Adirondack Ski Touring Council | Adirondack Trail Improvement Society | Audubon Society of New York State-Putnam Highlands | Black Diamond Trail Enthusiasts Network | Boscobel Restoration Inc. | Bronx River Alliance | Canalway Trail Association New York | Cattaraugus County Local Development Corporation | Center for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods | Chautauqua Rails to Trails | Champlain Area Trails | Chenango Canal Association | Chenango Greenway Conservancy | Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (CLIMB) | Croton Arboretum and Sanctuary, Inc. | D&H Canal Heritage Corridor Alliance | Dutchess County Parks Division| Dyken Pond Environmental Center | East Hampton Trails Preservation Society | Fats in the Cats Bicycle Club | Feeder Canal Alliance | Finger Lakes Trail Conference | Friends of the High Line | Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park | Friends of the Outlet | Greater Olean Inc. | Hoosic River Watershed Association | Hudson Crossing Park | Hudson Highlands Land Trust | Lake Champlain Bikeways | Lake George Land Conservancy | LibertyBikeTrail.org | LIGHT-Long Island Greenway & Healthy Trails | Long Island Motor Parkway Panel | Mendon Foundation. Inc. | Mohonk Preserve | Montgomery County Regional Canalway Trail Group | National Recreation Area-Jamaica Bay Unit | New York New Jersey Trail Conference | New York State Snowmobile Association | Niagara River Greenway Commission | Oneonta State Mtn. Biking Club | Orange County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation| Orange County Department of Planning | Pedals & Petals/Central Adirondack Trail Blazers | PROP (Preservation and Revitalization of Pulaski) | Rails-to-Trails Conservancy | Rockaway Beach Branch Greenway |Seneca Trail Resource Conservation & Development Council | Serpentine Art and Nature Commons, Inc. | Shorewalkers | Silver Lake Trail Council Tanglewood Nature Center | Town of Clifton Park-Department of Planning | Town of Dryden | Town of Gorham | Town of Hyde Park Recreation Department | Town of Ithaca Public Works Dept | Town of Pendleton | Town of Sweden | Victor Hiking Trails | Village & Town of Waddington | Village of Avon |Village of Chittenango | Village of Prospect | Wallkill Valley Land Trust, Inc. | Woodstock Land Conservancy

Parks & Trails New York
29 Elk St.
Albany, NY
12207
518.424.1583
ptny@ptny.org
www.ptny.org

February 2009

Dear Friend of New York's trails:

With more than 70 members, the New York State Trails Coalition is raising the visibility and importance of trails with our legislators and securing victories for some important pieces of legislation.

But, there's a lot more work to be done and we need your help.

Trail funding under attack

• The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) - the state's dedicated fund for municipal parks, trails, land acquisition, historic preservation, farmland protection, and other efforts that benefit the environment - is being slashed when, by law, it should be increasing.

• Construction of the remaining 100 miles of Erie Canalway Trail from Buffalo to Albany has come to a halt even though six projects representing 40 new miles of trail are fully approved and ready to go. Two of these projects are almost 90% funded. Because of declining toll revenues, inflation and the economic downturn, the New York State Thruway Authority has deferred efforts to "Close the Gaps."

• The popular Hudson River Valley Greenway is slated for elimination. For 15 years the Greenway has worked with local governments, organizations and individuals to establish a Hudson River Valley land and water trail system, foster regional planning, and promote the area as a single tourism destination.

Preserving funds for trails and the environment depends on all of us. We must come together as a Coalition to let our legislators know how important trails are to the quality of life, the economy, and the health of all New Yorkers.

Here's what you can do to help:

• Join us for Trails Advocacy Day in Albany on Wednesday, March 11 to visit key legislators and promote the importance of the EPF and trails in New York State. It's a fun, meaningful, and easy way to let legislators know how important trails are to citizens across the state.

• Contact your local Assemblyperson and Senator. Let them know you are part of the New York State Trails Coalition and that you want to see support for trails in the state budget. Use our Advocacy Agenda and Talking Points as a basis.

• Sign on to the Trails Coalition letter. Register your support for full funding for the EPF, maintenance of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, and completion of the Canalway Trail. As a member of the New York State Trails Coalition, we will include your organization's name on the attached letter unless you let us know otherwise by Wednesday, March 4.

• Send a letter to the editor of your local paper describing the proposed cuts to the EPF and the impact it will have on the parks and trails in your community. If possible, cite projects that have received EPF funding in the past.

• Encourage others to join the New York State Trails Coalition.

And, we'll be doing even more. As you can see from our Plan of Action 2009, we're committed to undertake many activities that will advance our vision of a statewide trails network. We hope you'll work with us locally and statewide to further this effort.

Please let us know by March 4 whether you'll be joining us on Trails Advocacy Day on March 11. You can:

• Email us at fgotcsik@ptny.org
• Call us at 518-434-1583

Working together, we can become an even stronger voice for expanding, protecting, and promoting the multi-use trails and greenways of New York State.

Sincerely,

Frances Gotcsik
Director of Programs and Policy