New York Governor Kathy Hochul committed to a 50% increase in state funding for clean water infrastructure projects, steady funding for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and a constitutional amendment to remove former prison sites on the Adirondack Forest Preserve lands from state ownership in the 2026 State of the State message she delivered on Tuesday.
“Adirondack communities depend on state grants for water and sewer projects. State investment is vital to updating aging infrastructure and helps keep Adirondack waters clean for year-round residents and the millions who visit each year,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director Raul J. Aguirre.
“Most Adirondack towns have fewer than 1,000 residents but need water and sewer infrastructure costing millions of dollars. State grants make these projects affordable for Adirondack residents, while protecting the purity of Adirondack rivers that flow outward and provide clean water to other regions of the state.”
The Governor renewed her call for a Constitutional Amendment to allow the state to sell or redevelop former prison campuses in Saranac Lake (Camp Gabriels), Franklin County; Mineville (Moriah Shock) in Essex County, and Mt. McGregor in Saratoga County, which is also home to the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage National Historic Landmark.
These and other Adirondack priorities were mentioned during her roughly one-hour speech, and they are outlined in the briefing book she provided to the Legislature to outline her priorities for the new Legislative Session.
The state has appropriated $500 million per year for water and sewer grants for nearly a decade to cities, towns, and villages across the state. In a December 18 letter to the Governor, a host of other environmental organizations called for $500 million in clean water grants and $425 million for the EPF. Nearly $200 million has been awarded to Adirondack communities for clean water grants over the past decade.
The Environmental Protection Fund had been $400 million for several years and was increased to $425 in 2025. Environmental organizations worried that federal budget cuts and policy changes might compel across-the-board cuts by state government. The EPF would remain at $425 million under the Governor’s proposal.
New York State’s Adirondack Park contains one of the largest intact temperate forests left in the world and is home to approximately 130,000 year-round residents.
Read more about the Adirondacks.
Source link
