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Grants for parks and trails groups available from Parks & Trails New York Parks & Trails New York is launching a new Capacity Building Grants program for park and trail groups in New York State. The grants, of up to $3,000, will strengthen not-for-profit organizations that are working to build and protect parks and trails in communities across the state. Through the new grant program, made possible by a generous donor, Parks & Trails New York intends to help not-for-profits better fulfill their missions; improve their reach, effectiveness, and impact; leverage more resources; and increase community support for and involvement in park and trail planning, development, and stewardship. Funds can be used to assist with activities associated with organizational start-up and development, training, communications, and volunteer recruitment and management. The deadline for submitting applications is October 31, 2008. Download an application as PDF or Microsoft Word. Budget cuts and hiring freeze present challenges for NYS Parks
New York's State Parks are its crown jewels, and the money spent by park visitors is a vital part of the state’s economic engine. But, with more than $700 million in capital funding needs the State Park System is at a turning point. This year's state budget included $132 million for OPRHP capital projects - the largest infusion of capital funding in OPRHP history. This, however, is just the first step in what must be a multi-year effort to revitalize the New York State Park system. Now, and in the years to come, OPRHP requires not only additional capital funding, but also the necessary operating funds to ensure that the capital plan can be implemented and State Parks continue to function as New Yorkers expect and deserve. As the state budget for fiscal year 2009-2010 is being prepared, Parks & Trails New York urges Governor Paterson to include the necessary capital and operating funds for OPRHP to continue its revitalization of New York's unparalleled State Park System. Kudos to Parks for undertaking aggressive master planning
A preliminary meeting for the Jamesport State Park on Long Island is scheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at the Riverhead Town Hall at 6:30pm. An announcement of the preliminary meeting for the Caumsett State Historic Park, also on Long Island, is expected soon. Parks & Trails New York is taking an active role in the master planning process, providing comments for each scoping meeting. Bill reforming Municipal park Grant Program signed by Governor Thanks in part to the phone calls you made to Governor Paterson's office, the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Reform Bill - S.8255-A/A-11568 has been signed into law and will take effect in early 2009. This law, which removes significant funding and bureaucratic obstacles, will increase the maximum amount of individual grants the state can provide, using available EPF monies, to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations undertaking municipal parks, trails, historic preservation, and historic areas projects. The bill also increases the maximum state share of funding for such projects from 50 to 75 percent of project cost in the typically underserved areas of the state with high poverty rates. Parks & Trails New York awards mini-grants to three projectsIn August Parks & Trails New York selected three Healthy Trails, Healthy People trail projects as successful applicants in the third round of its mini-grant awards program.
Parks & Trails New York rallies trail advocates in response to pending rail line abandonment south of Buffalo The pending abandonment of 32 miles of rail corridor in western New York has energized trail supporters to action. Those who know the corridor, the former Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad from Orchard Park in Erie County to Springville in Cattaraugus County, realize its potential as a rail-trail ---- great scenery and links to six towns and two villages as well as two ski areas and several town and county parks. When Parks & Trails New York first learned the corridor would soon be abandoned, staff convened a conference call of interested stakeholders and met with trail advocates to provide advice and get the ball rolling. With enthusiasm running high, trail supporters have quickly moved to rally community support by organizing a public meeting, making presentations to local town and village boards, and starting the process to incorporate as the Friends of Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail. Their immediate goal is to demonstrate to state and local officials that there is widespread support for a trail and encourage them to work with the railroad to ensure the corridor's preservation. Great news for Albany County's Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail!On August 21 Albany County officials announced that the County and Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail reached a purchase agreement on 9.3 miles of former D&H Rail corridor from the Port of Albany to the Village of Voorheesville. On September 9, the Albany County Legislature approved a budget measure that authorizes County Executive Michael Breslin to enter into an agreement with CP Rail to acquire the former rail corridor. Parks & Trails New York, The New York Bicycling Coalition, the Albany Bicycle Coalition, and representatives from community trail advocacy groups spoke to the legislature on behalf of the trail proposal. The purchase still hinges upon clearance by a pending environmental study. For more information and the latest on the development of a friends group for the corridor, please contact us. Proposed Rockaway Beach Branch Greenway Trail in Queens featured on New York One television Rockaway Beach Branch Greenway Committee members Tom Gonzalez and Jordan Sandke were recently interviewed by New York City’s New York One cable television News Network. Joined by Martin Daley of Parks & Trails New York, the trio discussed the background of the Rockaway Beach Branch Greenway Greenway (RBBG) proposal and the current status of the project.
