**NEWS RELEASE**

CONTACT: STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org

MAX PULSINELLI: (1-571-218-7601; mpulsinelli@wcs.org)

WCS Praises Governor Cuomo for Proposing to Nearly Doubling New York’s Environmental Protection Fund in “State of the State” Address

  • The fund would increase from $177M to $300M, the highest amount ever
  • Programs benefit clean water initiatives, open space preservation, parks, and more
  • Great news for all New Yorkers – including those with fur, feathers and fins

NEW YORK (January 13, 2016) – WCS released the following statement from John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President for Public Affairs on the occasion of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address:

“WCS applauds Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to nearly double New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The EPF is a key source of funding for projects that safeguard the environment and benefit wildlife and conservation.

“We expect our state and national leaders to stand up for our natural heritage, wildlife and wild places. Today, Governor Cuomo has shown real leadership by investing in New York’s environment so our kids and grandkids can enjoy the Empire State’s incredible pristine beaches, verdant waterways, wildlife-filled forests and beyond. In addition, EPF supports living museums and urban parks – which are vitally important as educational opportunities for underserved communities – as well as biodiversity research programs, recycling programs and invasive species control. These provisions will benefit the health and well-being of citizens both in the short term and long into the future.

“This proposed increase to the Environmental Protection Fund from $177 million to $300 million is great news for all New Yorkers – including those with fur, feathers and fins.”

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WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org. Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: +1 347-840-1242.