PTNY Grant Program Makes an Impact

The Park and Trail Partnership Program (PTPP) is a $500,000 capacity-building matching grants program, which started with funding through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) in the New York State Fiscal Year 2015-16 Budget. The highly successful program is currently in the second year, and the third round of applications will open September 2017. It is administered jointly by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). For a complete list of PTPP funded grants, click here.

Active and engaged grassroots organizations already contribute significantly to the stewardship of the state’s parks, trails and historic sites, raising tens of millions of dollars and logging hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer assistance. Increasing the effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising efforts of these organizations will foster stronger local public/private partnerships to more effectively leverage multiple resources. This will enhance stewardship of the state’s public resources, leading to even greater economic benefits from outdoor recreation and healthier, more sustainable and resilient communities.

First Round PTPP Awardee Highlight

The first round of PTPP awardees have recently completed their projects, with remarkable results. Friends Groups have accomplished vast improvements by building kiosks, creating a new website for the Friends Group, developing a training program for volunteers, taking a part-time staff person to full-time, and much more.

The Friends of Crown Point State Historic Site is just one example of a successfully completed PTPP grant. They utilized the funds to enhance the Friends’ mission to promote, conserve, develop, and interpret Crown Point State Historic Site for the benefit of the public and for posterity. The Friends of Crown Point State Historic Site received $7,212 from PTPP and matched it with $7,800 to purchase a permanent monument documenting the achievements of Henry Knox and the role that Crown Point cannon played in the liberation of Boston in the beginning of the American Revolution.

On May 13, 2017, the Friends of Crown Point State Historic Site hosted an unveiling ceremony for the new “Cannon Trail” monument to commemorate the site's role in American history. The monument provides visibility to the Friends group, the historical importance of Crown Point State Historic Site, and the potential to grow the organization and attract new visitors to the site. The crowd of 75 people that attended the cold and rainy unveiling of the plaque were filled with excitement and ideas for new projects and collaborations.

For more information on the Park and Trail Partnership Program, contact Jessica Collier, Parks & Trails New York, at grants@ptny.org or 518-434-1583.