Public gets first unveiling of the Long Island Greenleaf trail proposal The Greenleaf Trail proposal received an enthusiastic response from the audience at the trail concept's first public unveiling on September 4. Ed Silsbe, the sparkplug of the Greenleaf trail connecting the Suffolk County towns of Islip and Brookhaven, introduced the proposal to a crowd of over 100 residents. Martin Daley of Parks & Trails New York presented Talking Trails, a slideshow about the benefits, trends, and urban legends that can hamper trail development.
For more information of the Greenleaf Trail, contact Ed Silsbe. New interactive website makes it easy to plan trip to Erie Canalway Trail Parks & Trails New York has launched a new website dedicated to the Erie Canalway Trail, a cross-state route between Buffalo and Albany along the legendary Erie Canal. At the heart of the new website is an interactive map that features the Canalway Trail route and outstanding sightseeing stops. In addition to museums, historic sites, and parks, the map shows lodging, bike shops, and services such as dining, convenience stores, ATMs, pharmacies, and hardware stores. Restrooms, parking areas, and handicapped accessible trailheads are also included.  Users can first view the entire Erie Canalway Trail, from Buffalo to Albany, and then zoom in for more detail. They can pan or scroll through the entire route, choose a specific region to explore, or find the location of a particular attraction, lodging establishment or bike shop by selecting it from the database. Each point of interest features a link for more information. A special feature allows users to create personalized itineraries. Additional features include a distance calculator so users can map out their route and know the exact distance they will cover and a locator map so that users always know where they are along the trail route. The new website was developed with support from the New York State Department of Economic Development, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, and the New York State Canal Corporation.
Tourism grant awarded to Parks & Trails New York for on-line guide to multi-use trails and bicycle-friendly B&Bs
Presently, information about New York's multi-use trails - and welcoming places to stay nearby - is not conveniently available to visitors. Parks & Trails New York will use the grant to enhance and update its on-line Trail Finder maps to include GIS-based interactive maps. In conjunction with ESBBA, Parks & Trails New York will also develop a Bicyclists Welcome! recognition program. ESSBA-member B&Bs/inns will be evaluated according to criteria important to bicyclists, such as a covered and locked location to store bicycles at night and a pump and tools for making minor repairs. Parks & Trails New York to host Road and Trail Intersection Safety Meetings Parks & Trails New York will be meeting with three County Traffic Safety Boards as part of the ongoing Stop, Watch, Walk! Road and Trail Intersection Safety Education campaign.
The meetings are supported in part by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Parks & Trails New York is one of only a few organizations in the nation and the first in New York to study this emerging issue. Save the date for a great celebration! Parks & Trails New York is thrilled to announce that we will be honoring Kent Barwick at our annual award reception on November 19, 2008, in New York City. Kent is a long-time advocate for New York's public open spaces, as well as historic places and buildings, and an organizer and protector of the fabric and quality of New Yorkers' lives, from the New York City waterfront to Grand Central Station and Central Park to the Erie Canalway and Otsego County landscapes, to name just a few. Since 1989, Parks & Trails New York has presented an award for outstanding parks and conservation leadership in New York State. In 1993, this award was named for George W. Perkins, a president and long-time member of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, who worked tirelessly over much of his lifetime to preserve and promote the integrity of New York State's magnificent parks. The reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 at The University Club, One West 54th Street, NYC. For more information, contact Martha Gershun, Director of Development, at 518-434-1583, ext. 205. Legislative AgendaPurpose commendable, but Governor vetoes Multi-use Trails Bill
We are very disappointed to report that despite stating that the purpose of the legislation was commendable, Governor Paterson vetoed the Multi-use Trails Network Initiative bill (S.2324b/A9317b). The bill, which Parks & Trails New York initiated and has been working on for three years, would have established a broad-based, multi-agency effort to plan for the creation, maintenance, and promotion of a statewide, comprehensive network of multi-use trails that would help ensure that New Yorkers are only minutes from a park or trail. Thanks to all who visited key legislators on Trails Advocacy Day, wrote letters, made phone calls and sent emails in support of this bill. We will continue advocating for a comprehensive, broad-based approach to planning and promotion of a statewide network of trails as we consider how best to proceed with this or other trails legislation. Two thumbs up for new law that provides more funding for bike and pedestrian paths Governor Paterson made it easier for municipalities to use 80-b highway funding (commonly known as Marchaselli Funds) for design, construction, land acquisition and other costs associated with bicycle and