Long Island Pine Barrens Society Backs Statewide "We Love New York" Effort to Save Environmental Fund

ALBANY, NY (03/19/2010)(readMedia)-- On Friday, March 19th, Long Island Pine Barrens Society unveiled advertisements in support of the statewide "We Love New York" advertising campaign calling State Senators Brian Foley and Craig Johnson to restore critical resources to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Governor Paterson has proposed slashing the Fund by $69 million, or 33 percent, in his Executive Budget for 2010-2011.

The campaign includes billboard, online and print advertisements, including personal ads, asking state leaders to demonstrate their love for New York by supporting the Environmental Protection Fund. A "personal" ad calling on Long Island's state senators to support restorations to the Fund is running in the Thursday and Friday editions of Newsday. An advertisement thanking longtime supporter of environmental funding, Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, is running in this week's edition of the Long Island Press, as is an ad calling on Senators Brian Foley and Craig Johnson to support restorations to the environmental trust fund. Campaign ads are available at www.KeepProtectingNY.org.

This is the second year in a row that the Governor has disproportionately cut the Fund, which helps ensure the health and safety of New York's air and water, updates sewage treatment facilities, keeps working farms operating, preserves historic heritage sites and open space, revitalizes waterfronts, monitors pesticide use, and much more. Last year, state lawmakers bucked the Governor and restored EPF dollars during budget negotiations.

The campaign, the largest mounted by environmentalists in state history, was unveiled in Albany on March 9. It calls on state lawmakers to restore the cuts to environmental programs. At 33 percent, the Governor's proposed cut to the EPF is dramatically higher than other budget areas. Cuts to the Fund adversely affect every county in the state, all of which depend on its resources to support vital programs. Locally, the EPF cuts would result in threats to drinking water protection and open space preservation across Long Island and would jeopardize the future of the Pine Barrens Protection Act.

"Long Island will be severely impacted if the cuts to the Environmental Protection Fund are not restored. We're calling on State Senators Brian Foley and Craig Johnson to get with the program and fully restore New York's environmental trust fund along with the open space and parks purchase component," said Richard Amper, Executive Director, Long Island Pine Barrens Society. "The Environmental Protection Fund benefits everyone who loves New York State and the place we all call home."

Campaign underwriters include: The Adirondack Council, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, Environmental Defense Fund, Friends of Hudson River Park, Land Trust Alliance, Long Island Pine Barrens Society, New York League of Conservation Voters, North Shore Land Alliance, Open Space Institute, Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson, The Nature Conservancy-New York, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

-30-