The leaders of three local environmental groups say that helping to protect the environment can help to generate jobs, and at a press conference yesterday, they teamed up to hopefully do both.

The leaders of Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater are making a pitch for a business-government partnership to protect the environment. In turn, they hope to bring more green jobs to the Hudson Valley.

Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan says that the coalition hopes to get some commitments to projects before the November election season.

The groups are also lobbying to prevent budget cuts to the state Department of Environmental Conservation that they say would keep the agency from doing its job.