STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Gov Kathy Hochul on Tuesday formally proposed expanded protections to freshwater wetlands abundant on Staten Island, providing an opportunity to better shield the vital natural resource integral to climate resiliency and local biodiversity.
The legislation, included as a bill in the governor’s proposed executive budget, would expand the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) ability to protect and regulate wetlands by removing jurisdictional barriers that have been contended for years.