Friends of Rural New York

New York Governor George Pataki has expressed his support of the Community Preservation Act, which would provide New York cities, towns and villages with a locally derived, dedicated source of revenue for funding local farmland protection and open space initiatives. The act would allow local governments to impose a real estate transfer fee of up to two percent to fund the preservation of open space, agricultural land and other natural areas. Over decade, New York State has protected more than 910,000 acres of open space and created new parks and recreational facilities. This legislation will provide all communities with the means to build on and continue this work on the local level. The Governor submitted his version of the Community Preservation Act legislation to the New York State

Senate and the New York State Assembly on May 20. (CCE News June 21)