Cuomo’s $3 billion bond proposal part of larger N.Y. effort to lead on environmental issues

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is continuing to lobby legislators for support for his $3 billion bond for environmental projects.

The Restore Mother Nature Bond Act is part of Cuomo’s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget, but it must be approved by the state Legislature and put on the November ballot for voter approval. The bond is part of a $33 billion initiative to fight climate change, according to a statement from Cuomo’s office.

New York is a leader in climate initiatives, according to Basil Seggos, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. But Cuomo said the state and the world are failing in their mission to save the planet.

“It is a crisis for the planet, and nobody’s in charge of the planet overall, but we are in charge of our state,” Cuomo said. “We are responsible for this state, and we are going to start the most ambitious climate change program that any state has ever undertaken.”

The $3 billion bond issue would fund park projects, flood mitigation, sustainable generations and algae blooms, Seggos said.

New York has been enacted several climate change initiatives in the past decade. The Cuomo administration set up a $3 billion fund for clean water. Another $500 billion has been designated for water project throughout New York. This year, a ban on single use polystyrene is being proposed after the state agreed to ban plastic bags effective March 1. And Cuomo wants a permanent ban on fracking in the state.

“And frankly, it could not come at a better time, with the onslaught against the environment out of Washington, to have a Governor that has positioned this state well for the first six years of his term, and now, as we weather this onslaught, to begin boldly filling these holes that the federal government is leaving in our hands,” Seggos said. “Last year, we had a banner year for the environment, culminating when the governor signed the nation’s, perhaps the world’s, leading climate law setting the most ambitious targets. And I will say that this year is likely to eclipse even last year’s historic achievements.”

Republicans have criticized Cuomo for proposing additional spending in light of the state’s estimated $6 billion deficit.

Environmentalists praised the proposed bond issue, saying the state is showing that environmental laws do not stall economic growth.

“New York has shown the country that environmental integrity and a commitment to equity can guide development to meet the changing demands of the economy, the people and the planet,” said environmentalist Wendy Neu. “New York today has built one of the strongest economies in the world while also as the Governor has said making unprecedented world-leading investments in building and guaranteeing a resilient future for all of us.”

Cuomo said he knows the proposal is “bold” but said the state has a history of leading on issues. The state was the first to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage and paid family leave, he said.

“We either accomplish this or we lose and the planet we leave our children is unsustainable, “Cuomo said.