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The Nature Conservancy and Partners Announce Support of the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill” Pending in NY State Legislature

Organization Hopes to Achieve Passage of Landmark Law to Increase Conservation Funding From New York State for Long Island

East Hampton, NY — June 5, 2008 — The Long Island’s Last Stand coalition, led by The Nature Conservancy, announced today that it has expressed support for the so-called “Bigger Better Bottle Bill” (A.8044A/S.5850A). The Long Island’s Last Stand coalition sent a letter to Governor David Paterson calling for the passage of legislation. In addition, the letter was sent to all Long Island Senate and Assembly members, reminding them of the partnership that Long Island County and Town governments must have with New York State in order to meet the 10 year goal of land protection on Long Island: 25,000 acres of natural areas and 10,000 acres of farmland.

The organizations called upon the state to increase its investment and protect 500 acres a year to help meet the goals of Long Island’s Last Stand. State investment on Long Island was at or near this number during the mid- to late-1990’s. By returning to that historic level of land purchasing on Long Island, the state can help assure that Long Island has a sustainable system of parks, natural areas and farming resources to benefit future generations.

Long Island environmental activists support this measure as a way to regain lost New York state funding essential for conservation success here. In the last 10 years, New York state government has greatly reduced its local spending on protecting critical natural areas and farmland across Long Island. This loss of state support comes at a time of unprecedented county and town funding commitments to protect the best of what still remains on Long Island by buying local lands. In the last five years, for example, Long Island’s county and town governments have protected nearly 5000 acres, New York state has protected less than five percent of that amount over the same period. 

“Thanks to unprecedented efforts by county and town governments to commit funding to protect our natural areas and manage our natural resources, we’re still on track to meet the visionary goals of Long Island’s Last Stand. But without robust state support, we cannot meet this goal,” said Nancy Kelley, executive director of The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “The Bigger Better Bottle Bill provides a key source of new revenue to help rebuild the New York State-Long Island partnership at a time when new money has become hard to find. We understand that there are industry concerns and we hope that they will be responsibly accommodated in the final legislation.”

“We find it simply unacceptable that, for the last five years, New York State has simply walked away from its obligation to help protect state resources on Long Island. New Yorkers from all over the state visit and enjoy our farmland products and excellent Long Island state park system – including many exemplary parks along the Atlantic Ocean. It’s time to rectify that situation, pass the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, and for New York state to join the local effort to protect the best of what’s left on Long Island, before it’s too late,” said Bob DeLuca, executive director of the Group for the East End.

“New York state’s historic participation in land protection on Long Island is the bar to be met now,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Concerned Citizens for the Environment, “Without a return to that level of state engagement, we’ll lose many of our most precious places and put our farming economy at risk. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill will both reduce waste on Long Island and put the state in a better position to live up to it’s side of the bargain in protecting the best of what remains on Long Island. So far as environmental benefits go, it’s two for the price of one”

The pending legislation would add new categories to the existing New York state bottle return law, expanding the nickel deposit to cover bottled water, iced tea, sports drinks, juice, and other non-carbonated beverages (with exemptions for wine, liquor, dairy products, infant formula, and certain other products).

All revenue from uncollected deposits would be placed in New York state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and used for purposes permitted by the EPF, including protection of critical wildlife habitat, watershed lands and farmland. Local environmentalists estimate that this expanded bottle bill could result in as much as $100 million a year in new sate-wide conservation revenue, some of which could greatly benefit conservation programs and land protection goals on Long Island.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the web at nature.org/longisland.

Long Island’s Last Stand is a 10-year action plan to save Long Island’s most significant remaining open spaces and farmland and to restore and protect our harbors, bays, and public parkland. Long Island’s Last Stand is supported by a coalition of concerned citizens, farmers, business leaders and conservation groups who are taking a stand to protect remaining natural areas and to restore Long Island’s lands, waters and way of life. Visit www.linature.org for more information.