CAMPAIGNS
Community
Preservation Funds
Hudson River Valley
Photo: Mark Helms/Milewalker Studio
A
Community Preservation Fund (CPF) is
a dedicated perpetual environmental fund that can be
used to preserve open space, protect drinking water
and surface water quality, and to create community parks.
A CPF allows towns to apply for matching funds from
the state, county, and federal governments to purchase
areas of significant value to the town. It also requires
an advisory committee to oversee the purchases. There
have been 4 laws enacted by the New York State Legislature,
allowing only EIGHT towns in NYS to have a CPF. Citizens
need to demand that their community should have
the right to create a Community Preservation Fund!
BENEFITS
OF A CPF:
- Drinking
Water Protection:
A CPF enables towns to purchase land that is needed
to protect drinking water. Whether your drinking water
comes from an underground aquifer or from a reservoir,
your town could preserve land that recharges the quantity
and quality of your water.
- Open
Space Preservation: A CPF provides necessary
funding that allows the town to forever protect undeveloped
parcels of land. This includes FARMLAND PROTECTION.
It also includes areas that have an exceptional scenic
value, forested areas, or undeveloped beachlands or
shorelines, areas that your town
wants to protect.
- Protect
Surface Water Quality:
One of the biggest threats to our surface waters and
estuaries is stormwater run-off. This is rainwater
that runs off paved surfaces and collects pesticides,
motor oil, pet wastes, and garbage debris along its
path. By preserving key ecological lands, stormwater
can be reduced and filtered before contaminating our
lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries.
- Wetlands
Conservation: A CPF can be used to protect
freshwater and saltwater wetlands. Wetlands are crucial
for floodwater protection! Billions of dollars in
property damage are saved annually by wetlands buffering
storm water and absorbing floodwaters!
- Safeguard
Wildlife Habitat: A CPF enables towns to
establish wildlife refuges. These lands provide protection
to native species and endangered species of plants
and animals and allow for continuation of biodiversity!
HOW
DOES A CPF WORK?
A
CPF facilitates a completely voluntary program whereby
landowners can sell their land or development rights
from their land to the town at fair market value. It
is funded by a one-time real estate transfer fee up
to 2% that will only affect the buyers of houses over
the median housing cost for each town. For example,
if a new resident buys a house for $275,000 in a town
with the median housing value of $250,000, then the
new homeowner would pay $500 to their new town's CPF.
This fee does not affect those who already reside in
the town. You have already been paying taxes for years!
Early
Community Preservation Fund Success!
Some towns in New York have already created a successful
Community Preservation Fund. For instance, the Town
of Southampton created a CPF in April of 1999. Since
its inception it has generated over $78 million and
has protected 1,500 acres of land throughout the town.
The original CPF had a sunset date for December 2010,
but residents overwhelmingly voted on a proposal to
extend the CPF another 10 years!
How
you can help!
Contact
your public officials.
Letter writing tips:
-
Print your name and address under your signature.
-
Make sure your letter is clearly legible and in your
own words.
- Ask
your elected officials to respond in writing, informing
you how they will address your concerns.
1.
Write to your state senators and assembly members. Tell them that your community has a
right to consider creating a Community Preservation
Fund to preserve open space, protect drinking
water and surface water quality, and to create community
parks.
Suggestions:
-
Focus your letter on your community’s right
to consider creating a Community Preservation Fund.
- Tell
your New York State Senate and Assembly member to
pass the Community Preservation Act.
Use
the following links to look up the names of your legislators:
New
York State Senate (click "Senators" button
on main page)
New York
State Assembly
2.
Call or write to the members of your Town Board
or Council, including the Town Supervisor.
Tell your local officials that preserving open space
and community character is important to you. Educate
them about the benefits of establishing a community
preservation fund! Ask your officials to put this issue
on the agenda and bring it to a vote!
Suggestions:
-
Focus your message on protecting open space without
raising property taxes.
- Tell
your Supervisor and Board/Council members to pass
a resolution requesting authorization for a Community
Preservation Fund.
Please
send a copy of any response you receive to CCE’s
Farmingdale office - it helps us track progress on the
issue. Thanks!
For
more information, please contact Emmett Pepper at
show
email address
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