Catskill 3500 Club
Section: Northern Peaks | Central Peaks | Southern Peaks | Off Trail & Winter | Hiking Resources
Environmental programs fared well in the State Budget
The 2009-10 budget sets the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) level at $222 million, a $17 million increase from Governor Paterson's Executive Budget. That's less than $255 million that the Legislature approved last year for 2008-09, but it certainly could have been worse, given the very difficult economic situation.
The Environmental Protection Fund
The EPF includes $7 million to help the Department of Environmental
Conservation maintain the 4.5 million acres under its jurisdiction. This
funding pays for the Adirondack Mountain Club's Professional Trails Crew
contract and other projects to maintain backcountry trails. ADK devotes 40%
of its trail work to the Catskill Forest Preserve. This funding also helps
DEC implement unit management plans for the recently passed Catskill Park
State Land Master Plan. The best news about EPF is that its funding
stream remains intact. When lawmakers created EPF in 1993, they wanted
to ensure a reliable funding source for environmental projects, one that was
available in good and bad economic times, by supporting EPF primarily with
proceeds from the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT). The EPF includes
$60 million for open space projects.
Bigger Better Bottle Bill
This year we got an expansion of New York's Bottle Bill, advocated for 20 years. As of June 1, the 5-cent deposit on beer and soda bottles will also cover water bottles, including flavored waters and vitamin waters. As of April 15, 80% of all unclaimed deposits, which have been going to the bottling industry, will go into the state's General Fund, expected to raise about $100 million a year. While the new Bottle Bill doesn't cover all beverage containers, it is a significant improvement. Since the Bottle Bill was enacted in 1982, New York has seen a 70-80% reduction in beverage-container litter and a 30% reduction in overall litter.
The Tax Issue
New York State will continue to pay its fair share of local taxes on the Forest Preserve and other state-owned lands, a policy established in the 19th century. A proposal to freeze tax payments to localities inside the Catskill and Adirondack Forest Preserve would have harmed these communities, severely undermined local support for state land acquisition and crippled the Open Space Program at a time when many critical parcels are available.
Thank you
If you contacted your representatives on these issues, you made a significant and lasting contribution to the protection of the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves and other wild places in New York. Lawmakers realized that many people from their districts care deeply about environmental issues. Thank you for all your efforts.