PTNY E-News: State Parks Missing from Governor's Speech

logo

State of State Parks missing from Governor's speech

Governor Paterson missed an opportunity in his State of the State address to set an environmental agenda that would create jobs and protect our state's parks, trails, and green spaces.

An investment in public parks, trails, and green spaces not only helps the environment, public well being, and beauty of our state, but creates economic benefits as well. New York's State Park system generates $1.9 billion for private businesses and supports 20,000 jobs. The state enjoys $5 in benefits for every $1 it invests in its parks. A commitment by Governor Paterson to our park system makes complete fiscal sense, and would likely enhance New York's economic recovery--especially in upstate New York, home to many of our state parks.

Despite the importance of parks to New York, the State Park system is currently teetering at the edge of park closures. Over the last 18 months the State Park's budget has been cut by 25% and the agency has lost nearly 1,000 permanent and seasonal staff. If the state continues reducing State Park's budget by another 5 to 10% it will have no choice but to close parks--an unprecedented and tragic step in our state's history.

Your call, email or letter can make a big impact!

Call or email the Governor and your state Senator and Assembly member TODAY! They ultimately decide the level of funding. Tell them our parks need sufficient money for operations and capital needs and remind them of the economic importance of our state park system.

Read our letters to the editor.

View a presentation about the State Parks budget situation.

Speak out for Parks and Trails

Join us for our Advocacy Days in Albany!

March 3, 2010 - Parks Advocacy Day
March 11, 2009 - Trails Advocacy Day

As the Governor and legislators wrestle with how to allocate limited resources, we can't let our parks and trails and the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) lose out. All Senators and Assembly members are up for re-election in November so it's an opportune time to join with other park and trail advocates to urge our lawmakers to maintain the EPF, keep our parks open, and ensure that bills that will benefit our parks and trails are passed.

Legislators must hear from YOU - their constituents - that our parks and trails are an essential part of the community that generate tangible and valuable health, transportation, economic, and quality of life benefits. By banding together for these advocacy visits we can make a powerful impact. More than ever this year we need a large turnout. Let us know you'll be joining us!

Nine grants awarded to strenthen park and trail groups

Nine Capacity Building Grants awarded by Parks & Trails New York will provide not-for-profit park and trail organizations with the tools and expertise they need to survive and thrive. Funds will be used to increase organizational visibility and generate community support, grow membership, and attract additional volunteers.

Parks & Trails New York received 55 applications from organizations located in 31 counties throughout the state. A generous private donor made it possible for PTNY to offer this type of grassroots assistance, which other grant programs rarely support.

Update on Natural Gas Drilling (Hydrofracking)

State Parks and EPA weigh in

In reaction to the current natural gas rush in New York's Marcellus Shale, State Parks adopted a new rigorous oil and gas development policy for state parks and historic sites. The new policy bans any more prospective buyers from acquiring the right to develop, extract, or lease state-owned oil and gas resources within State Parks and State Historic Sites, and obliges companies who currently hold such leases to comply with both State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation regulations.

Parks & Trails New York opposes drilling in any state park, and we applaud OPRHP for offering added protection against the potential environmental degradation of our parks.

Additionally, in December the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advised the DEC to reconsider adoption of its proposed natural gas drilling regulations for New York State. The EPA cited concerns for the safety of watersheds, biodiversity, and natural resources in its message to the DEC. Of course, the DEC is not obligated to comply with the wishes of the EPA, but EPA's opinion is a boon to many environmentalists who feel the current proposal is weak.

Parks & Trails New York will continue to meet with legislators, State Parks, and DEC to urge them to protect parks from mineral exploration and exploitation.

Who's on the Trail?

Parks & Trails New York and the New York State Canal Corporation have just released the results of its annual trail count in the report,

Who's on the Trail? The Erie Canalway Trail User Count 2009. Using the data gathered from counts conducted at four locations between Rotterdam in Schenectady County and Colonie in Albany County, the report estimates the number of annual visits to the trail ranging from 28,000 at Rotterdam to 87,000 at the Train Station in Niskayuna. As has been consistently found since counts were first conducted in 2005, the greatest number of trail users were bicyclists, this year at 53 percent, followed by walkers and joggers.

Albany County purchases 9 miles of former rail for Albany County Rail Trail

The County purchased a nine-mile stretch of the old Delaware & Hudson Railroad between the Port of Albany and Voorheesville for $700,000 from Canadian Pacific Railway with a $350,000 grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and matching funds from Scenic Hudson, a non-profit conservation organization.

Parks & Trails New York began working with the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy (MHLC) in 2004 as part of our Healthy Trails, Healthy People Program. The MHLC subcommittee, Friends of the Rail Trail (FORT), was formed in 2008 to spearhead the grassroots advocacy effort needed to raise awareness and support of the trail.

