Statement By The Nature Conservancy On The New York State Budget

This year’s New York State budget includes:

• $425 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, a continuation of the historic funding level reached in the last state budget, with reductions to cornerstone programs and authorizations to transfer funds from another environmental program to cover those changes;
• $525 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act, an increase of $25 million from last year;
• $90 million of New York Works Capital Funding for the Department of Environmental Conservation, a continuation of the previous funding level, and $24 million in additional funding for local projects;
• $200 million of New York Works Capital Funding for State Parks, a continuation of the previous funding levels, and $140 million in additional funding for local projects; and
• Significant changes to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

The Nature Conservancy in New York released the following statement from Jessica Ottney Mahar, The Nature Conservancy’s New York policy and strategy director:

Regarding environmental funding:

“The state budget continues historic levels of funding for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and increases funding for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA). The EPF provides critical funding to every county in the state including every borough of New York City to reduce pollution, improve public health, conserve natural resources and expand access to nature. The CWIA enables communities to protect clean water and public health through programs that repair and modernize drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. This funding is essential for New Yorkers’ health and safety.

“This year’s budget includes significant shifts of funding from two cornerstone EPF programs—state land conservation and state land stewardship—into other programs. These programs are then backstopped with transfers from the Sustainable Future Program, outside the EPF. This shift of funding from one environmental program to another supplants rather than supplements funding that is needed now, more than ever. We urge lawmakers to refrain from future diversions of EPF program funding and restore the two reduced programs in the next state budget.”

Regarding amendments to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act:

“While other states are reducing pollution and lowering energy bills by expanding clean energy, our state leaders are slowing the progress New York needs to make to deliver clean air, lower costs and energy reliability by prolonging our reliance on fossil fuels.

“We need to get on track as soon as possible and continue progress toward New York’s long-term goals, which remain unchanged. This means advancing an affordable cap-and-invest program as soon as possible to reduce pollution and generate sustainable revenue to support the transition to a clean energy economy. Until cap-and-invest is enacted, we need to implement the Sustainable Future Program and other complementary policies that fund clean transportation, energy-efficient buildings and other solutions that deliver the lower costs, cleaner air, reliable energy and healthier communities that New Yorkers deserve.

“As part of the budget agreement, the ‘ASAP Act,’ which enables the generation of more clean, locally produced, low-impact distributed solar energy, was passed. This will increase energy affordability and support economic development. This policy and associated new funding for the NY Sun Program is a big win for New Yorkers and for our environment. Thank you to Assemblymember Barrett and Senator Harckham for their leadership and to members of the Legislature for ensuring this was part of the final budget agreement.”

Regarding amendments to the State Environmental Quality Review Act:

“Unfortunately, the state budget includes significant changes to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). These changes to SEQRA weaken safeguards that ensure development projects protect public health, safety and the natural resources we all depend on. While the changes include some improvements from the original proposal, the enacted language remains confusing and may lead to uneven implementation across the state.”