pedestrian paths by signing S.3216/A.2342-B, a bill that has been a legislative priority of Parks & Trails New York for several years. Marchaselli funds are an important planning tool for local governments and their transportation systems. Municipalities often use Marchaselli Funds as the 20% local share required for projects funded with federal highway monies. Enacting this law will bolster New York State's standing as a pre-eminent trail state and will enable more municipalities to realize the health, economic and quality of life benefits that go hand-in-hand with access to bicycle and pedestrian trails. FundingRecreational Trails funding applications available Applications for Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funding will be available September 24 from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). Regional information workshops will be held during mid October. The deadline for submitting applications is December 5. The Recreational Trails Program provides funds for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation and maintenance of both motorized and non-motorized recreational trails. Non-profit organizations; municipal, state and federal agencies; Indian tribal governments, and other public agencies and authorities are eligible to apply. Comprehensive new guidebook aids equestrian trail design A comprehensive new resource, Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads, and Campgrounds, produced in cooperation with the Recreational Trails Program of the Federal Highway Administration, offers assistance with all aspects of designing and constructing single and shared-use trails for equestrians. The guide also contains chapters on understanding horses and mules, liability, reducing health and environmental concerns, signage, and designing for riders with disabilities. |
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On July 15 and 16, Parks & Trails New York held its third Universal Trail Assessment Process 
Despite a rain shower, the 
To comply with Governor Paterson’s call to reduce agency spending by $630 million in this year’s state budget, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is facing the grim task of cutting its operating budget by seven percent - more than $12 million. This is on top of the Governor's previously ordered 3.35 percent spending cut and a six percent reduction in some aid to localities agreed to during the legislature's rare mid-summer special session. While the specific impacts of the budget cuts are not yet known, the cuts and the hiring freeze now in place for all state agencies will likely mean a reduction in the services OPRHP provides to more than 55 million State Park visitors annually.
In addition to tackling a $700 million capital projects backlog, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is undertaking an aggressive Master Planning campaign. The agency hopes to annually complete five park Master Plans in each of the next five years. Among OPRHP's priorities are park revitalization, natural resource stewardship, education and interpretation, sustainability and creating connections with other green spaces. To date, preliminary 
In 2003, Albany County Executive Michael Breslin's office secured $350,000 in Environmental Protection Fund (EFP) financing to acquire the former D&H Rail line. The non-profit environmental organization Scenic Hudson offered $350,000 for the grant's required local match. Talks between Albany County and CP Rail had stalled due to staffing changes and the railroad's request that it be indemnified of environmental liability. To assist with development of the D&H Rail-trail, Parks & Trails New York began working with the 
Jordan Sandke, school teacher and former chair of the RBBG, began the project in 2003 as a way to engage both his students and a broad cross section of central Queens' residents in the effort to transform an abandoned, derelict rail corridor into a safe, off-road trail linking neighborhoods, schools, libraries, parks, and shopping areas. The vision of the RBBG committee, now chaired by Tom Gonzalez, is to create a paved trail for walking and bicycling through a peaceful, naturally wooded open space that will improve the quality of life for the residents of this otherwise highly congested urban environment. When complete, the proposed RBBG will stretch 3.5 miles from Rego Park to Ozone Park and will connect the communities of Richmond Hill, Forest Park and Jamaica Bay and link directly into the existing 
Nearly the entire length of the proposed Greenleaf Trail system is composed of lands already in the public domain, most of the trails already exist although not yet in a formal network. When housing subdivisions were constructed in the town of Islip, the town required developers to set aside land for future use for "Municipal Purposes in a natural state, and for the installation of bicycle paths." The backbone of the proposed Greenleaf Trail will be composed of existing paved trails along LIPA right-of-ways. The Tuthills Creek Alliance, together with partnering organizations Concerned Long Island Mountain Bikers, Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference, and the Sierra Club of Long Island, hopes to clean-up and formalize the existing trails to better connect the county's most scenic and natural places.
Parks & Trails New York and the 
The meetings are designed to gather feedback on experiences and recommendations for improving bicycle and pedestrian safety at road and trail intersections. Participants will discuss the recommendations of Parks & Trails New York's 2007 report,