NEW YORK, NY December 30, 2006 —As New York governor George Pataki gets ready to hand over the reins of power to Eliot Spitzer on Monday, environmental leaders say the Republican governor is leaving behind a very green legacy. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

REPORTER: During his twelve years in office, Pataki set aside over a million acres of open space for conservation. Willie Janeway, director of government relations for the Nature Conservancy, says that commitment wasn't just symbolic.

JANEWAY: There is protecting the flow of the rivers, and the natural diversity, the coasts on Long Island, merging together economic development with environmental protection.

REPORTER: Some upstate communities believe this land protection cost them much needed development. And several environmental groups thought the governor could have enforced more regulations. They're hoping Spitzer will build on Pataki's legacy by expanding the state's overworked environmental protection fund and strengthening agencies that monitor conservation.

For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.