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 Inside this issue:
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Hurricane Sandy leaves behind damaged parks
The Northeast experienced unprecedented devastation just before Halloween due to Hurricane Sandy. Many parks in New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island, including State Parks, were hit hard by the storm.
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Jones Beach State Park experienced significant damage from Hurricane Sandy.
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Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens experienced significant flooding, as did Roberto Clemente and East River State Parks in NYC. Robert Moses State Park on Long Island was dealt a serious blow as parts of the eastbound roadway were demolished and dunes were swept away. Jones Beach State Park began experiencing flooding early on, and Jones Beach, Robert Moses and other coastal parks experienced significant damage to buildings, roads, infrastructure, and beachfronts (see video of the devastation to Jones Beach). Inland parks on Long Island suffered widespread downed trees and wind damage.
In the lower Hudson Valley, there were widespread power outages, downed trees, and wind damage. FDR State Park in Westchester was hit especially hard. The Hudson River experienced heavy flooding due to the surge, with impacts to a number of park facilities located on the waterfront. At Schodack Island State Park just south of Albany, for example, the access road flooded and the boat launch was reported to be under five feet of water.
In advance of the storm, State Parks closed all state parks and historic sites in Long Island and New York City, as well as in other areas. New York City parks were also closed for several days. It will be weeks before some parks reopen, and likely much longer at Jones Beach, Robert Moses, and other Long Island coastal parks. While it is too early for damage estimates, Hurricane Sandy will likely end up costing parks hundreds of millions of dollars.
Our thoughts are with the many people and organizations affected by the storm. We hope for a speedy recovery process.
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State Parks safe, but in need of work
A new report from the State Comptroller corroborates what PTNY has been saying since it released its Parks at a Turning Point report in 2005: many infrastructure issues exist throughout the park system and the more time passes before these issues are addressed, the higher the cost will likely be.
The State Comptroller conducted an audit of 33 state parks and historic sites and found that, in some cases, public access has been blocked to certain amenities or sections where there are safety concerns. According to the report, almost every park and historic site in the NYS park system faces an infrastructure need.
PTNY was quoted in a recent article on the report.
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I Love My Park Day 2013 planning underway
 The first-ever I Love My Park Day (ILMPD) was an overwhelming success thanks to the efforts of Friends groups, park staff and volunteers across the state. PTNY is once again teaming up with State Parks and we want to make ILMPD 2013 even bigger and better, bringing in new volunteers and resources while providing enhanced visibility to the entire state park system.
If your Friends group is interested in organizing an ILMPD event next year, please let us know by completing this very simple contact form. Feel free to use this flyer or other materials available from our website to bring to your next Friends group meeting to discuss organizing an ILMPD event at your park or historic site, especially our updated Organizer's Manual. Call 518-434-1583 or email us with any questions.
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Volunteers celebrate I Love My Park Day at Green Lakes State Park.
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| Applications due Nov. 19 for PTNY capacity grants
 Are you looking for ways to grow and strengthen your Friends group? Whether it's a new website or email newsletter, a fundraising plan or a board strategic planning process, a PTNY Growing the Grassroots Capacity-Building Grant can help. The grants, of up to $3,000, are designed to strengthen not-for-profit organizations that are working to build and protect parks and trails in communities across the state. Previous grant awardees include Friends of Taconic State Park, Friends of Gantry Plaza State Park, and Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul State Parks.
But hurry: the deadline for applications is November 19, 2012. (Note the deadline has been extended due to Hurricane Sandy.)
For more information, email or call 518-434-1583. Read answers to some frequently asked questions.
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New York gets new State Park
The long-awaited Roosevelt Four Freedoms New York State Park opened on Roosevelt Island in the East River in October. Former President Bill Clinton, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger all attended the dedication of New York's 178th State Park.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
© Paul Warchol
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Four Freedoms Park is an excellent example of the ways in which parks serve as both recreational and educational assets. The park is not only 4 acres of designated green public space but also a monument to former President Roosevelt and his historical legacy. The Park's name references Roosevelt's Four Freedom's Speech, where he laid out his interpretations of basic human rights: Freedom of Speech and Expression, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. These freedoms would later be codified in the United Nation's preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Park was the design of the great American architect Louis I. Kahn.
