The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

We Love New York...Protected keepprotectingny.com

See the latest edition of Going Green on NY1 and how you can share the love for protecting New York.

Who's your Valentine this year? There's one beauty that has a special place in our hearts: New York, New York. And we're not the only ones. This year Gov. Andrew Cuomo showed some serious love for nature by protecting the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) from budget cuts. State director Bill Ulfelder sat down with NY1 to discuss why The Nature Conservancy is so smitten with the Big Apple -- and why you should be too.

Watch the segment on NY1!

Why We Love the EPF

New York's Environmental Protection Fund helps ensure a healthier environment, healthier communities and healthier economies. Here's how:

• Healthy Environment
  25% of New York City is actually open space. EPF funding also aids with historic preservation, and helps to protect the drinking water supply for all of New York City.
• Healthy Economy
  The EPF helps protect drinking water, including the New York City watershed, helping our City avoid the need for a treatment plant that could cost the City more than $8 billion. It also supports attractions that draw tourists to our State. In 2009 tourism generated more than $13 billion in revenue and supported 6% of all jobs in the State.
• Healthy Communities
  From supporting the Bronx Zoo and Brooklyn Botanical Garden, to creating and improving parks like Hudson River Park and Riverside Park, to restoring natural areas around the Bronx, Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers, to supporting community gardens, the EPF makes our communities great places to live.

Show Some Love!

Visit keepprotectingny.com, a website created by a coalition of environmental organizations in New York. It is a great way to stay up-to-date about what you can do to let lawmakers know that the EPF is important to our communities. Keep an eye out for the red, Action Alert button which will allow you to participate in letter-writing campaigns and have your voice heard!