The Environmental Protection fund is a pot of money the state sets aside to use for one-time expenses aimed at protecting land, water and air.

And John Sheehan, with the conservation group the Adirondack Council, says doing those things already creates jobs:

In general it pays for things like landfill closure, recycling facilities, which provide brick and mortar jobs for people but also helps relieve taxes. It’s important people understand why we have that fund, it’s more than just protecting birds and trees.

Sheehan spoke Thursday on the public radio program “Capitol Pressroom.”

The North Country Regional Economic Development Council held its first meeting of 2012 Tuesday in Potsdam.  

The North Country council was one of the big winners in the competition for economic development funding—it received the second-largest award.