Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Slides: Major New York State Climate Change Policies, Franz Litz

Climate Change and the Future of the American West: Exploring the Legal and Policy Dimensions (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

Presenter: Franz Litz, Climate Change Policy Coordinator, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

1 page and 28 slides.

Franz Litz will briefly describe the major climate change actions undertaken by the State of New York in recent years. He will place specific emphasis on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cooperative effort of 8 eastern states to implement a regional cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from the power sector. In addition, he will explore the potential for linking the eastern initiative to one or more western state programs in development.

Maine’S State Parks: Their Value To Visitors And Contribution To The State Economy, Robert Roper, Charles E. Morris, Thomas Allen, Cindy Bastey

Maine Policy Review

Maine’s state parks are important to the social and economic well-being of the state, and provide public access to a variety of outdoor activities. In the study reported here, the authors find that visitors have a high level of satisfaction in Maine’s day-use parks, campgrounds and historic sites. Moreover, the overall impact of visitor-related park spending exceeds $30 million in income and 1,449 jobs annually. Nonetheless, the majority of Maine’s state parks suffer from long-deferred maintenance and are in immediate need of major capital improvements if they are to continue their vital role in supporting tourism and outdoor recreation.