Advocacy
The pandemic has abated, but the record popularity of our state park system has shown no signs of letting up. Millions more have now discovered that the path to health– physical, mental, economic– wends through New York State’s enviable network of parks, greenway trails and wild, open spaces.
Since 1985, Parks & Trails New York has fought to protect, defend and expand New York State’s vast portfolio of public lands, including 180 state parks and the 750-mile the Empire State Trail, which Outside Magazine recently ranked as the #1 greenway trail in the United States.
For 2024, the Centennial of our State Park System, we are ramping up our advocacy to ensure that our most popular parks, greenway trails and open spaces are equipped to accommodate the record demand for outdoor experiences. Though each of our proposed policy changes, bills and budgetary aims are different, they all add up to one thing: high-quality public lands that are welcoming and accessible to all.
Coalitions
PTNY has joined with many of our partners around the state as a member of various coalitions to pursue areas of shared interest. Learn more below. If you would like to request that PTNY join your coalition, please email ptny@ptny.org.
New Yorkers for Clean Water and Jobs Coalition
We all need clean air to breathe and safe water to drink. We also need healthy communities, a strong economy, and local recreation. New York’s environmental programs provide all this and more. By fighting to maintain a $400 million Environmental Protection Fund, we can build a more vibrant future for New York. Learn more at cleanwaterandjobs.org.
New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition
New York State Safe Streets Coalition
The SAFE Streets Act is a package of bills that will redesign our streets with safety as a priority to protect all road users, and address the speeding rampant on our streets. Learn more at transalt.org/safe.