Inside DEC: An analysis by City & State

The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is tasked with conserving, improving and protecting the state’s natural resources and environment and preventing and reducing water, land and air pollution. The goal of the department, which was created in 1970, is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all New Yorkers, as well as their economic and social well-being.

Among its wide range of duties are monitoring pollution in state waterways, issuing air pollution permits to power plants, managing wildlife populations, regulating mining and oil and gas extraction, administering millions of acres of public lands and cleaning up contaminated sites. Over the years the agency’s responsibilities have increased, including addressing such matters as the transport of crude oil through the state, studying new kinds of oil and gas drilling and developing policies to implement state and federal legislation to combat climate change.

BUDGET BASICS

Most of the DEC’s funding comes from the state, the bulk of it from tax revenues through the state’s general fund and a smaller amount from fines, licenses and permits. The DEC also receives some federal money, which has traditionally provided a smaller share of the agency’s budget but shot up temporarily due to an influx of federal stimulus funding.

Indeed, by some key measures the DEC’s budget actually rose in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The budget’s state operating budget rose from nearly $500 million in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years to around $515 million for two years, but it was significantly reduced starting in the 2011-12 fiscal year. Earlier this year the DEC’s total state operating budget was set at $462 million, well below the $500 million baseline a decade ago – and even lower when accounting for inflation.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND

The Department of Environmental Conservation also administers several dedicated funds, including the Environmental Protection Fund, which provides capital funding for land conservation, waterfront revitalization, invasive species prevention and other various projects.

During the state legislative session earlier this year, a highlight of the final budget agreement was $300 million for the EPF, a $123 million increase. This year’s state budget also included $350 million to implement the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, an increase of $150 million. Environmental groups applauded the new investments, but some have raised questions about how the EPF levels will be maintained in coming years given that much of the increase comes from a one-time cash influx.

STAFFING

Environmentalists have also continued to raise concerns about stagnant funding elsewhere at the DEC, especially the low staffing levels. As the state grappled with severe budget deficits in the wake of the Great Recession, the department’s workforce was slashed. Staffing levels are currently at just under 3,000, well below a peak of 3,775 in the 2007-8 fiscal year. Environmental groups have warned that the staffing cutbacks have reduced inspections and enforcement, potentially putting communities at risk of air pollution and other health threats.