Environmental Trust Fund

To ensure the environment is cleaner than when the project began, CHPE will provide $117 million over 35 years to finance environmental protection programs through a new dedicated fund called the Hudson River and Lake Champlain Habitat Enhancement, Restoration, and Research/Habitat Improvement Trust Fund (Environmental Trust Fund).

 

The Environmental Trust Fund has been established for the purposes of protecting, restoring, and improving aquatic habitats and fisheries resources in the Hudson River Estuary, the Harlem and East Rivers, Lake Champlain, and their tributaries.

 

The Fund is managed by a Governance Committee comprised of state and local regulatory agencies, as well as environmental advocacy groups, ensuring that projects meet local needs and environmental benefits are maximized.

 

Currently, the Committee consists of the following members:

  • CHPE LLC
  • The Staff of the New York State Department of Public Service
  • The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • The New York State Department of State
  • The New York State Adirondack Park Agency
  • The City of New York, New York
  • The New York State Council of Trout Unlimited
  • Riverkeeper, Inc.
  • Scenic Hudson, Inc.

 

The fund was established as part of the project’s Article VII Permit (the order granting the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need). The purpose of the fund is to provide assistance to projects that improve and enhance the aquatic environments in Lake Champlain, the Hudson River, the Bronx, Harlem and East Rivers, and New York Harbor.