Advocates for Cherry Valley, Inc.

* Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy * Catskill Mountainkeeper * Center for Sustainable Rural Communities * Chenango Community Action for Renewable Energy * Citizen Action * Citizens Campaign for the Environment * Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes * Concerned Citizens of Danby * Concerned Worcester Citizens * Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition * Crumhorn Lake Association * Damascus Citizens for Sustainability * Delaware Riverkeeper Network * Earthworks' Oil & Gas Accountability Project * Environment New York * Environmental Advocates of New York * Food and Water Watch * Gas Drilling Awareness of Cortland County * Grassroots Environmental Education * Moving In Congregations Acting in Hope * Middlefield Neighbors * Natural Resources Defense Council * New York Public Interest Research Group, Inc. * NYH2O * Otsego 2000 Inc. * Plymouth Friends of Clean Water * Residents of Crumhorn * Riverkeeper Inc. * Roseboom Owners Awareness Response Against Fracking * Shaleshock Action Alliance * Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter * Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development * Sustainable Otsego * United for Action * Upper Unadilla Valley Association * Westchester for Change

December 18, 2012

Dear Governor Cuomo, The undersigned organizations are writing to request that the 2013-14 Executive Budget exclude any appropriations that support permitting High Volume Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHHF). Over the past decade, the states Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has been subjected to severe and disproportionate budgetary cuts that have left it strained to achieve its core mission of protecting the states environment and public health. Over that time period, DEC has seen staff reductions of approximately 25%, including substantial losses in enforcement personnel, putting enormous pressures on its ability to safeguard New Yorkers air, water and lands. Moreover, DEC remains in the midst of an on-going environmental review process and public health experts are reviewing the States draft plans. Any decision as to whether or not to fund a fracking regulatory program should not be made before the impacts to our health, environment and economy have been comprehensively and properly assessed. There simply remains too much uncertainty to predetermine spending for a program that in the end may be deemed too expensive or unsafe to be implemented in New York; particularly when funding for DECs core mission remains inadequate.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to working with you to protect New York from fracking and the risks associated with natural gas development.

Sincerely, B. Arrindell, Director Damascus Citizens for Sustainability Alex Beauchamp, Northeast Region Director Food & Water Watch Kelly Branigan Middlefield Neighbors Cathleen Breen, Watershed Protection Coordinator New York Public Interest Research Group, Inc. Otto Butz Residents of Crumhorn Sheila Cohen Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County Owen Crowley, Director United for Action Nicole A. Dillingham, Esq., President, Board of Directors Otsego 2000, Inc. Sarah Eckel, Legislative & Policy Director Citizens Campaign for the Environment Roger Downs, Conservation Director Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Gay Garrison, Co-Founder Concerned Citizens of Danby Wes Gillingham, Program Director Catskill Mountainkeeper

Suzannah Glidden, Director Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition Erin Heaton Chenango Community Action for Renewable Energy Sara Hess, Treasurer Shaleshock Action Alliance Peter Hudiburg, Founder Plymouth Friends of Clean Water Kate Hudson, Watershed Program Director Riverkeeper, Inc. Adrian Kuzminksi, Moderator Sustainable Otsego Joe Levine, Director NYH20 Karen London Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development James May, President Crumhorn Lake Association Larraine McNulty, President Upper Unadilla Valley Association Andy Minnig, Lynn Marsh, Trustees Advocates for Cherry Valley, Inc. Katherine Nadeau, Water & Natural Resources Program Director Environmental Advocates of New York Robert Nied, Board of Directors Center for Sustainable Rural Communities Clark Rhoades Concerned Worcester Citizens Karen Scharff, Executive Director Citizen Action

Allegra Schecter, Founder Roseboom Owners Awareness Response (ROAR) Against Fracking Kate Sinding, Senior Attorney Natural Resources Defense Council Gary Smith, Executive Director Moving In Congregations Acting in Hope (MICAH)-Cortland Melanie Steinberg, Outreach Coordinator The Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes Nadia Steinzor, Eastern Program Coordinator Earthworks Oil & Gas Accountability Project Susan Van Dolsen, Co-Organizer Westchester for Change Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper Delaware Riverkeeper Network Eric Whalen, Field Organizer Environment New York Jill Wiener, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy Patricia J. Wood, Executive Director Grassroots Environmental Education cc: Commissioner Joseph Martens, DEC Senator Dean Skelos Senator Jeffrey Klein Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Assemblyman Robert Sweeney