Conservation Almanac

Almanac

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Mid-Atlantic

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New York

New York Profile of State Programs and Policy Framework

Highlighted Local Programs

New York

Highlighted State Programs

New York

State Policy Framework

New York

Disclaimer

To avoid double counting acres where multiple programs contributed to the acquisition of a single parcel, the parcel acreage is only aggregated under the program that provided the majority of funding. For example, if the chart displays a dollar amount greater than $0, but also shows 0 acres, it is because the program was not the primary contributor for any parcels in that year.

Highlighted Local Programs

The following local programs provided data:



Brookhaven Community Preservation Fund

Dutchess County Open Space and Farmland Protection Matching Grant Program

East Hampton Community Preservation Fund

Nassau County

Orange County - Bond

Orange County - Water Authority

Rockland County

Southampton Bond Resolution

Southampton Community Preservation Fund

Suffolk County

Suffolk County - Bond

Suffolk County - Drinking Water Sales Tax

Town of Oyster Bay

YearAcresDollars
2008 713.5 $122,064,920
2007 2,428.4 $288,902,119
2006 1,630.6 $127,241,554
2005 2,275.9 $99,422,317
2004 1,583.4 $104,954,690
2003 641.5 $59,081,501
2002 637.5 $50,359,937
2001 1,236.4 $73,243,143
2000 420.9 $39,353,224
1999 90.0 $4,293,768
1998 131.8 $2,464,500
Totals 11,790.0 $971,381,679

Highlighted State Programs

Environmental Protection Fund - Farmland Protection Program

The Department of Agriculture & Markets administers the Farmland Protection Program.* There are two matching grant programs focused on farmland protection. The first program was designed to assist county governments in developing agricultural and farmland protection plans. The second program, Farmland Protection Implementation Grants (FPIG), was set up to assist local governments implement local farmland protection plans by purchasing the development rights. Funding is made available through EPF to cover up to 50 percent of the costs for counties to develop agricultural and farmland protection plans, and up to 75 percent of the costs for the purchase of development rights (PDR) on farms.

Under the Department’s FPIG program (which uses EPF monies), the resulting conservation easements are held by either a local government or a land trust or are co-held by both. While the program has co-funded a few projects with FRPP (in which the U.S. has asserted that its contingent right is the de facto equivalent as being a qualified holder if they should exercise said reserved right), in no case is the Federal Government an easement holder (or co-holder) for a project that has received FPIG monies from the EPF.

YearAcresDollars
2008 4,994.0 $21,758,700
2007 5,688.0 $9,922,893
2006 5,159.0 $15,200,000
2005 4,206.0 $11,765,636
2004 6,063.0 $12,397,478
2003 5,515.0 $15,717,446
2001 0.0 $5,096,817
2000 0.0 $4,126,956
1999 4,104.0 $4,700,000
1998 2,761.0 $4,515,075
Total38,490.0 $105,201,001

Environmental Protection Fund - Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation uses the state's Environmental Protection Fund as well as state bond money for park acquisitions.

YearAcresDollars
2008 799.0 $12,275,000
2007 1,384.1 $12,317,887
2006 2,494.3 $24,875,587
2005 3,897.2 $28,356,371
2004 1,879.5 $15,124,868
2003 758.5 $7,705,521
2002 7,004.2 $10,604,933
2001 770.8 $4,787,497
2000 6,837.1 $41,274,661
1999 1,555.0 $13,118,948
1998 688.5 $16,770,500
Total28,068.3 $187,211,774

Environmental Protection Fund – Department of Environmental Conservation

The State of New York established The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) in 1993. The Department of Environmental Conservation administers the EPF, which is a dedicated fund for the acquisition of land and is also used for other environmental programs. Revenue is generated mostly through the real estate transfer tax, and legislative allocations. The EPF’s Parks program provides for 50 percent matching funds in several program areas including open space acquisition and park development. Funds may be awarded to indoor and outdoor projects and must reflect priorities established in the New York State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

YearAcresDollars
2008 118,957.7 $49,850,113
2007 70,033.5 $45,206,943
2006 20,409.1 $19,385,616
2005 10,176.5 $13,230,037
2004 4,432.6 $16,150,982
2003 4,170.8 $3,591,288
2002 6,143.6 $11,017,629
2001 1,188.2 $12,213,150
2000 1,558.6 $23,641,895
1999 22,201.0 $7,673,880
1998 20,465.7 $34,254,390
Total279,737.1 $236,215,927

Farmland Protection Program - Non EPF

In addition to EPF, the Farmland Protection Program used voter approved bond money for several years

YearAcresDollars
2003 317.0 $0
2001 4,463.0 $6,500,000
2000 4,446.0 $7,500,000
1999 0.0 $3,000,000
Total9,226.0 $17,000,000

New York Department of Environmental Conservation – Non EPF

In addition to EPF, the DEC used voter approved bond money for several years

YearAcresDollars
2008 513.7 $17,521,700
2007 47.5 $186,659
2006 248.7 $69,800
2005 324.4 $2,781,100
2004 108.6 $72,100
2003 833.4 $509,058
2002 231.0 $8,102,464
2001 6,370.7 $7,119,283
2000 3,020.2 $8,898,605
1999 5,113.0 $38,543,235
1998 1,480.6 $11,758,271
Total18,291.8 $95,562,277

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – Non EPF

In addition to EPF, the OPRHP used voter approved bond money for several years

YearAcresDollars
2007 187.6 $483,000
2002 452.1 $366,400
2001 427.2 $519,747
2000 831.7 $9,613,333
1999 1,065.6 $11,504,112
1998 4,847.6 $8,643,265
Total7,811.7 $31,129,857

Clean Water State Revolving Fund

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is authorized to finance eligible projects in accordance with the Clean Water Act. Acquiring or preserving land, as open space for water quality purposes is one such type of eligible project. Allowable costs may include the cost of land purchases or conservation easements (based on fair market value), property appraisals, surveys, site assessments, title searches, and other related costs.

Any municipality or qualified not-for-profit organization, which is authorized to acquire land for water quality protection purposes under Article 49 of the NYS Environmental Conservation Law may apply for CWSRF financing loans for land acquisition to protect water quality.

The spending data represents long term financing costs of the land acquisitions.

*Article 25-AAA of the Agriculture and Markets Law

YearAcresDollars
2008 2.1 $4,000
2007 7.3 $68,000
2006 0.0 $2,556,232
2005 19.0 $10,908,639
2004 1,158.6 $33,847,703
2003 21,239.8 $116,351,711
2002 11,270.8 $46,380,784
2001 11,125.2 $31,379,885
2000 11,270.5 $85,840,688
1999 0.0 $406,022
1998 1.5 $1,154,000
Total56,094.7 $328,897,664

State Policy Framework

Substantial State Investment

Enable Local Financing

State Incentive for Local Land Conservation

Public-Private Partnerships

Conservation Tax Credits

Federal Partnerships

Some data was not provided on a yearly basis, but rather as an aggregate figure. In this case we have distributed total acres acquired and/or dollars spent evenly by year.