Adirondack Mountain Club

ACTION ALERT

Tell Lawmakers to Stop the Governor’s Attack on New York’s Environment!

Governor David Paterson contends that he must make draconian cuts to New York’s environmental programs because of the state’s fiscal situation. But at the same time he has proposed a record $134 billion executive budget that actually increases state spending. This is not a budget-balancing plan. This is a plan to eviscerate New York’s already under-funded environmental programs. And the impact of this policy will be severe and long-lasting.

Among the more troubling of the governor’s proposals is a moratorium on state land acquisition. The open space category of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) would go from about $59 million to zero. For the first time in nearly 15 years, neither DEC nor Parks would have a single dime to buy land or conservation easements to protect natural resources and water supplies, including New York City’s Catskill/Delaware watershed.

Other Paterson budget “highlights”:

•      33 percent reduction in the EPF, cutting it to $143 million.
•      Deep staffing cuts at the Department of Environmental Conservation
•      Closure of some state parks and a reduction of hours at many others.
•      Closure of the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Centers at Paul Smiths and Newcomb.

The governor’s proposal also includes millions of dollars in offloads, which would use EPF money to pay for programs that have traditionally been paid for from other state sources. For example, the administration proposes using $5 million from the EPF to help it pay local taxes on Forest Preserve and other state lands. The state has an obligation to pay those taxes because these forested lands benefit all New Yorkers, but the program should not be paid for out of the EPF. Last year, thanks to your help, ADK was successful in stopping an administration plan to freeze those payments, which would have been devastating to some small communities in the Adirondacks, Catskills and other parts of the state.

Fortunately, the governor’s EPF would provide much-needed funding for land stewardship, which is critical to protecting natural resources and providing access to public lands. The stewardship funding also pays for ADK’s professional trail crews and the summit steward program and supports wildlife management areas. Please encourage state lawmakers to retain this funding at the $30 million level, as it is necessary for the survival of many programs and jobs throughout the state, especially the Adirondacks.

Future of the EPF, Open Space Program at Stake

Much more is at stake here than environmental spending for a single year. Governor Paterson’s executive budget is a threat to the very survival of the EPF and the open-space program. Ironically, we may see a repeat of the circumstances that prompted lawmakers to create the EPF in the first place. In the early 1990s, the state had an opportunity to buy Follensby Pond, the site of famous Philosophers’ Camp, but was unable to act because there was no open-space funding. Now, Follensby Pond is once again available, but, if Governor Paterson has his way, New York will not have the money to buy it. If you ever dreamed of canoeing on Follensby Pond or on the Essex Chain of Lakes, now is the time to act.

What You Can Do

Only the Legislature can save the EPF and New York’s open-space initiative. And lawmakers will only do that if they hear from their constituents. We urge you to write to your representative in the state Senate and Assembly. Tell them the governor’s disproportionate cuts to environment programs are unacceptable and will have serious repercussions for New York’s economy and environment now and in the future. Urge them to restore the funding for land acquisition and other critical programs.

Your letters do not have to be long to be effective. In fact, letters that are short and to the point are more likely to get legislators’ attention. If you don’t have time to write, an e-mail or call to the district office will help. (Actually, a call followed by a letter may be most effective.)

To locate your legislators and find out how to contact them, use these links:

Assembly: http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Senate: www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForum

Also, please send us a copy of your letter. Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Allison D. Beals
Director of Government Relations and Conservation
Adirondack Mountain Club
301 Hamilton St.
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 449-3870
allison@adk.org

Sample Letter

(DATE)

(YOUR ADDRESS)

RE: OPEN SPACE FUNDING - EPF

Hon.________
NYS Assembly
Albany, New York 12248

Dear Assemblyman________,

I am writing to request that you reverse the draconian cuts that Governor Paterson has proposed to New York’s environmental programs because of the state’s fiscal situation, while at the same time he has proposed a record $134 billion executive budget that actually increases state spending.

As a member of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), I consider this an important issue of this legislative session. Please restore Open Space Funding to the EPF.

Please let me know your position on this issue. Thank you for your time and attention. .

Sincerely,

(SIGN YOUR NAME)

(PRINT YOUR NAME)

Sample Letter 2