We’re surrounded by beauty here in Central New York. Our streams are bountiful with fish, lakes are perfect for summer swims and our trees splash color across the landscape as the weather turns in the fall. It’s our responsibility to be good stewards of our resources and preserve that natural beauty for generations to come.

As your representative in Albany, I fight every day to not only protect the residents of Central New York, but also our environment. To preserve our vital resources, I’ve introduced three measures to encourage homeowners and municipalities to work toward a greener future.

The first piece of legislation creates a sustainable communities fund to bolster municipalities’ smart growth efforts. We need to rethink our infrastructure and make the best use of land so residences and businesses are close together, communities are walkable and public transit is a more viable option. Another important approach is compact building design, where communities grow up rather than out. These may be small changes, but they make a big difference. Grants from the sustainable communities fund will help municipalities grow and develop while reducing damage to the environment.

The second bill incentivizes residents to build green homes or remodel houses to be greener by allowing eligible homeowners to receive a tax credit that helps them recoup some of the costs associated with going green. Not only do sustainable homes help the environment, but they can also increase property values.

The third measure creates a tax credit to encourage homeowners and businesses to use permeable materials when building patios, driveways, sidewalks or parking lots. When water doesn’t have a place to drain, it can become run-off that drags debris and pollution into our lakes and streams, which can harm fish and make it unsafe to swim. By installing permeable surfaces, we allow water to immediately go into the ground.

Small changes can help keep Central New York’s environment clean for generations to come. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other community, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 315-452-1115 or at StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.