Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $30 million in funding for 19 projects across New York State as part of the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. The announcement was made during Climate Week NYC and is intended to help communities become more resilient to extreme weather events and flooding.
“New York is continuing to make historic investments to protect our communities from the growing risks of inland and coastal flooding,” Governor Hochul said. “These projects will strengthen local infrastructure, restore natural protections and make neighborhoods more resilient in the face of climate change. By advancing these projects now, we are not only safeguarding lives and property, but also demonstrating New York’s leadership in building a safer, stronger and more sustainable future.”
The Bond Act supports four main categories: restoration and flood risk reduction; open space land conservation and recreation; climate change mitigation; and water quality improvement with resilient infrastructure. Funding from the act is being used by state agencies to implement projects that aim to protect water quality, reduce pollution, safeguard natural resources, support adaptation to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs.
The Department of State administers two programs under the Bond Act: the Coastal Rehabilitation and Resiliency Projects Program, which focuses on natural processes for resilience with environmental, economic, and social benefits; and the Inland Flooding and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), which targets waterfront resiliency improvements with an emphasis on reducing flood impacts.
Among the awarded projects under the Coastal Rehabilitation program are streambank stabilization along Wallkill River in Orange County ($450,000), flood resiliency efforts along Genesee River in Rochester ($2.25 million), wetland restoration at Big Rock by Save the Sound Inc. ($2 million), dam removal at Mohonk Preserve ($1.1 million), floodplain restoration in Herkimer ($1.28 million), pump station replacement in Kingston ($665,865), stormwater upgrades in Freeport ($3.55 million), salt marsh restoration at Cupsogue Beach in Suffolk County ($4.17 million) among others.
Projects funded through the Inland Flooding program include tidal wetland restoration at Turtle Cove by NYC Parks ($3.19 million), dam removal at Chittenango Creek in Cazenovia ($1.36 million), flood resiliency implementation for Sucker Brook in Canandaigua ($2.65 million), park improvements for MacDonough Park in Plattsburgh ($1.18 million) as well as streambank stabilization work across Lewis County.
New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “Communities across the state are already experiencing the impacts of severe weather and sea level rise. The projects we are funding through these programs will deliver the resources local governments need to strengthen critical infrastructure, protect shorelines and restore natural systems that help keep people safe.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton added: “Whether it’s preventing inland flooding or rehabilitating coastal areas, Governor Hochul is ensuring that we are doing our part to make all New Yorkers safer from the effects of severe weather events. This $30 million investment from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act builds on the significant resources committed across the state which will save exponentially more in recovery from future storms, while getting put to work, and helping communities get the resources they need to plan and prepare.”
Doreen M. Harris of NYSERDA stated: “Governor Hochul’s climate leadership is delivering strategic and proactive solutions for helping our communities keep their residents and businesses safe from the most damaging effects of extreme weather events. The infrastructure investments announced today will benefit generations of New Yorkers by strengthening resiliency systems, allowing these regions to adapt to and recover more readily and cost-effectively from the impacts of future flooding.”
State Senator Pete Harckham commented: “Climate change is already costing our communities more than $2 billion a year, and those costs will only grow if we fail to strengthen the resilience of our infrastructure. This is exactly the kind of investment the Bond Act was created for: protecting our residents and creating good-paying jobs locally. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the Legislature for prioritizing this critical issue and for ending Climate Week with a statement of action.”
Assemblymember Deborah Glick said: “I thank Governor Hochul for her foresight and commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe while advancing our climate goals. Climate change demands that we act decisively and proactively, and by directing Bond Act dollars toward resilience projects, the Governor is working hard to protect lives and livelihoods. It is vital that we prepare our state for the challenges of hotter and more extreme weather patterns.”
New York’s broader climate agenda aims for an emissions-free economy by 2050 through measures targeting energy production as well as buildings, transportation systems, waste management sectors while ensuring disadvantaged communities receive at least 35 percent of related benefits.
On November 8th 2022 voters approved a $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act enabling agencies statewide—alongside local governments—to access funds supporting water quality protection initiatives as well as efforts designed around adapting communities against climate threats.
