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With water contamination issues on the rise, we are actively advocating for the protection of our waterways and their cleanliness. This includes both marine habitats and our precious drinking water. We are in a continual push for investments to repair our aging water infrastructure, with an emphasis on management, incorporating green infrastructure, support programs and incentives for clean water – both for daily living and recreational uses. 

Our priority is to prevent against water contamination before it occurs. NYLCV and NYLCVEF have advocated for and won significant victories for clean drinking water in the past year including $2.5 billion in state funding and a requirement to test for certain unregulated contaminants in small public water supplies. While we are headed in the right direction, these successes are a down payment on the greater long-term needs to protect our water. 

In addition to protecting our drinking water sources, we are advocating for local bans or fees on single-use bags which plague our waterways. Clean water is especially important in our most treasured open spaces, which is why we support protecting 31,000 acres of Adirondack forest in the MacIntyre East/West and Boreas Ponds tract in order to promote clean water, encourage healthy and abundant wildlife populations, and support vibrant communities.

On the federal level, we are advocating for maintaining funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF), which provide low-interest loans that leverage state and private money to a wide variety of water projects, including wastewater treatment, green infrastructure, pipe replacement, and source water protection. The CWSRF is incredibly efficacious, returning $2.31 for every $1 invested.

Learn more about our Programs focused on Water

Green Infrastructure in the Capital Region

Upper Delaware River Watershed

Green Infrastructure in the Buffalo-Niagara Region

Dig Deep for a Greener New York City Policy Forum Series

Nitrogen Pollution on Long Island

Water Quality on Long Island

Choose Clean Water Coalition

New York’s spectacular open spaces not only provide awe-inspiring views and recreational opportunities, they help keep our children and families healthy. Our parks, rivers, lakes and oceans should be protected so future generations can enjoy them.

When addressing contaminated land, we were successful in our fight to renew and reform the state’s programs that assist in cleanup of contaminated lands and abandoned buildings. Part of this included the extension the Superfund Program, expanding the Environmental Cleanup Program, and making changes to the Brownfields Cleanup Program. From here, we plan to encourage and work towards the funding to revitalize municipal parks at the local, regional, and state levels. Included in this will be our goals to hold government accountable for alienation of parkland, as well as provide for protective rights of land swaps and sales. In order to reduce contaminated land, we are eager to implement organic waste diversion to composting and biodigesters.

We have long advocated for a Wilderness Classification for 35,000 acres of Adirondack forests, thus promoting a clean and healthy environment. We are also seeking to strengthen the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda and other private initiatives to encourage the protection of scenic areas while promoting an increase in the recreational opportunities and communities in the Hudson Valley. Included in this is our goal to fund and implement programs battling the onslaught of invasive species.

Learn more about our programs focused on Parks and Open Spaces:

Dig Deep for a Greener New York City

Every single community must have clean air to breathe, well-maintained parks for recreation, access to fresh foods from local farms, and protection from toxic chemicals. We are fighting to make this a reality.

Both indoor and outdoor air quality have come a long way in New York, but we are continuing to fight to improve air quality through replacement of old diesel vehicles with cleaner, new vehicles and encourage upgrades to Zero Emission Vehicles. We also continue to support and push for increased funding in parks and playgrounds continues at the regional, local, and state levels.

Learn more about our programs focused on Public Health

Clean Buses for Healthy Niños

Lead in School Drinking Water

Gaps in Lead Poisoning Prevention Laws in NYC

OUR PROGRAMS:

Plug It In, NY    

NYC Clean School Bus Coalition 

 Getting NYC to 80×50 Policy Forum Series

In New York, over 30% of our emissions come from the transportation sector. We are working to support new methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from public to private transportation methods. By finding new transportation alternatives, we will help in reaching the reduction of 80% by 2050.

 

In regards to public transportation, we are in support of increasing multimodal transportation like bus rapid transit, rails-to-trails conversions of abandoned rail lines, ferries, connected regional bike lanes and trails, and community multi-use trails that promote bicycling, walking, and safety. We also hope to continue to promote the deployment of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by significantly expanding ZEV infrastructure that benefits the grid and all electricity customers.

In order to continue to push low-carbon modes of transportation at the federal level, we are fighting to ensure proper funds are allocated to the Highway Trust fund, which funds the development of highways and mass transit systems, and to The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which funds a variety of transportation projects across the country. In addition, we are pushing for state funding for repairs and upgrades to critical freight rail lines throughout the region and state to limit truck traffic on local roads and highways.

 

 

Our greatest connection to our environment is in the food we eat every day and NYLCVEF believes that the nexus of farms, food and sustainability is an essential part of a robust conservation agenda. This nexus is facing many complex challenges that are all deeply interconnected. Solutions to issues such as loss of farmland and lack of access to healthy food will require focus, innovation and collaboration between government, a diverse group of issue advocates, farmers, and the food industry. Within government alone, coordination will be required at the federal, state, regional and local levels. The New York League of Conservation Voters is working to unite stakeholders in all parts of the food cycle behind a common agenda that tackles issues as large as the United States Farm Bill and as hyper-local as the Suffolk County Farmland Preservation Program.

New York State is a major producer of a wide range of agricultural products — ranging from apples to corn to yogurt — and boasts over 35,000 farms covering approximately 7 million acres of land. Many of these farms, especially small family farms, are under serious pressure from developers, the challenging economics of farming in the 21st Century, and an aging workforce. Preserving these farms is in the interest of cities across the state seeking to reduce their “foodprint” by ensuring a bountiful supply of locally grown produce. NYLCV has fought for — and won — significant investments at the state and local levels. Yet demand for preservation funds still far outpaces supply.