Summary of Pataki's State of the State Message, January 6, 1999
by Neil Woodworth

Dear colleagues,

Governor Pataki's State of the State speech contained few surprises. He promised to keep the growth rate of overall state spending below the rate of inflation. We will have to wait until he releases the budget to know whether he will provide additional funding for DEC staffing for Lands and Forests. Pataki will use the current $1 billion surplus to fund school tax and other tax cuts. Governor Pataki did commit to fully fund the Environmental Protection Fund to $ 125 million. He announced, to good applause, that he would reintroduce his proposal to dedicate "millions of dollars to maintaining the " wild lands and recreational facilities entrusted to our care". That is the Governor's commitment to re-introduce the $21 million dollar land stewardship proposal that we lobbied last year. Now, we need to convince Assemblyman Brodsky and the state Assembly to pass it. The speech in pertinent part, follows:

"But we cannot create wilderness. We cannot create nature. We cannot create the pristine beauty of an environment lost to neglect. But we can preserve it -- for ourselves, our children and generations to come.

No state in the nation has done more in that regard than New York.

We lead the nation in cleaning up our water and air.

We're leading the charge for safe and sensible national air pollution standards to protect public health and our natural resources.

And when it comes to preserving open space, we have set an example for the rest of the nation to follow.

Just last month, we announced the largest land conservation agreement in state history -- preserving more than 144,000 acres. This opens some of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America to the public for the first time in more than a century, while preserving jobs vital to the North Country's economy.

But our open space protection efforts aren't limited to wilderness areas. Last year, we reached agreement to protect Mount Loretto on Staten Island. And we broke ground on the first phase of Hudson River Park on the west side of Manhattan.

New York has an environmental record that no state in the nation can touch. Let's make it better. This year, I will once again propose that we fully fund the Environmental Protection Fund. As we acquire more lands and open them up to the public, we must preserve their beauty, protect their wildlife habitat and maintain their recreational facilities. To fulfill these obligations, I will once again propose dedicating millions of dollars from the Environmental Protection Fund for the stewardship of new lands entrusted to our care. "

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Neil F. Woodworth, Counsel
Adirondack Mountain Club
New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
Public Affairs Office
Albany...