New Windsor is seeking inclusion for federal funding for land conservation and park improvements, including potential work at Little Falls Park, through a program that supports the preservation of natural resources across four states.

The Town Board unanimously approved a resolution Oct. 7 supporting the town’s inclusion in the federal Highlands region, which would make New Windsor eligible for financial and technical assistance through the Highlands Conservation Act grant program.

The Highlands region covers more than 3 million acres across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. According to the resolution, the region includes forests, farmland, historic sites and recreational areas, as well as drinking water sources serving more than 15 million people.

The Highlands Conservation Act, signed into law in 2004, established the region as a national conservation priority. The law authorizes federal financial assistance to preserve high-priority conservation land, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administering a voluntary grant program for state and local governments and private forest and farm landowners.

Town Supervisor Stephen Bedetti said Recreation Director Jessica Dickinson brought the funding opportunity to his attention, prompting the town to pursue inclusion in the program.

“By us just doing this resolution, it opens the door for us to get some federal funding,” Bedetti said.

New Windsor is working on plans for Little Falls Park, a roughly 32-acre property along Quassaick Creek that could become part of a larger network of trails and public green spaces. Preliminary plans include walking trails, two ponds and recreation areas.

The project is also part of a broader effort to establish the Quassaick Creek Greenway, a proposed 2.5-mile trail connecting Newburgh and New Windsor. In September, Newburgh officials supported Scenic Hudson’s effort to acquire approximately eight acres along Ellis Avenue for the greenway, while New Windsor was pursuing the formal dedication of Little Falls as public parkland.

Bedetti said the town hopes to secure as much federal funding as possible for projects such as Little Falls Park. The Highlands program could provide another source of funding for projects that preserve natural resources and connect parks, trails and other protected areas. It also supports efforts to protect forests, wetlands, wildlife habitats and waterways.

Federal assistance under the program is intended to help preserve conservation land in cooperation with willing property owners, according to the resolution. The program is voluntary and involves state and local governments as well as private landowners.

The board’s resolution supports New Windsor’s official inclusion within the federal Highlands boundary maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, the vote does not mean that the town has received the funding.