New York Announces Parks That Will Close

February 19, 2010 Statement by Governor Paterson and State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash:

The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its proposed 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State's historic fiscal difficulties. As part of a comprehensive plan to close an $8.2 billion deficit, the 2010-11 Executive Budget included necessary cost reductions to each executive State agency, as well as cuts to education, health care, social services, and every other area of State spending.

OPRHP's plan includes the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and 1 historic site.

The plan also assumes $4 million in park and historic site fee increases that will be identified at a later date, and the use of $5 million in funds from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to finance OPRHP operations. These two actions were part of the 21-day amendments to the Executive Budget and are intended to reduce the number of parks and historic sites subject to closures and service reductions.

[Click here to read Trail Conference position on park and EPF funding.]

Click here to see the list of parks to be closed in the region covered by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.

Click here for the list of 41 parks and 14 historic sites identified for closure by the state administration.

February 19: Original List of Parks to be Closed
Parks in yellow would be kept open if fee increases go into effect and if $5 million from the EPF is diverted from intended environmental purposes to pay for park salaries. The Trail Conference opposes this use of EPF money and supports adding $16 million to the parks budget to keep ALL parks open. We also support full funding of the EPF. Click here for list. 

Defend Parks Now! To find out how, click here.