The total cost to develop the trail is approximately $7.8 million, which includes construction of the trail, safety improvements and repair of several bridges. The County is actively researching grants and other funding opportunities for the development. Currently, the project is included in the 2007-2012 Federal Transportation Improvement Plan and the County has applied for a US Department of Energy Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant.

Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area grants

Matching funds are available for projects that recognize, preserve, protect and interpret the nationally significant cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley. Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000. Highest priority will be given to projects or programs that feature a designated Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Heritage Site.

Application deadline is February 5, 2010.

Speak out for funding for "ready to go" trail projects

In December, the House passed the $75 billion "Jobs for Main Street Act," which includes $27.5 billion for surface transportation and $8.4 billion for transit. The surface transportation fund would include a minimum 3% set-aside for Transportation Enhancements, which amounts to $800 million nationwide and $33,620,542 for New York State. These dollars could go a long way to funding many trail projects. The bill would require state DOTs to have half of all their funding under contract within 90 days - a very short time frame so any trail project must truly be "ready to go." While the Senate works on their version of the bill in January, use this small window of time to contact your local NYSDOT bicycle pedestrian coordinators and let them which trail and other bike-ped projects should be included in this new round of economic stimulus funding.

Waterfront revitalization grants fund trail and park projects

Many of New York's trails, local parks, and blueway trails will benefit from the recent award of more than $23 million in Local Waterfront Revitalization grants, made possible by funding from the EPF.

Parks & Trails New York is a member of Earth Share of New York, an alliance of leading nonprofit environmental organizations. For more information about workplace giving to Parks & Trails New York and Earth Share, check out www.earthshareny.org

JANUARY 2010

Support Parks & Trails By donating or joining today!

Submit nominations for 2010 Greenway and Community Trail Awards

Award categories include:

Public Leadership
Volunteer Service
Corporate Partnership
Healthy Trails, Healthy People
Outside the Box

Nomination forms must be postmarked,

e-mailed, or faxed to Parks & Trails New York by January 25, 2010. Winners will be announced March 10, 2010.

TrailFinder
Trail of the Month

FJ & G Rail Trail

For nearly 100 years the 35-mile inter-urban Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad (FJ&G) connected its namesake communities to Schenectady before succumbing to declining freight business in 1984. Today 8 miles of this abandoned line from Mayfield south through Johnstown have been converted to the paved Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Rail Trail.

Last spring Montgomery County was awarded federal stimulus funds through the Transportation Enhancements Program to extend this trail 3.6 miles from the southern edge of Johnstown southward to Rt. 5 in Fonda.

Check out current trail segments by visiting PTNY's new TrailFinder - a guide to 115 multi-use trails throughout NYS.

Time to plan for Canal Clean Sweep 2010

Although cold temperatures and short days may make spring seem distant, preparations for the 5th annual Canal Clean Sweep are underway. This year's statewide "spring cleaning" of the NYS Canal System is set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 16, 17 and 18.

In recognition of Earth Day and in advance of the 185th consecutive navigation season on the Canal System, the NYS Canal Corporation, in partnership with Parks & Trails New York, the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation and the NYS Consumer Protection Board, is once again encouraging groups and municipalities to engage in clean up and beautification activities along the Canal System and the Canalway Trail.

Canalway Trail Abassadors complete first full season

trail ambassadors

Building on 2008's successful pilot project in Niskayuna, Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the Friends of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail, the Canalway Trails Association New York and Mohawk River Community Partners of Colonie, wrapped up the first full season (May - October) of the Canalway Trail Ambassadors program. In 2009, 18 volunteer Ambassadors also extended their patrols to cover most of Schenectady County and the Town of Colonie in Albany County. According to the final report for the season, Ambassadors contacted 2,000 trail users and assisted 21 individuals while logging more that 250 patrols.

Thank you to NYS Assemblyman Bob Reilly and the Schenectady Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club for funding in 2009 for this important program.

Come bike New York State with us!

Registration for Parks & Trails New York's Cycling the Erie Canal Tour and Great Hudson Valley Pedal bike tours opens January 15!

Cycling the Erie Canal is an eight-day, 400-mile bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany along the historic and scenic Erie Canal. The tour begins July 11 in Buffalo and ends July 18 in Albany.

The Great Hudson Valley Pedal is a six-day, 200-mile bicycle tour from Albany to New York City through the magnificent and historic Hudson Valley. The tour kicks off from Albany on August 10 and ends August 15 in New York City.

WELCOME NEW STAFF

Shawn McConnell
joined Parks & Trails New York as Director of Campaign for Parks. Previously, Shawn worked with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) as a campus organizer. He then jumped into national politics during the 2004 presidential campaign, and returned to New York to work for the New York State Assembly. Shawn is an avid hiker, biker, runner, and photographer, so parks and trails are central to his life. He's excited to have the opportunity to advocate on their behalf.