Parks & Trails New York

Adirondack

Adirondack Rail Trail Association ($150,000)

to create a permanent Executive Director position that will implement the organization’s vision and work with the board and members in helping DEC and the adjacent municipalities maintain and promote the Rail Trail.

Boondockers Sno-Club ($22,109)

for tractor attachments and implements to boost adaptability and productivity in trail maintenance endeavors for public lands in the Adirondacks.

Allegany

IMPACT: Friends Improving Allegany County Trails, Inc. ($99,414)

for drainage and trail improvements providing better accessibility for equestrians, hikers, and cross-country skiers on public lands in Phillips Creek and Turnpike State Forests.

Catskills

Catskill 3500 Club, Inc. ($4,798)

for a Trailhead Stewards Program that will focus on engaging visitors with Leave No Trace principles, share relevant DEC regulations, and communicate pertinent information, such as weather conditions to improve sustainability and promote safe hiking.

Finger Lakes

Finger Lakes Trail Conference ($26,774)

to embark on a strategic planning process that will facilitate a refresh of the organization’s mission, vision, and values, align staff and stakeholders, and strengthen partnerships to create a more sustainable and inclusive organization.

Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park ($17,114)

for interpretive signs to tell more of the background of the 54-acre public gardens and history of the Thompson Estate.

THREE FALLS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ($100,000)

for the planning and development of the former Camp Barton Scout Camp at the historic Frontenac Point into a locally managed State Park The plans will establish and secure public access and continued public use for the historic property, lake front, and 100 foot waterfall for future generations.

Genesee

Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park ($135,000)

for the first phase upgrades to convert an existing building into a multi-use facility that will meet the needs of the Friends group and Parks programming staff.

Long Island

Caumsett Foundation, Inc. ($150,000)

for the creation of a new, permanent Executive Director position that will support the board, administration, fundraising, marketing, and programming at the Caumsett State Historic Preserve.

Friends of Connetquot ($25,740)

to research the Connetquot Riverbank Native American Community by exploring archaeological and historical records. Park visitors will learn about the lives and stories of these families through the creation of an informational booklet and a printed timeline, which will be available at the site for public engagement.

Friends of Heckscher State Park ($15,000)

for start-up legal fees and insurance costs for the new organization, a consultant-led development of a 5-Year Plan, and to fulfill all obligations for a Memorandum of Agreement with New York State Parks.

Friends of Orient Beach ($180,000)

to engage a professional coastal shoreline consultant to document issues and recommend long term measures that address the erosion of Orient Beach State Park entrance road shoreline to prevent future road/utility destruction and park closures.

New York City

Four Freedoms Park Conservancy ($150,000)

for a juried public art commission program that invites artists to create site-specific works that establish a dialogue between the artist’s practice, Louis Kahn’s architecture, the ideals of the Four Freedoms, and visitors to FDR Four Freedoms State Park.

Friends of Gantry Plaza State Park ($7,894)

to support the weekly volunteer weeding groups by providing native and resilient non-native perennials for two planting beds in high-traffic areas of the park.

Niagara

Artpark & Company ($55,000)

for “The Artpark Experience”–a field trip program for school aged children focused on ecology, sustainability, social justice, race equity and culture through the arts led by a variety of local teaching artists. Other activities include animal encounters, gorge hikes, geology talks, and history walks centered around Artpark as a site for First Nations people and a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Friends of Reinstein Nature Preserve ($20,717)

to improve the Woodland Garden enclosure by installing a gate for easy visitor access, creating a footpath with educational signage, and planting native plants to promote the regeneration of the forest space.

Palisades

Palisades Park Conservancy ($200,700)

for site design plans for the bird aviary section of the Trailside Museums and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park, along the Appalachian Trail.

Saratoga/Capital District

Friends of Five Rivers ($22,975)

to create a conducive learning environment for the maple season experience through improved heating and other equipment, supplies, and materials needed for the Five Rivers sugar shack and maple programs.

Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park ($9,256)

to rehabilitate the Fire Tower by repairing broken steps and all decking in the cab and platforms, replacing protective wire around the entire structure, and repainting the cab.

Friends of U.S. Grant Cottage ($300,000)

for the construction of the Overlook Trail which will provide a safe, accessible pedestrian trail from the Visitor Center and Grant Cottage to the Eastern Overlook destination.

Taconic

Friends of Philipse Manor Hall ($33,472)

for a comprehensive organizational capacity-building plan to ensure long-term stability and productiveness by strengthening public engagement, expanding fund-raising avenues, board training, and the formulation of a 3-year strategic plan.

Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct ($42,498)

to remove graffiti from structures located in different parts of the trail and to use this visible action to make neighbors aware of the organization and to raise funds to clean all the ventilators and weirs in the future.

Little Stony Point Citizens Association ($31,538)

to convert the existing bathroom structure into a fully ADA accessible bathroom — such will support volunteers and guests with disabilities, and help attain full certificate of occupancy.