news

AMSTERDAM, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko today introduced the New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act, legislation that would protect and restore the watersheds that flow into New York-New Jersey Harbor and their associated estuaries, improving accessibility and economic opportunity for the millions of Americans who reside near these waterways.

“Our waterways are precious resources that provide significant environmental and economic value for our communities,” Congressman Tonko said. “The New York-New Jersey Watershed is America’s most crowded, yet every other watershed that supports a population of this size has received significantly more federal funding. Our legislation turns the tide for this watershed, rallying public leaders and resources in a coordinated restoration effort to rebuild this valuable and ecologically vital system. I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill that will ensure our watershed can serve as a resource to our communities for many years to come.”

The New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act:

• Directs the Secretary of the Interior to build on and coordinate restoration activities at all levels of government.
• Establishes a program to coordinate restoration and award grants to help fund restoration projects in local communities.
• The program would ensure that restoration efforts utilize science-based principles to protect fish and wildlife habitats, improve water quality, increase public access to the estuary, mitigate flood risks, and develop public outreach and educational activities.
• Authorizes $50,000,000 annually through fiscal year 2026 to accomplish these goals.

Tonko has introduced versions of this bill, previously known as the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act, dating back to 2012. This year, he worked closely with community organizations to expand the bill’s scope to be inclusive of communities throughout the New York-New Jersey watershed.

New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act is cosponsored by Reps. Eliot Engel; Jose Serrano; Bonnie Watson Coleman; Donald Payne, Jr.; Jeff Van Drew and Tom Malinowski.

The bill is supported by the following organizations: Scenic Hudson, Environmental Advocates NY, the Schoharie River Center, NY/NJ Baykeeper, NY Soil and Water Conservation Board, National Wildlife Federation, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Parks Conservation Association, the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, NJ Audubon Society, Waterfront Alliance, Natural Areas Conservancy, and the