Governor Hochul’s 2022 State of the State – Riverkeeper statement

Statement of Jeremy Cherson, Riverkeeper Senior Manager of Government Affairs, on Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2022 State of the State:

“Riverkeeper is happy to hear the Governor’s strong commitment to prioritizing a clean and healthy environment for New Yorkers and providing national leadership on climate change.

“We are pleased to see Governor Hochul’s proposal to increase the environmental bond act to $4 billion, which will provide critical resources for restoring the Hudson River and making New York more resilient to the growing effects of climate change. Additionally, Riverkeeper is thrilled to see a promise of stronger protections for freshwater wetlands of all sizes, which can support natural flood control, protect wildlife habitat, and filter pollutants from drinking water sources.

“Riverkeeper hopes to see further investments in the executive budget, including a $1 billion commitment to the nation-leading Clean Water Infrastructure Act and a $500 million Environmental Protection Fund that includes a $4 million increase to the Hudson River Estuary Program as well as investments in state agency capacity to implement these important programs. We thank Governor Hochul for her leadership and look forward to working with the administration and the Legislature on these important budget priorities.”