Help Us Protect New York’s Wetlands

A protected wetland at Lakeview Wildlife Management Area along Lake Ontario in New York. © Mathew Levine

New York State is on the cusp of finalizing new regulations to protect 1 million acres of critically important wetlands that currently have no federal or state protections. Wetlands provide many benefits to our communities. They protect clean drinking water by naturally filtering pollution, reduce flooding by absorbing stormwater, clean the air we breathe, and provide wildlife habitat to endangered species.

But what happens when we build in these natural areas? Those benefits go away or are vastly reduced. Our air and water aren’t as clean, and flooding gets worse. Building in wetlands sets people up for stressful and dangerous situations. There are also major costs to taxpayers when homes, buildings and roads are built in wetlands and then damaged by floods and require repairs. It’s time to stop building in areas that flood again and again.

In 2022, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature enacted a law to strengthen the state’s Freshwater Wetlands Protections Act. This law is the biggest expansion of wetlands protections in a generation. This is exactly the conservation leadership we need right now. The process to finalize the new regulations is underway, and they are scheduled to go into effect on January 1.

Join us in urging New York State to finalize strong wetland regulations and ensure this landmark law takes effect on time. Send a letter to Governor Hochul now.

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Thank you for your leadership in expanding state protections to include small freshwater wetlands. I urge you to protect my family and my neighborhood by finalizing strong regulations to implement New York’s new wetlands law.

Wetlands are some of the most powerful natural resources we have. They protect clean drinking water and reduce flooding. They also clean the air we breathe and provide wildlife habitat. When we build in wetlands, our air and water aren’t as clean and flooding gets worse.

Building in wetlands sets people up for stressful and dangerous situations. Heartbreakingly, we saw this happen very recently. The weakening of wetland protections in North Carolina put more people and homes at risk during Hurricane Helene. We need you to help prevent a similar situation here in New York.

There are also major costs to taxpayers when homes, buildings and roads are built in wetlands and then damaged by floods and require repairs. It’s time to stop building in areas that flood again and again. New York’s new wetland regulations are an important and much-needed step in addressing this expensive and devastating problem.

Building in areas that are naturally designed to clean our drinking water and help protect our communities from flooding isn’t worth the risk. Conserving wetlands benefits all of us and provides critical habitat for wildlife and endangered species. By finalizing strong regulations to implement the state’s new wetlands law, you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect clean drinking water and create a safer future for all New Yorkers.

Kind regards,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State or Province}

This letter will be delivered to:

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul

Protect New York’s wetlands by finalizing strong regulations

Dear Governor Hochul,

Thank you for your leadership in expanding state protections to include small freshwater wetlands. I urge you to protect my family and my neighborhood by finalizing strong regulations to implement New York’s new wetlands law.

Wetlands are some of the most powerful natural resources we have. They protect clean drinking water and reduce flooding. They also clean the air we breathe and provide wildlife habitat. When we build in wetlands, our air and water aren’t as clean and flooding gets worse.

Building in wetlands sets people up for stressful and dangerous situations. Heartbreakingly, we saw this happen very recently. The weakening of wetland protections in North Carolina put more people and homes at risk during Hurricane Helene. We need you to help prevent a similar situation here in New York.

There are also major costs to taxpayers when homes, buildings and roads are built in wetlands and then damaged by floods and require repairs. It’s time to stop building in areas that flood again and again. New York’s new wetland regulations are an important and much-needed step in addressing this expensive and devastating problem.

Building in areas that are naturally designed to clean our drinking water and help protect our communities from flooding isn’t worth the risk. Conserving wetlands benefits all of us and provides critical habitat for wildlife and endangered species. By finalizing strong regulations to implement the state’s new wetlands law, you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect clean drinking water and create a safer future for all New Yorkers.

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