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Advocating for State Parks funding
The Governor and legislative leaders are already working on next year's state budget and we need your help to make sure state parks get the funding they need for critical infrastructure improvements.
The fall is an excellent time to reach out to your state legislators while they are home in their districts. Consider organizing a couple of in-district meetings during the fall with your legislators reminding them of the importance of state parks and historic sites to the local economy and quality of life. PTNY can help you set up meetings and provide you with talking points and handouts, such as this fact sheet on the economic benefits of state parks.
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With sustainability in mind: State Parks continue to be "green" destinations
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Solar panels on the roof of the Discovery Center in Niagara Falls State Park
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Our state parks are destinations for outdoor recreation, rejuvenation, and reflection, but they are also increasingly becoming classrooms for sustainable practices. State Parks continues to take proactive steps to promote green design and sustainability. There are currently several unique projects in the works around the state.
At Glimmerglass State Park in Otsego County, the problem of polluted run-off is being addressed with a change in parking lot materials and filtering systems. Run-off is the collected water from rainfall hitting impervious surfaces like asphalt parking lots. Typically this water becomes contaminated with chemicals from gasoline, oil and other pollutants and then is directly fed into our sewer system or back into streams or lakes. Glimmerglass is mitigating the problem by first decreasing its paved area by 40% and replacing it with reinforced grass parking areas. Then to address the remaining runoff Glimmerglass is implementing bioswales. Bioswales are shallow ditches filled with vegetation, compost, soil and other natural materials that will filter run-off before it can reenter the water-system thereby protecting the surrounding wildlife.
In order to use renewable energy such as solar or wind energy you need to have the technical capacity. This is why the New York State Park system recently trained six State Parks electricians to receive full accreditation through Alfred State University to become certified solar installers. This allowed State Parks to use in-house professionals to implement the recently installed solar panels on top of the Discovery Center at Niagara Falls State Park. This capacity building will lead to three additional installations in the spring of 2013 at Letchworth, Fort Niagara, and Allan H. Treman State Parks. New York's state parks continue to lead in green initiatives.
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'Tis the season: Friends holiday events and fundraisers
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A volunteer with Friends of Clermont greets visitors during a Christmas open house.
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Even though it will soon be winter, Friends groups still offer a variety of ways to enjoy state parks and historic sites. December offers unique opportunities for events, from holiday celebrations and crafts to winter recreation. Below is a smattering of some of the things Friends groups and park staff have planned this winter season.
See more examples and get inspired to host your own event next year!
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| News from Friends groups
If you have news to share in the next issue of You Gotta Have Friends, let us know.
PTNY grant boosts Friends communications
 The Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul State Parks recently unveiled the group's first logo and website. The new communications tools were made possible by a PTNY Growing the Grassroots Capacity-Building Grant. (Remember: the deadline to apply for the current round is Nov. 19.)
Building Partnerships at the Old Croton Aqueduct
Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct and park staff used I Love My Park Day to launch a new invasive vine-removal project. In the process of planning this project, the Friends made numerous new connections with other organizations. They were successful in involving an expert from the Bronx River Parkway Reservation Conservancy (BRPRC) and received additional support from the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, the Town of Cortlandt, the NY-NJ Trail Conference, and the Croton Conservation Advisory Council (CCAC).
 On I Love My Park Day, 35 volunteers collected enough invasive plants to fill 21 large trash bags, gathered a truckload of trash and cut vines to save numerous trees from strangulation.
A second day of vine lopping, invasive plant removal, and trash collection was held early in November, a direct result of the I Love My Park Day project. The event was again a partnership between the Friends, park staff, BRPRC, CCAC, and the Westchester County Dept. of Parks.
Friends of Taconic complete furnace cover project
After just over a year of construction work, the protective cover for the historic Copake Iron Works furnace in Taconic State Park is just about complete.
