Last weekend, Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced that, due to the state of the economy, he would be scaling back his proposed 2008-09 Executive Budget [1]. This news was particularly bad for the environment, since new plan calls for diverting $125 million from the Environmental Protection Fund into the general fund for other purposes. Gov. Eliot Spitzer

The Journal News [2] reports that environmental advocates see this as an indication that the state is giving up on environmental protection this year. The budget cuts would leave several important projects unfunded, such as the acquisition of 110,000 acres of land in the Adirondacks.

Matt Anderson, a spokesman for the state budget office, said that there is more than sufficient funding available to the EPA and that the general fund could be used by the EPA if it is needed.

NYLCV released this statement [2] in response to the governor's proposed budget amendment. Increasing overall support for the EPF is a major focal point of the League's 2008 State Policy Agenda [2].