Originally published by the Auburn Citizen, by Erin Crotty
February 15, 2016

In a state as large and diverse as New York, there will always be issues vying for attention. There is, however, one issue that impacts every New Yorker no matter if they live in a rural upstate community or in an urban center and no matter their political affiliation — safeguarding our environment and natural resources.

In his 2016-2017 budget proposal, Governor Cuomo announced an historic investment in protecting New York’s natural resources and generations of New Yorkers, including ours, will see benefits for years to come. All beings in every corner of New York — humans, plants, birds and other animals — will be better off for it.

Governor Cuomo’s proposal impacts the environment in key areas:

• Provides for cleaner water and access to clean water — Clean water is essential for the survival of birds and people — history has often shown our fates to be intertwined. New York’s clean waterways provide the foundation for healthy ecosystems. Ensuring these ecosystems are protected and improved is the purpose of much of the funding proposed by Governor Cuomo. Additionally, and not incidentally, investment in clean water infrastructure will have a huge economic multiplier effect as tourism and economic progress will continue to spring forward.

• Sparks a renaissance for our parks and public lands — New York is blessed with stunning landscapes, extraordinary wildlife and majestic forests throughout the state. Governor Cuomo’s budget provides funding for critical infrastructure and access improvements and stewardship projects so that people will have pleasant and memorable experiences at our state P=parks and on our public lands. Birds and wildlife will also benefit from these improvements and, again, this investment will pay for itself in economic activity.

• Builds a bridge to our future — The funding proposed by Governor Cuomo helps us inspire the next generation to care for our natural resources by supporting many education programs. Through Audubon New York’s seven sanctuaries and education centers throughout the state, more than 6,000 young people each year learn about the value of environmental conservation through programs like those offered at the Montezuma Audubon Center. I often say that the desire to protect the environment is in the DNA of every New Yorker and it is certainly in our Constitution. This funding safeguards that legacy.

I’m sure that there are areas of Governor Cuomo’s budget that can and will stir controversy. Investing in our future and our environment simply isn’t one. The poet John Keats once wrote, “The poetry of the earth is never dead.” Thanks to this historic investment proposed by Governor Cuomo, and the bi-partisan commitment from the Legislature, the poetry of New York’s natural landscape will continue on.

Crotty, a former commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, is executive director of Audubon New York and vice president of National Audubon Society