Parks & Trails New York - Advocacy

OVERVIEW
Parks & Trails New York’s Campaign for Parks is a program to build a stronger, more vocal constituency of supporters of New York’s parks. We are bringing together the people who use and love our parks, many Friends organizations that support our state parks and historic sites, and other environmental organizations to promote and protect our parks for future generations.

New York’s parks preserve priceless landscapes and ecosystems, provide opportunities to improve our physical health and mental well-being, and enhance our quality of life. Often overlooked, but equally important is our parks’ contribution to the economy. Each year over 55 million people visit the 178 parks and 35 historic sites that comprise the state park system. And, as highlighted in Parks & Trails New York’s report, The NYS Park System: An Economic Asset to the Empire State, our state parks generate nearly $2 billion in economic benefits for the state and local economies and create more than 20,000 jobs in addition to state parks employees. Often, however, the State Parks System is left wanting when the state budget is developed.

State Parks continue to face urgent capital funding needs. As highlighted in Parks & Trails New York’s 2006 report, Parks at a Turning Point – Restoring and Enhancing New York’s State Park System, the capital budget for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), adjusted for inflation, is half of what it was in 1992. Yet over the past 17 years, the parks system has added 26 new parks and 70,000 acres of land. The most recent estimates are that, despite one year of record investment in parks capital projects in 2008-2009, OPRHP is still facing a more than $650 million capital backlog.

The enacted state budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 was the first step in the long overdue process of rebuilding the State Park System; it included $95 in capital funding for state park projects. This infusion of capital came at a time when the park system was showing signs of decay after years of deferred maintenance and lack of staff.

OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash has flagged aging sewer systems, dams of questionable integrity, failing electrical systems, crumbling and leaking swimming pools and cabins that are being held together with “duct tape and spray foam” as just a few examples of the urgent capital projects in all 11 state park regions that must be undertaken over the next several years. Addressing these issues is necessary to ensure public safety, provide access to recreation and protect natural resources.

Parks Supporters Needed - Now More than Ever
New York State is being impacted by an unparalleled economic crisis that has resulted in parks budgets being slashed across the state. For those of us who care about our state and municipal parks it is imperative that we let our elected officials know how important parks are to our physical and mental wellbeing and to our state and local economies. Contact your Senator and Assembly representative and let them know that our parks need to be adequately funded. And, let your United States Senators and Representatives know that you are counting on them to ensure that the federal government is providing funding for parks through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

THE CAMPAIGN FOR PARKS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

November 2006 - we published Parks at a Turning Point – Restoring and Enhancing New York’s State Park System calling attention to the urgent capital funding needs for New York’s State Parks.
In 2007, Parks & Trails New York organized the first-ever Parks Advocacy Day, bringing park advocates to Albany to educated legislators about the importance of New York’s parks. We have made Parks Advocacy Day an annual event.
We release our No Turning Back report, a follow-up to Parks at a Turning Point which highlighted the progress OPRHP was making in overcoming the capital projects backlog and the need for continued capital funding.
Parks & Trails New York presented testimony at numerous hearings on the state budget, OPRHP capital funding and its use of such funding
We successfully advocated for increased capital funding for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in the 2008-2009 state budget. In that budget, OPRHP received $75.5 million, which was the largest infusion of capital in agency history.
We traveled the state, visiting every State Park region to speak with park Friends organizations regarding the need for increased advocacy and the benefit of speaking with one voice in support of sufficient funding for OPRHP
Parks & Trails New York conducted a “Postcards for Parks” campaign during which we delivered more than 4,000 postcards to Governor Paterson from people who love New York’s State Parks and Historic Sites urging the Governor to continue to support the capital revitalization of the State Park System
Parks & Trails New York advocated for continued funding for OPRHP in the 2009-2010 state budget, and despite the state’s economic crisis our advocacy help secure a total of $63 million in capital funding for OPRHP, including $19 million in bonded capital. OPRHP received an additional $8 million for the Walkway over the Hudson which will be New York’s 179th State Park
In 2009, Parks & Trails New York commissioned a study to determine the economic benefits brought to New York State by the State Parks and the result was: The NYS Park System: An Economic Asset to the Empire State, which revealed that the State Park System accounts for nearly $2 billion in annual economic benefits for the state and creates 20,000 jobs in addition to state park employees.
We joined with New Yorkers for Parks to host a forum for state legislators on parkland alienation. Our aim is to make the process of alienating parkland more rigorous and less likely to occur. Parks & Trails New York and New Yorkers for Parks have also published a brochure on the issue.

Ensure that state parks operations and capital projects are adequately funded
Build a bigger, more vocal constituency of parks supporters
Organize parks Friends organizations and other parks supporters into a broad-based, effective force for New York’s parks, mobilized to protect parks’ extraordinary legacy for years to come
Increase federal support of parks through increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Increase private support of state parks
Continue to educate legislators about the contributions of parks to the health, quality of life and economies of their districts and the entire state
Annually host Parks Advocacy Day in Albany