Governor Proposes Drastic Cuts
to the EPF and APA
Letters Needed to Urge the Legislature to Fix the Budget
February 2010
As part of his 2010-2011 Executive
Budget, Governor David Paterson proposed significant and disproportionate
cuts to the Environmental Protection
Fund (EPF) and Adirondack Park Agency (APA) that would have
lasting negative consequences for the Adirondack Park. Your help
is needed today to ensure that the APA can perform its duties,
the Park’s open space is protected and opportunities to
save ecological significant lands are not lost forever. We need
you to write letters to the Legislature to urge them to save
the environmental programs in the budget.
The Environmental Protection
Fund
The EPF was created in 1993 to fund land acquisition and open
space protection. It remains as the state’s main source
of funding for environmental projects, such as smart growth grants,
invasive species eradication, waterfront revitalization, municipal
recycling, landfill closure, and breast cancer research. In 2009,
the state Legislature beat back a proposed sweep of the monies
for General Fund relief for the 2009-2010 fiscal year giving
New York’s environment $222 million in funding. However,
the Governor’s Deficit Reduction Plan reduced the EPF by
$10 million.
The Governor’s 2010-2011
Proposal
This year, Governor Paterson is proposing cuts to environmental
programs that are disproportionate to other areas of the budget.
For example, he is proposing to cut $69 million from the EPF,
leaving it at a low of $143 million. The Governor also proposed
zeroing out the land acquisition category as well as making
large cuts to farmland protection, water quality programs, waterfront
revitalization, and other areas. Additionally, the Governor’s
plan proposes “offloads” of non-EPF items into the
fund, including $5 million for state tax payments on public
lands and $5 million for parks and historic sites improvement.
Missing Opportunities to
Protect Ecologically Important Lands
The State of New York has committed to adding special areas in
the Adirondacks to the Forest Preserve including portions of
the former Finch Pruyn lands and Follensby Pond. Governor Paterson’s
proposal effectively backs out of these agreements and will make
New York miss historic opportunities to protect biologically
rich lands and expand the Forest Preserve. Without adequate
funding from the EPF, the future of these parcels is unknown
and conservation organizations may be forced to sell their holdings
to private individuals. (More
information on the lands at risk.)
Adirondack Park Agency
The Governor has also proposed to eliminate 13 positions from
the APA and close both of the Visitor Interpretive Centers
(VICs). Five positions will be eliminated directly from the APA,
while the remaining 8 would result from the closure of the VICs
which are run by the Agency. Cutting five positions from an already
small and overworked staff could prove troubling for both applicants
coming before the APA and the review of projects. Less staff
means less detailed reviews and longer delays. The closure of
the VICs, located in Paul Smiths and Newcomb, will negatively
affect tourism and deprive local schools, residents, and visitors
of valuable environmental education opportunities.
We Need Your Help –
Letters Needed Today
Governor Paterson’s
budget proposal will have disastrous effects on the state’s
environmental programs especially those in the Adirondack Park. The budget is now in the hands of the
Legislature and we have an opportunity to improve it, but we
need to act now. The budget is due by April 1st, but the negotiation
process has already begun, so please send your letters as soon
as possible.
In your own words, please
tell policymakers:
- You want an Environmental
Protection Fund (EPF) funded at last year’s level
of $222 million with $60 million for vital land acquisition.
- You oppose any “offloads”
into the EPF to help balance the budget by putting non-traditional
items into the Fund.
- You oppose reductions to
the staff of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA), including
the closure of the Visitor Interpretive Centers (VICs).
If you are a New York resident,
it is important that you contact the influential committee leaders
listed below as well as your Assemblymember and Senator. Everyone,
regardless of residence, is encouraged to write letters to the
committee leaders. If you are an Adirondack Park seasonal resident,
please include your Park address in your correspondence.
Personal letters communicate
the strongest message to decision makers in Albany. However,
if you are unable to send a letter, you can also e-mail them.
Please write to:
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Assemblyman Herman (Denny)
Farrell
Ways and Means Chair
New York State Assembly
Albany, NY 12248
Fax: (518) 455-5776
E-mail: farrelh@assembly.state.ny.us
Senator Antoine Thompson
Environmental Conservation
Chair
New York State Senate
Albany, NY 12247
Fax: (518) 426-6969
E-mail: athompso@senate.state.ny.us
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Senator Carl Kruger
Finance Chair
New York State Senate
Albany, NY 12247
Fax: (518) 426-6855
E-mail: kruger@senate.state.ny.us
Assemblyman Robert Sweeney
Environmental Conservation
Chair
New York State Assembly
Albany, NY 12248
Fax: (518) 455-3976
E-mail: sweeney@assembly.state.ny.us
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To find out who your
state Senator is, please visit the website below and look under
the “Who is My State Senator?” section in the upper
right side.
http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForm
To find out who your
Assemblymember is, please visit the website below and use the
“Your Assemblymember” section on the right side. http://assembly.state.ny.us/
Please be sure to send your letters
as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free
to call or e-mail us. Also, please send or e-mail us a copy of
your correspondence, if possible. Thank you for your help and
support!
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