Audubon New York ♦ Citizens Campaign for the Environment ♦ Environmental Advocates of New York ♦ New York Farm Bureau ♦ New York League of Conservation Voters ♦ North Shore Land Alliance ♦ Preservation League of New York State ♦ Scenic Hudson ♦ The Nature Conservancy ♦ Westchester Land Trust

NYS Senator Leibell & Assemblyman Bradley Recognized for Leadership in Fight for Hudson Valley Preservation Act

Campaign for Community Preservation Celebrates Victory for Healthy & Prosperous Communities

(Katonah, NY)—Environmental groups from across the state were joined by dozens of Hudson Valley residents to applaud Senator Vincent Leibell and Assemblyman Adam Bradley today for their leadership in passing the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act. The measure to protect natural areas, working farms and historic heritage was approved by overwhelming margins in both houses of the State Legislature and now awaits the Governor’s signature.

“Without the hard work and leadership of Senator Leibell and Assemblyman Bradley, the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act could have died in the State Legislature. Thanks to their efforts, communities in Westchester and Putnam counties have a new tool to protect their natural and historic integrity,” said Robert Moore, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates of New York.

The Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act will give municipalities in Westchester and Putnam counties the power to create funds to protect natural and historic heritage when and if local voters choose to do so. An “opt-in” measure, municipalities must put the creation of these funds to a local referendum. If passed, resources for the local preservation fund would be generated by a real estate transfer fee of up to two percent on the sale of homes above the median for that area, as determined by the state.

Paul Gallay, executive director of Westchester Land Trust, said, “The best reason to thank Senator Leibell and Assemblyman Bradley is that they worked hard to provide us with something we really need. Since 2000, 13 Westchester communities have raised $37 million to buy open space. But most of that money is gone: the communities have spent more than $25 million to buy 1,700 acres. And yet each of those communities still has a priority list of important lands to buy and preserve forever. They need a steady, long-term source of funds to complete the job, and we’re hopeful that the Community Preservation Act will be it.”

“The Hudson Valley is at a critical tipping point in dealing with long-term development trends while safeguarding the lands that matter most,” said Ned Sullivan, President of Scenic Hudson.  “An estimated 100,000 acres of wildlife habitat, working farms, scenic areas and public riverfront access must be preserved over the next ten years at a cost of approximately $1 billion to insure the long term vitality, economic sustainability and environmental health of our region.  Thanks to Senator Leibell and Assemblyman Bradley's leadership on the Community Preservation Act, our communities are closer to having an important option to fund conservation projects and achieve the goals articulated in their local comprehensive plans.  We are eager to have Governor Spitzer sign this important piece of legislation and achieve both sustainable economic development and environmental protection.”

“Thanks to the leadership of Senator Leibell and Assemblyman Bradley, municipalities in the Hudson River Valley counties of Putnam and Westchester will be able to implement a program that has proven effective in other areas of the state as they work to preserve open space, critical habitats, working landscapes, and community character,” stated Jessica Ottney, Director of State Government Relations for The Nature Conservancy in New York.  “This legislation will have permanent benefits for these communities that will be visible as New Yorkers continue to admire the Hudson Valley landscape for generations to come.  We hope the Governor signs this legislation as soon as it is sent to him,” Ottney continued.

"We applaud Senator Leibell, Assemblyman Bradley and the entire New York State Legislature for responding to the people of the Hudson Valley's desire to protect drinking water quality and preserve open space.  The Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act empowers towns to protect the local ecosystem and preserve community character," said Emmett Pepper, Hudson Valley/Connecticut Program Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

“Audubon New York applauds Senator Vincent Leibell and Assemblyman Adam Bradley for providing towns in Westchester and Putnam Counties this important open space protection tool,” said Albert E. Caccese, Executive Director of Audubon New York.  “With habitat loss remaining a leading threat to birds and other wildlife in the Hudson River Valley, the Community Preservation Act is critical for providing municipalities with the necessary resources to protect open spaces and habitat to be enjoyed by the birds, other wildlife and the citizens of the participating towns.  We urge the Governor to sign this measure into law.”

“Among New York State's communities, Nassau County, Long Island may be the hardest hit by problems associated with sprawl...from high taxes to crowded roads, polluted waters and air,” said Lisa Ott President of the North Shore Land Alliance.  “We are very envious of Putnam and Westchester Counties and hope that a Community Preservation Act will be a part of our not-too-distant future,” she continued.

