Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I- Deerpark) and Sen. Mike Martucci (R,C,I-Hudson Valley) are celebrating the passage of landmark legislation to extend the Town of Warwick’s Community Preservation Fund for an additional 25 years, until 2050. (A.5324)

Community leaders in Warwick have been lobbying hard for the bill. Revenue collected for the program has been used by the town to protect local farmland, recreation areas, water access, resource areas and historic structures since the program was first implemented in 2005.

“This bill is a huge, historic win for the town of Warwick, and I am so glad that our hard work pushing for this legislation has finally paid off,” said Brabenec. “The Community Preservation Fund is a tremendous resource for our community to preserve the outdoor areas and historic landmarks we all know and love. By extending this great program for another 25 years, we have ensured that the places we enjoy visiting will be available for generations to come.”

“The long-term extension of the Warwick Preservation Fund provides predictability for an important conservation program with strong community support,” said Martucci. “This extension has been on the table for some time, but Albany was unable to get it done. Working together, Karl and I were able to deliver this big win for Warwick and overcome the New York City leadership in the Legislature that had been holding it up.”

Town of Warwick Supervisor Mike Sweeton said, “Assemblyman Brabenec worked hard for passage of our bill to extend the Community Preservation Act that has preserved over 4300 acres, a public beach on Greenwood Lake and several parks, including the former Kutz Camp. Karl worked across the aisle with Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther to get the job done for our residents. We will be forever grateful.”

The bill is now on Gov. Cuomo’s desk awaiting his signature to make the program’s extension official.