Jan. 14—Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul has a plan to protect more of the natural, undeveloped land in New York, from expanding parklands in underserved areas to easing regulatory restrictions that keep the state Department of Environmental Conservation from establishing conservation easements.
In her State of the State address to be delivered midday today, Hochul will outline a plan to build more parks in rural and underserved areas of New York, as well a funding plan for land conservation efforts to protect open spaces, farmland and to make already -preserved spaces more accessible to those with physical disabilities.
Hochul will also outline changes to title insurance regulations aimed at making land acquisition by conservation groups more simple and quick.
Hochul’s plan will also give the Department of Environmental Conservation explicit power to secure conservation easements itself, a departure from the current system that requires a private party to seek the easements. Hochul also noted she wants to make it easier for nonprofit conservation groups to acquire land and easements.
“I am lucky enough to be the governor of a state that is home to some of the most extraordinary outdoor spaces, and I’m committing to making our lands more accessible to every New Yorker,” Hochul said in a statement. “We are preserving our natural environment and ensuring New York continues to be a recreational and economic asset for future generations.”
Hochul’s plans are part of her 2025 State of the State address, an agenda-setting speech the governor delivers in Albany each January as lawmakers start another six-month voting session. After that is delivered, lawmakers begin negotiating on legislation and start work in earnest on the state budget, due April 1, in which many of the governor’s initiatives are typically contained.