, Cuomo said.

The 12th round of Conservation Partnership Program grants, administered by DEC, is aimed at helping local land trusts sustain and expand.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, the Conservation Partnership Program has awarded over 647 grants totaling $11.3 million in EPF funds to 86 different land trust organizations across the state. The state’s investment has leveraged $13 million in additional funding from local communities and private donors. The 2015-16 state budget increased the Environmental Protection Fund by $15 million to $177 million, Cuomo said.

“New York’s natural resources play a vital role in our economy, and today we are taking another step forward in protecting and preserving them for generations to come,” Cuomo said. “With these grants, New York’s Environmental Protection Fund is securing critical funding for environmental and open space programs that will continue to protect our environment, generate jobs and revenue in local communities and ensure a cleaner and healthier New York.”