ALBANY, NY (January 21, 2025)—As part of her SFY 2025-26 Executive Budget proposal, Governor Kathy Hochul has included the following environmental proposals:

Sustainable Future Program. New York State will dedicate $1 billion to addressing climate change and its impacts. This funding will be used for climate mitigation and adaptation projects, including creating and utilizing renewable energy; advancing clean transportation initiatives; for the design, construction, repair, or improvement of green infrastructure; and for other priorities identified in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Scoping Plan. 

Horseshoe Crabs. The Governor included legislation in her budget that would extend the Department of Environmental Conservation’s authority to manage horseshoe crabs. Unfortunately, this language did not include any additional protections for Horseshoe Crabs, which Audubon advocated for in the prior legislative session. 

Environmental Protection Fund. Governor Hochul has committed another $400 million in funding for the EPF, which provides critical support for environmental programs, including Audubon’s nature centers and sanctuaries. EPF funding is a solid investment that provides good-paying jobs, drives economic growth, and protects vulnerable wildlife and their habitats. 

Funding Clean Water Infrastructure. New York State’s investments in clean water infrastructure have funded significant improvements to our wastewater and drinking water systems. The Governor’s budget provides $500 million in funding for water quality and clean water infrastructure.

Keeping Our Forests Healthy. Overbrowsing by deer has an outsized impact on forest health - destroying critical habitat for declining woodland bird species and decreasing our forests’ ability to store carbon. As a science-based organization, we support evidence-based wildlife management strategies that utilize hunting as an effective management tool. For that reason, we support extending the youth hunting pilot program in order to support the next generation of hunters. 

The following statement is from Erin McGrath, Policy Director for the National Audubon Society’s New York State office:

"The Executive Budget provides continued funding for many important environmental programs. The Environmental Protection Fund and Clean Water Infrastructure Act are solid investments that provide good-paying jobs, drive economic growth, and protect vulnerable wildlife and their habitats. We are also pleased that the budget provides essential capital for our partners at the Department of Environmental Conservation and Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation – who are tasked with stewarding our lands, waters, and public parks.

We are disappointed to see that the Governor proposed to extend the Department of Environmental Conservation’s authority to manage crabs without including any additional restrictions to protect this vulnerable species. We are looking forward to working with the Governor and Legislature to identify meaningful strategies that can allow Horseshoe Crabs and the wildlife that rely on them to thrive.”