Scenic Hudson Applauds Passage of Legislation to Enhance Environmental Protection Fund

Contact: 

Jay Burgess Director of Communications, Scenic Hudson, Inc.

Tel: (845) 473-4440 x222

Cell: (914) 489-0362

Fax: (845) 473-0740

jburgess@scenichudson.org

EPF Returns $7 to $1 Payback to NYS Taxpayers

Albany, NY—Today, Scenic Hudson and the Friends of New York's Environment, a broad partnership of more than 100 environmental, conservation, agricultural, recreational and urban stakeholder groups, applauded the state legislature for passing a bill to enhance the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The legislation will use revenue from the state’s existing Bottle Bill to grow the EPF over the next several years. The Assembly passed the bill on Wednesday, and the Senate acted last night on the final day of the legislative session.

The EPF is New York’s premier dedicated source of money for capital programs that conserve and protect land, air and water. EPF programs benefit Hudson Valley communities by protecting working farms, managing the Hudson Estuary, creating public parks and revitalizing waterfronts. These initiatives not only conserve New York’s land, air and water but also create badly needed jobs and energize our economy. A recent study by the Trust for Public Land showed that for every $1 New York State invests protecting land and water through the EPF, $7 is returned to local communities in economic benefits.

Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson, noted, “Scenic Hudson applauds Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D–Lindenhurst) and Sen. Mark Grisanti (R–Buffalo) for their sponsorship of the legislation. Governor Cuomo has demonstrated vision and leadership in maintaining the EPF in his budgets and in making it a key component of his innovative, job-creating regional economic development strategy. The governor has transcended the partisanship of the past by making legislators partners and members of his regional economic development councils chaired by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy. By signing this bill put forward by the senate and assembly, he will bolster that partnership and unleash additional job-creating dollars to boost New York’s economy into a higher orbit.”

Through its various programs, the Environmental Protection Fund helps protect the drinking water for millions of New Yorkers and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide across a broad spectrum of industries, including outdoor tourism and agriculture. EPF-supported industries generate approximately $40 billion for the state’s economy every year. For more information about the EPF, and programs in different regions of New York State, visit www.keepprotectingny.org..

Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley's inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 50 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved more than 28,000 acres.

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