TAKE ACTION NOW:
Sign-on to Riverkeeper’s action alert and urge Governor Hochul not to undercut New York’s keystone environmental review law. Tell the Governor that affordable housing and protecting the environment go together, and any changes to SEQRA must promote affordability and sustainable development across New York State.
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Last night, KingstonCitizens.org hosted a webinar “The Future of Environmental Review in NYS and What It Means for Local Communities,” featuring Drew Gamils, Senior Attorney at Riverkeeper.
With the New York State budget expected to be finalized by March 31, the next few days are critical.
This isn’t just about housing.
Both the Governor’s proposal and the Senate’s counterproposal would make sweeping changes to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) that could exempt large mixed-use developments — potentially including projects like data centers — from environmental review.
These proposals come even as New York is already in the middle of a formal SEQRA regulatory update process, which included years of public engagement and input. Bypassing that careful process risks weakening one of the state’s most important environmental safeguards.
New Yorkers can say yes to building housing and protecting the environment at the same time — but changes to SEQRA must be thoughtful and protective of communities and natural resources.
Did you know?
- 29% of communities in NYS don’t have a zoning code
- Governor Hochul’s broad revisions to SEQR have created ambiguity around permitting for mixed-use developments that include potential data center projects.
- There is no affordable definition in either the governor or senate proposal for housing
Learn more and take action
- NEW! Municipalities and counties can send their own letters to the state by using our toolkit to help make it easier to move.
- Individuals and organizations can sign-on to Riverkeeper’s action alert and urge Governor Hochul not to undercut New York’s keystone environmental review law. Tell the Governor that affordable housing and protecting the environment go together, and any changes to SEQRA must promote affordability and sustainable development across New York State.
- Visit our FAQ on the proposed SEQRA changes
- Watch the video from our March 26 presentation
- View the slide deck (PDF) from Drew Gamils, Senior Attorney at Riverkeeper
- If you live in New York State, please also call your State Senator and urge them to reject sweeping SEQRA changes before the budget is adopted on March 31.
- Read the regs! The Governor’s proposed bill
- Read the regs! The Senate’s proposed bill