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Construction of a protective cover over the historic Copake Iron Works furnace has been underway for the past year. A ribbon cutting ceremony on November 11th will celebrate the completion of the project.
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The Friends of Taconic State Park quickly identified the preservation of the historic Copake Iron Works site, located within the park, as its first priority and it has developed a 20-year plan to stabilize, preserve and in some cases, restore the property to the condition of its operating hey-day in the mid-1800s.
The furnace cover project was funded by contributions from more than 225 individuals, businesses and foundations including a 50% matching grant from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. Friends of Taconic State Park is within $1,000 of meeting its $150,000 fundraising goal.
Deborah Cohen, treasurer for the group, said in a press release, "We owe much credit for our fundraising success to Parks & Trails New York from whom we received two capacity building grants in the early days of our formation."
The Friends will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and "Blast at Furnace Fest" on November 11th to celebrate the completion of this project.
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That's What Friends Are For
Volunteer Profile: Casey Frazee
Volunteers are essential to our state parks and historic sites. That's What Friends Are For, in which we profile a dedicated Friends group volunteer, is a new regular feature in You Gotta Have Friends.
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Once a year, during the annual Rippleton Schoolhouse Community Day, Casey Frazee steps into the role of schoolmarm.
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Community and history. These are two things Casey Frazee is passionate about. When you know that about her, it's not surprising that she was drawn back to her hometown of Cazenovia and the historic site at its heart.
The mansion that is now Lorenzo State Historic Site was established in 1807-08 as the neo-classical home of John Lincklaen, founder of the Village of Cazenovia. The site sits overlooking Cazenovia Lake in Madison County in Central New York.
After leaving to study American history and photography at Syracuse University and spending time working at a historical society in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Casey and her husband were drawn back to the community of Cazenovia. Given her love of history, Casey knew she wanted to work at Lorenzo.
Keep reading about Casey Frazee and the Friends of Lorenzo.
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| You Gotta Have Tips: Year-end fundraising
You Gotta Have Tips is a regular feature of You Gotta Have Friends in which we provide capacity-building and technical-assistance tips.
Many nonprofits find that most donations come in over the last few days of December. In fact, according to Charity Navigator, charities receive 41% of their annual contributions in the last few weeks of the year, and 10% in the last two days! That's because the end of the year is when many people think about making charitable, tax-deductible contributions.
Friends groups should plan on sending a year-end solicitation to members and donors. Whether it's by email or mail, here are some tips for a successful year-end appeal.
Keep reading tips for year-end fundraising.
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Parks & Trails New York is a member of Earth Share 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.
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Fall 2012
Celebrating
more than 25 years
of advocacy for New York's parks and trails
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| Stay connected!
There are lots of ways to stay up-to-date on the latest news affecting our magnificent state park system and stay connected to other park supporters. If you're not already on our email list, visit our website to join. Friends groups can connect through the Discussion Forum. You can also follow us:
  
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| Help us improve You Gotta Have Friends
We want to hear from you! Take a short survey to help us ensure we're providing you with the content you want and need.
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| Become a non-profit member
Is your Friends group a member of Parks & Trails New York? PTNY works to build the capacity of Friends groups, expand outreach and communications, and enhance advocacy efforts. With continued economic constraints, it is more important than ever that the network of Friends groups grows and strengthens.
Some of the tools PTNY offers include spearheading I Love My Park Day, publishing the You Gotta Have Friends eNewsletter, and providing capacity grants and an online Friends Resource Kit. PTNY also gives a voice to Friends groups at the Capitol.
Become a non-profit organization member of PTNY today!
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Did you see us in the
NY Times?
New York's state parks and historic sites were recently featured on the cover of the New York Times' Metro section. The article reports on this year's infusion of capital funding through the NY Works program to address critical infrastructure needs and includes a call from PTNY to keep the momentum for parks going with additional funding in next year's state budget and beyond.
