The League’s top priorities would help the communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties improve water quality, drastically reduce their carbon footprints, and move toward a greener, healthier, more environmentally sustainable Long Island.
Long Island, New York – The New York League of Conservation Voters and NYLCV Education Fund (NYLCV/EF) released their 2025-2026 Long Island Policy Agenda today.
Following the passage of the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act last year, which was an NYLCV State Scorecard bill, the League is doubling down on its efforts to ensure all Long Islanders can count on clean water for drinking and recreation. The expanded list of water quality action items in this year’s agenda include connecting homes to sewer systems, requiring septic fixes during property transfer or system failure, funding for equipment to remove PFAS, the implementation of water quality testing programs, and for municipalities to implement natural buffers along the coast, among others.
Other top priorities include increasing reliance on offshore wind; increasing the deployment of battery storage, constructing new clean energy buildings, and converting old buildings to clean energy use; streamlining the permitting process to make it easier to use solar power; passing laws to require more EV charging stations; revamping Long Island’s waste management system; and protecting and expanding parks.
“Few places sit in the crosshairs of climate change like this 118 mile stretch of land, and few communities stand to benefit more from sound environmental policies than those on Long Island – because here, the environment is the economy,” said NYLCV/EF President Julie Tighe. “Our 2025 Agenda is more than a summary of our priorities, it’s a roadmap for the kind of bold action this moment demands: offshore wind energy, resilient coastlines, clean air and water, and tons of new union jobs to make it all happen.”
The full 2025-2026 Long Island Policy Agenda can be viewed here.
NYLCV/EF’s full list of top priorities for Long Island:
- Climate Smart Communities: Move Long Island towns, cities, and counties up the ladder of certification in the Climate Smart Communities program by committing to more local greenhouse gas-reducing actions.
- Energy: Create more offshore wind projects on Long Island; increase the pace of siting, permitting, and constructing battery storage; expand LIPA’s renewable energy programs; remove municipal barriers to installing solar energy projects; and require green building standards, including zero-emission heating systems, for all new residential and commercial construction.
- Transportation: Alleviate EV range anxiety by passing laws that require all municipal garages and parking lots to include EV charging stations and undertake projects to encourage the use of public transportation and other alternatives to driving.
- Water Quality: In addition to above, take steps to protect Long Island’s sole-source aquifer by enacting policies to reduce reliance on septic systems; encourage the speedy distribution of funds from the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act; support efforts to improve stormwater management in light of more frequent and severe flooding; and push local municipalities to implement eel grass natural buffers along the coast.
- Waste Management: Advocate for budget allocations and policies from municipalities and county legislatures to expand regional recycling facilities and other measures to put Long Island on a more sustainable path when it comes to waste management.
- Open Space: Advocate to make Plum Island a National Monument, support expansion opportunities of the Pine Barrens in an organized and sustainable fashion and promote investments that protect parks and green spaces.
While the communities of Long Island have made substantial progress recently in moving towards a greener future, it’s clear that there is still much work to be done. We look forward to working with elected officials from Long Island and at the State level to ensure that our goals are met and that all residents have an environmentally sustainable and healthy future.