The Finger Lakes Land Trust released the following statement from its President, Andrew Zepp, in response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address:

“The announcement of Governor Hochul’s commitment to improving the state’s land acquisition process and reinvigorating the state’s conservation programs in yesterday’s State of the State address is good news for all New Yorkers. We applaud her focus on this issue and her commitment to providing additional funding for land conservation, with an emphasis on underserved communities.  The state has a vital role in sustaining clean water, accessible parks, and productive farmland.

“To achieve the state’s conservation goals, improvements are needed to address the existing backlog of land acquisition projects, including the use of property title insurance and lessening the financial burden assumed by non-profit organizations involved as partners with the state on land conservation projects.

“The Finger Lakes Land Trust looks forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature to help implement these improvements.  We also look forward to continuing our partnership with New York State to secure those undeveloped lands that are vital to the future of our region.  This will build upon our past collaborations including Bell Station on Cayuga Lake; Carpenter Falls in the Skaneateles Lake watershed; wetlands at the Owasco Flats and Catharine Creek Wildlife Management Area; Bare Hill overlooking Canandaigua Lake; and Bad Bear Hill near Corning.”