"Municipalities in Putnam and Westchester counties are blessed with an extraordinary diversity of historic structures and landscapes, and this new funding source will offer communities a locally-controlled funding source to guide their preservation and protection," said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State.  "The success of this program will be valued by and visible to communities throughout the Hudson River Valley."

"The Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act is a valuable tool to empower communities to transform policies and visions into concrete actions," said Nanette H. Bourne, chairperson of the Westchester Board of the New York League of Conservation Voters. "It recognizes the interdependency of natural resource preservation and the protection of cultural resources and affordable housing."

“Farmers have always had a strong investment in environmental conservation on their farms and across New York State. The approval of this bill will allow for increased funding for farmland protection and open space efforts that are desperately needed in the Hudson Valley,” said Julie Suarez, Director of Public Policy for New York Farm Bureau. “We thank Senator Leibell and Assemblyman Bradley for their sponsorship of the legislation and hope the Governor signs the bill into law,” concluded Suarez. 

While the legislation covers only two New York counties, Westchester and Putnam are among those counties most threatened by sprawl. Also, the legislation was designed so that other communities can easily be added to it in the future, if they choose. Without a statewide Community Preservation Act, this bill breaks a logjam for giving more communities the option of setting up their own funds. Currently, most New York municipalities must seek the permission of the Governor and the State Legislature before establishing a preservation fund. In a state whose constitution is predicated on home rule, it makes sense that New Yorkers decide for themselves how best to protect their heritage.

Warwick, Red Hook, Chatham, Fishkill, and five towns on the East End of Long Island have either created their own funds or are in the process of doing so. Funds on Long Island have proven incredibly successful; funds created in these East End communities have generated more than $400 million to preserve remaining open space and farmland to date.

A town can use its fund to acquire easements or property to preserve community character, including, but not limited to: parks, nature preserves, recreation areas, open space, agricultural lands, lands of exceptional scenic value, marshes or wetlands, aquifer recharge areas, undeveloped beach lands or shoreline, wildlife refuges, unique or threatened ecological areas, natural river areas, forested lands, public access, stream rights, historic places and properties listed on the Historic Register or protected under a municipal historic preservation law, or lands to establish a greenbelt. For more information about community preservation, visit www.savenys.org.

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The Campaign for Community Preservation supporters include:

1 in 9 Coalition, Adirondack Council, Adirondack Mountain Club, Agricultural Stewardship Association, American Farmland Trust, Audubon Society of New York, Battenkill Conservancy, Brewster's Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Citizens for Open Space of Goshen, New York, Coastal Preservation Network, Columbia Land Conservancy, Concerned Residents of Southeast, Dark Sky Society, Dutchess Land Conservancy, East End Forever, Eden Conservation Board, Environmental Advocates of New York, Environmental Defense, Environmental Voters Forum, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Finger Lakes Land Trust, Fishkill Ridge Caretakers, ForSomers.org - Smart Growth, Friends of the Bay, Highlands Coalition, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Incorporated Village of Brewster, Lake George Land Conservancy, Land Trust Alliance, League of Women Voters, Long Island Pine Barrens Society, Long Island Environmental Voters Forum, Marbletown Environmental Conservation Commission, Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Farm Bureau, New York League of Conservation Voters, New York State Association of Towns, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, North Shore Land Alliance, Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New York, Open Space Institute, Orange County Land Trust, Parks & Trails New York, Peconic Land Trust, Preservation League of NYS, Putnam County Coalition to Preserve Open Space, Putnam County Land Trust, Putnam Smart Growth Alliance, Putnam Valley Residents Coalition, Ramapo River Committee, Red Hook Community Preservation Alliance, Regional Planning Association, Riverkeeper, Inc., Rondout Valley Grower's Association, Saint Peter Damian Fraternity, Saratoga P.L.A.N., Scenic Hudson, Serpentine Art and Nature Commons, Inc., Sierra Club - Atlantic Chapter, Southern Madison Heritage Trust, Sterling Forest Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, Thousand Islands Land Trust, Town of Putnam Valley, Trust for Public Land, Utica/Central New York Citizens in Action, Vision Long Island, Wallkill Valley Land Trust, Inc., Warwick Conservancy, Watershed Agricultural Council, Westchester Land Trust, Woodstock Land Conservancy.