Long Island environmentalists met with State Senator Ken LaValle and other elected officials last week to discuss the island's pressing environmental priorities and to urge state legislators to oppose the governor's proposed cuts to environmental programs.

The biggest issue on the minds of the advocates was Gov. Paterson's recent proposal to zero-out the Environmental Protection Fund for open space purchases in his proposed budget.

Several state and town elected officials also attended the senator's forum including Assemblymen Mark Alessi and Fred Thiele, and Supervisors Mark Lesko of Brookhaven and Bill Wilkinson of East Hampton. Other officials attending included Peter Scully, the Regional Director of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The group of more than 50 advocates attending the senator's annual environmental forum were unanimous in their opposition to the governor's cutting of environmental funding, saying that now was not the time to put a hold on buying open space since lands costs -- due to the economy -- are at an all time low. 

The group of activists included NYLCV, Pine Barrens Society, Nature Conservancy, Citizen's Campaign for the Environment, Concerned Citizens of Montauk, Sea Grant, and Peconic Baykeeper as well as representatives from Brookhaven National Labs, Stony Brook Marine Sciences and other environmental organizations

The senator and state legislators thanked the advocates and local officials for sharing their views and agreed to fight to restore state funding for the groups' environmental priorities.

--Reported by LI Chapter member George Hoffman