​PTNY joins Sen. Schumer to Support Local Parks

PTNY Executive Director Robin Dropkin joined U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer at Albany’s Corning Preserve to announce his new Urban Parks funding bill. New York State would receive roughly $25 million each year in federal funding for community park projects through this proposal.

Currently, federal funding is mainly used to support national and state parks. The Senator’s proposal would change federal funding structures to enable municipalities to access critical funds that would allow them to improve park and waterfront access for residents and tourists.

The bill would authorize and make permanent the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant program. This program was created last year under the existing authority of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and received $3 million. This legislation, however, would change the funding structure by allowing this grant program to tap into revenue that comes from oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico. Under current law, the Gulf of Mexico Security Act (GOMESA), requires $125 million of this oil and gas lease revenue be directed to conservation efforts. This bill dedicates 20 percent of that funding to community and urban parks projects. Federal funding would go to states, which would in turn provide grants to local municipalities for land and water acquisition to establish a park, or to expand or renovate an existing one.

See more from the press conference.