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Coming soon - new technical assistance program
State park and historic site friends groups are invaluable partners in efforts to protect and enhance New York State Parks and Historic Sites. That's why PTNY is launching a Technical Assistance Program for State Park Friends Groups in early 2013. Through this new program, PTNY staff will provide one-on-one technical assistance and support to help strengthen Friends groups and enhance your efforts to support state parks and historic sites. Friends groups will be selected through a simple application process. Look for details early next year!
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Want PTNY to come to your next meeting?
PTNY Park Program Director Laura DiBetta recently attended a Friends of Moreau Lake State Park meeting to talk about PTNY's many resources for Friends groups. It was also a great opportunity to hear what projects the Friends were working on, like their annual Naturefest.
Would you like a PTNY representative to come talk with your Friends? Let us know! Our staff can let your members know about ways in which PTNY and Friends groups can work together to strengthen support for the state park system. While it may not be possible to visit all interested groups, contact us to see if an in-person meeting can be arranged.
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Americorps volunteers make a difference
teamed up with AmeriCorps members this summer to upgrade trails, build new bridges, and improve Karner blue butterfly habitat. Two park interns wrote successful proposals to secure about three dozen AmeriCorps members who worked for three days.  | |
Volunteers clear debris at Fort Ontario State Historic Site.
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AmeriCorps volunteers helped park staff at Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego unearth a missing lighthouse marker during a recent volunteer day. Volunteers were helping to clear debris and fallen trees from the site and, in the process, found a stone monument which marked the location of the 1821-1836 lighthouse. The location of the marker had been lost following severe storms and resulting debris. and how its members may be able to help with one of your projects.
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Natural treasures in our parks
Our state parks aren't just places for hiking, swimming, canoeing and snowshoeing; they also protect important habitat and are home to endangered species. One such species is the northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans), a NYS Endangered Species that is currently scattered in just a few sites in the Hudson Highlands and Shawangunks. Fortunately, Sterling Forest State Park still supports a population of these tiny frogs.
State biologists just completed a multi-phase habitat restoration project to create suitable habitat in place of a stone rip-rap shoreline that was constructed in 2004. The aquatic habitat is now vegetated, and cricket frogs have been documented as using it. Park staff also did some additional work on the slope, adding a layer of new soil and re-seeding with native vegetation. Next steps include follow-up on invasives monitoring, cricket frog monitoring, and general cleanup after everything has stabilized. To learn more about the restoration effort, see OPRHP's publication, OUR P.A.P.E.R.
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Parks go mobile
You can now get info on NY's state parks and historic sites in the palm of your hand. The free Oh Ranger! NY State Parks app is designed to provide everything a visitor would need to become familiar with a property, including contact information, directions, amenities, maps, and events. Users can search by zip code and desired activity to find locations to go hiking, camping, boating, birding, and discover historic sites, nature centers, and more. The app is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. An Android version will soon be available.
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Dates to remember
November 19: 2012: Deadline to apply for a PTNY Growing the Grassroots Capacity-Building Grant.
Feb/March 2013 (exact date TBD): Park Advocacy Day, Albany.
May 4, 2013:
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Resources for Friends groups
ROC the Day
Rochester-area Friends groups can take part in a unique fundraising event. On 12.12.12, non-profits in the Greater Rochester area can participate in ROC the Day, a 24-hour, online event organized by United Way of Greater Rochester that provides the public with an opportunity to support not-for-profit organizations in the nine-county Greater Rochester area. Friends of Ganondagan are participating this year. The deadline to sign up is Nov. 28.
Essential Friends
Check out Essential Friends, a magazine that celebrates National Park friends groups. We have some pretty terrific park friends groups here in New York, too!
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PTNY in the field
PTNY board and staff had the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Site practically to ourselves on a cold, rainy day in late September. Park Manager Steve Oakes and Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart, executive director of the non-profit Walkway friends group, gave PTNY a special tour prior to a recent board meeting. A dedicated bunch, wouldn't you say?
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Visit the State Parks website:
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 Visit us online at
29 Elk St. Albany, NY 12207
(ph) 518-434-1583
(fax) 427-0067
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