The Grass is Greener on Our Side: New York’s Investment In the Outdoors

Governor Cuomo’s proposed FY2020/2021budget advances policies that protect New York’s natural environment and provide residents and visitors alike with greater access to the outdoors. The Governor’s plan renews his commitment to open space protection by adding new state parks, expanding protected lands, and fostering grassroots citizen engagement through the Parks and Trails Partnership Grants. The proposed “Restore Mother Nature” Bond Act safeguards the future of our communities by taking action to strengthen and enhance our natural environment by taking preemptive and preventative measures to combat extreme weather events, including flooding.

New York State Parks and Historic Sites

As New York’s parks continue to see record levels of visitors – 77.1 million in 2019 – we are thrilled to see that the Governor’s budget builds upon the state’s commitment to ensuring that all residents have access to outdoor recreation opportunities. The establishment of a new park on formerly industrial land in Kingston and a linear, water-based park along the Hudson River from Rensselaer to Hudson, are just two examples of these advancements. The acquisition of over 4,000 additional acres of land to enhance seven existing parks will ensure that these natural environments are preserved for future generations.

Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget includes $110 million in capital funding for critical infrastructure projects that will transform parks across the state, providing state-of-the-art facilities in our public open spaces and ensuring that record numbers of visitors will be able to enjoy New York’s unparalleled recreational opportunities for years to come.

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The Environmental Protection Fund

The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) supports environmental programs and provides critical funding for stewardship, public access, open space land protection and the municipal parks grant program. Securing $300 million for the state’s EPF is essential to ensuring the state can effectively protect clean air and water and provide New Yorkers with the opportunity to connect with nature, and foster an appreciation for the great outdoors. In dedicating $89 million for parks and recreation and $152 million to open space and land conservation initiatives, Governor Cuomo is continuing to show that New York leads the nation in stewarding the natural environment. The Governor’s proposal includes language that would allow the use of EPF money for agency staff salaries. This language was rejected by the Legislature last year to ensure EPF funds are spent specifically on initiatives that preserve our state’s environment.

This year, the EPF renewed its commitment to maintain $1 million in funding for the NYS Park and Trail Partnership Grants, a competitive grants program for grassroots organizations that support, strengthen and improve access to the state’s parks, trails, historic sites and public lands. These capacity-building grants enable State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation Friends groups to expand their impact and strengthen the state’s outdoor heritage of public/private partnerships. The program, administered by Parks & Trails New York in partnership with OPRHP, has awarded 83 grants totaling $1.8- million since 2015, with funds going toward innovative educational programs, capital projects and enhanced stewardship.

Restore Mother Nature Bond Act

The proposed $3 Billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act will provide an important infusion of funding to ensure that our natural environment is more resilient in the face of climate change. Funding will help preserve open space, conserve forested areas, and create exciting new outdoor recreational opportunities for New Yorkers; while simultaneously revitalizing New York’s waterways, increasing resilience to flooding threats and restoring wetlands to enhance fish and wildlife habitats.

Trail supporters with Assemblywoman Fahy at Trails Advocacy Day 2019

Reimagine the Canals Task Force

The Reimagine the Canals Task Force report lays out a plan to repurpose the canalway corridor for the 21st century, but one with the potential to have a transformative impact on the Upstate economy. Through an investment of $300 million over the course of 5 years, The Reimagine proposal complements the goal of the Empire State Trail to connect communities in a sustainable, resilient manner that celebrates our state’s history and environmental diversity, while also investing in the economic wellbeing of those communities.

To maintain New York’s competitive advantage as an environmental leader, we need to be diligent. Continued support for these initiatives requires vocal, enthusiastic supporters! If that sounds like you, join us on March 2, 2020 for Park Advocacy Day and March 16, 2020 for Trails Advocacy Day to participate in these important discussions about the future of New York's environment.



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