Friends of NY's Environment Call on State Lawmakers to Restore Environmental Protection Fund

ALBANY, NY (02/09/2010)(readMedia)-- On Tuesday, February 9th, representatives from more than 40 organizations participating in the statewide Friends of New York's Environment partnership met with state lawmakers to call for the restoration of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Governor David Paterson's Executive Budget proposal for 2010-11 would cut the Fund by 33 percent, or $69 million. This is the second year in a row that the Governor's budget proposal has included a cut to the EPF. Last year, the proposal was rejected by lawmakers, who restored some funding and rejected a proposed sweep. The proposed 2010-11 cut would reduce the EPF from $212 to $143 million. Groups are calling on the New York State Legislature to reject the disproportionate reduction, which is larger than cuts proposed for other state programs and will put the health and safety of both the environment and the public at risk.

The EPF is the State's dedicated environmental trust fund that provides critical resources to protect water and air quality, update sewage treatment facilities, keep working farms running, preserve historic heritage, revitalize waterfronts, monitor pesticide use, and much more. The Friends of New York's Environment requested that the Fund's appropriation be restored to $222 million, the level set in last year's budget prior to the deficit reduction plan.

According to the groups, the Governor's budget proposal threatens the integrity of the EPF by cutting longstanding programs in half, zeroing out land acquisitions, and adding new programs without new funding. While important, the new programs were previously supported by revenue sources such as the General Fund and the State Parks Infrastructure Fund. Including these programs in the EPF diverts additional resources from Fund projects.

During the last seven years, almost $500 million of dedicated environmental funding has been stolen from the EPF and spent on non-environmental programs. The Fund was scheduled to grow to $300 million in 2010 under the EPF Enhancement Act, which was passed in 2007. Almost every member of the New York State Legislature voted in favor of the Act.

Due to sweeps from the Fund authorized in previous budgets, the State is already struggling to honor existing EPF obligations to communities and nonprofit organizations across New York. Simply put, the EPF is overdrawn. Repayment of EPF funds has been authorized in prior budgets. The Friends of New York's Environment believe it is time to create a plan to begin authorized repayments.

The Environmental Protection Fund was created in 1993 as a dedicated trust fund to preserve New York's natural and historic heritage. The Fund is primarily supported by revenue from the state's Real Estate Transfer Tax.

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The Friends of New York's Environment is a broad partnership of over 100 environmental, health, agricultural, recreational and community stakeholder groups committed to working together to secure increases in dedicated funding to protect our land, air and water thereby safeguarding New Yorkers' health, economy and environment.