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Testimony of James F.
Nordgren, Executive Director, Bedford Audubon Society Mr. Chairmen, and other distinguished members of the State Senate, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to address you today. My name is James Nordgren and I am the Executive Director of the Bedford Audubon Society, a local chapter of the National Audubon Society, representing 2,000 Members. I am pleased to provide the following testimony regarding Governor Paterson’s proposed Deficit Reduction Plan on behalf of Audubon New York, and our Chapter. Let me begin by saying that we are not oblivious to the dire economic crisis that is facing our state and, indeed, our nation, and stand ready to work with the State to address these challenges. It is important to remember that as the State faces these troubling and uncertain economic times, continued investment in the restoration of the New York’s water, air and open space resources can and should play an important role in the revitalization of the State economy. Numerous economic analyses by the Brookings Institution have proven that the health of the environment will determine the health and prosperity of our communities and the state. When key environmental factors like water quality and local parks are degraded, it compounds the economic woes facing localities and means fewer jobs for the economy. However, when investing in the protection and restoration of these same resources, it can yield significant returns on the state’s investment and make these communities more attractive to businesses and people. Through their specific research on the Great Lakes, the Brookings Institution found that the region will gain at least $2 in economic benefit for every $1 invested in restoration. This is especially relevant when considering the vacation trends of state residents. More residents are traveling locally, and looking for opportunities to recreate closer to home. By providing increased opportunities for these residents to safely enjoy New York’s wildlife and open spaces, the state in turn capitalizes on their spending. An illustration of this concept was highlighted in a 2006 survey undertaken by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service which found that an estimated 3.7 million bird and other wildlife watchers contributed an estimated $1.6 billion to the state economy, including $250 million in State sales tax revenue in 2006, supporting thousands of jobs across the state. This economic impact is calculated by assessing trip-related expenditures on food, lodging and transportation, as well as factoring in sales of necessary equipment, such as binoculars, bird books, and other such items. It clearly illustrates the important role that “eco-tourism” plays in supporting the state economy, and the importance of protecting the environment as a means of restoring the economy. Yet, the longer we wait to invest in the protection and restoration of the environment, the more costly the problems become to fix and the return on the investment decreases. To back away from protecting these resources now, would be the wrong course of action for the state, and make it difficult to leverage significant increases in federal funding that are being made to many conservation programs that can benefit New York State. In New York, the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) is the state’s primary funding for critical environmental restoration projects. Since its creation in 1993, the EPF has been funded through dedicated revenue from the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), which is derived, in part, from suburban sprawl and habitat loss. The EPF was designed to provide a secure source of environmental funding in good economic times and bad, and be used to offset the negative consequences from over development. Over the last 15 years the EPF has grown successfully to try and keep pace with demand for projects that support critically important programs that not only protect New York’s land, air and water, but enhance the State’s economy and improve public health. The Legislature has reaffirmed the connection of the RETT to the EPF with the passage of the EPF Enhancement Act in 2007, requiring the EPF to increase to $300 million in FY 09-10 backed by increased revenue from the RETT. Even in these trying economic times, with rates of home foreclosure increasing across the country, the RETT continues to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to the State, more than enough to fully fund the EPF at the $222 million level in this Fiscal Year. Unfortunately, for the past seven years nearly half a billion dollars that was dedicated to the environment through the EPF has been swept for non environmental purposes. This has put at risk many projects across the state that help restore the environment and provide for ecotourism opportunities. This not only further compounds the economic woes facing not for profit organizations and local governments, but also further cuts vital programs that enhance education opportunities aimed at teaching our children to be proper stewards of the environment, and combating childhood obesity by inspiring children to get outside and be active. As the Legislature created this dedicated fund to be used for environmental purposes, this action goes against the intent of the fund. Further reductions in EPF spending will only compound the economic problems facing the state and further delay critical projects to restore our land, air and water resources, and must stop. There are a number of EPF programs that are that are greatly important to Audubon New York and the protection of birds, other wildlife and their habitats in New York State. We strongly support full funding and timely appropriations for the following important EPF categories: the Biodiversity Research Institute, Open Space Protection, Farmland Protection, Invasive Species eradication, Ocean and Great Lakes Conservation Initiative, the Finger Lakes Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance, and the Water Quality Improvements program. Of utmost importance to Audubon is funding for the Zoos, Botanical Gardens, and Aquaria (ZBGA) program. Established in 1978, the ZBGA Program provides critical funding for the unique needs of cultural institutions with living collections such as zoos, botanical gardens, aquaria, arboreta and nature centers. This important program provides funding to organizations like Audubon Nature Centers for the care of their living collections. These living museums generate millions of dollars each year for the state in tourism revenue and economic development. This is why it is critically important for these funds to be made available quickly, so that our organizations and institutions can continue these important environmental education programs. Meeting the demand for environmental improvements and protecting bird species from further decline will take creativity and a commitment from all levels of government. Audubon New York once again wants to thank the Legislature for its leadership in conservation efforts around the state, and we look forward to working with you in the coming months to ensure that needed environmental investments are made to help stimulate the economy and keep New Yorkers working. Thank you again for allowing me to testify today. e-mail
conservation@bedfordaudubon.org |
