Once Again New York’s Budget Fails to Fully Support the Delaware River Basin Commission
New York has chronically underfunded the DRBC at $359,500 per year for the last eight years instead of the agreed upon full fair-share of $626,000.
Albany, NY (May 4, 2023) — Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Fiscal Year 2024 budget on Tuesday, notably falling short of New York’s commitment to fully fund the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) at the State’s agreed upon amount of $626,000. Instead, New York will fund the DRBC at just over 50% of the agreed upon full fair-share, $359,500, the same level since 2015.
Governor Kathy Hochul touts that her newly proposed FY 2024 Executive Budget aims to make New York “more affordable, more livable, and safer” while focusing on “creating a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations,” — but she has failed to prioritize the Basin by fully funding the State’s agreed upon “fair share” contribution to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).
“Full fair-share funding from all parties to the DRBC has long been a priority of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (CDRW), and we are deeply disappointed that Gov. Hochul and the New York delegation have once again chosen to neglect one of its largest natural resources — the Delaware River Basin — by not including the agreed upon fair-share funding for the DRBC in the state’s FY 2024 budget.” said Kelly Knutson, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed director. “With full funding support from all the basin states, the DRBC would have the staffing and programming support necessary to effectively monitor water quality and make informed decisions on river flow management to protect and restore the habitat for aquatic species, such as trout and the American shad.”
The DRBC is a widely respected, important partner in watershed-wide management that consistently ensures water security in the Delaware River Basin by managing water availability, quality, resiliency, and equity. The Commission provides much-needed environmental research while monitoring water quality, conducting comprehensive resource and recreation planning, and managing drinking water supplies for 13.3 million people, including half of New York City, throughout the 13,539-square-mile Delaware Basin.
In 1961, for the first time in our nation’s history, the federal government and a group of states joined together as equal partners, without regard to political boundaries, and with the force of law to oversee a unified approach to managing a river system, creating the DRBC.
In 1988, the Commission members — leaders of the four states with land drained by the Delaware River: Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania — reached an agreement to appropriate “fair share” funding contributions as follows:
Delaware: 12.5%, $447,000
Pennsylvania: 25%, $893,000
New Jersey: 25%, $893,000
New York: 17.5%, $626,000
Federal Government: 20%, $715,000
The aggregated funding has unfortunately never reached those agreed-upon levels.
Gov. Hochul was the only watershed governor to not include full fair-share DRBC funding in her executive budget proposal this year. This, of course, is nothing new because New York has chronically underfunded the DRBC at $359,500 per year for the last eight years instead of the agreed upon full fair-share of $626,000.
Governors in the other basin states, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, have all included at least their full portion in their newest state budget proposals. The Federal government has also acknowledged the DRBC’s value and is slated to contribute its full share through an earmark from Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
At a time when the Delaware River Basin already faces the growing and damaging effects of climate change, New York is failing to meet this critical moment and show the state’s commitment to clean, well-managed water.
We can’t afford to neglect the precious resource we have in the Delaware River basin and all that it provides for us. The Coalition will continue to advocate for New York to readjust its priorities and fully fund its fair share of the DRBC in all future budgets.
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The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed was formed in 2012 to protect and restore the land and waters in the Delaware River Basin. We amplify the collective power of 180 member organizations and other stakeholders as we advocate for a healthy and protected watershed with an inclusive, unified voice. The Coalition convenes member and non-member organizations, builds capacity, coordinates communications, and advances policy at the federal and state levels. For more information, please visit www.delriverwatershed.org.