Success for Park Advocacy

During the height of state budget negotiations, Parks & Trails New York rallied the troops for an important advocacy day in Albany.

The 12th annual Park Advocacy Day was a huge success. More than 60 park supporters—coming from as far away as Long Island and Buffalo—came to Albany in support of historic investments in state park infrastructure, environmental programs, and grassroots Friends organizations.

Participants heard from State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey and Senators Richard Funke and José Serrano during a morning program. These citizen advocates then met with 50 legislators to stress the importance of supporting the Governor's budget proposal, particularly another round of $90 million in Parks 2020 funding for capital needs at state parks and historic sites; a $300 million Environmental Protection Fund (EPF); $1 million for the Connect Kids to Parks program; and a fourth year of $500,000 for the Park and Trail Partnership Program, a capacity-building grants program for grassroots Friends groups. These efforts will have a lasting impact on legislators as they made important decisions about parks and the New York State budget.

Parks & Trails New York and the Open Space Institute's Alliance for New York State Parks organize the annual Park Advocacy Day.



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