Governor signs CPF extension law
Now bearing Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature, legislation introduced by Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) and Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) extends the life of the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund to 2050.
The fund was established in 1999 and has protected more than 10,000 acres of land, investing more than $1 billion raised through a 2 percent tax paid by real estate purchases on the East End.
Without the extension, the program would have ended in 2030.
In addition to continuing collection of funds, the new law allows each of the affected East End towns to allocate up to 20 percent of its CPF revenues to water quality protection.
The original assumption, according to Mr. Thiele, was that by protecting the land, the water would remain clean. But it has become evident that in spite of that effort, “The legacy of existing development and land uses continues to increase nitrogen loadings to the East End’s waters,” the assemblyman said.
The new law would allow funds to be used for programs addressing:
• Wastewater treatment improvements.
• Aquatic habitat restoration.
• Pollution prevention.
• Operation of the Peconic Bay national Estuary Program.
It’s estimated that money ticketed for water protection programs could amount to $2.7 billion between 2016 and 2050.
To allot money from the fund for water quality, each town must devise and approve a plan and hold a public referendum.
“The Community Preservation Fund has been an extraordinarily successful land preservation tool,” Mr. Thiele said. The new law provides both another 20 years of land acquisition and a local mechanism to address “the East End’s water quality crisis,” he added.
