A new study says New York's state parks are poorly funded.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Pine trees stretch to the sky at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia.
Pine trees stretch to the sky at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia.
Parks & Trails New York State released a report Tuesday saying the lack of increased spending has had a negative impact on state parks.
The study, called “Parks at a Turning Point: Restoring and Enhancing New York Sate Park System,” calls for more fiscal attention from lawmakers. Funding has stayed at the same level for 10 years, forcing plans to improve infrastructures to take a back seat because the money is going to basic maintenance.
New York has one of the oldest park systems in the country.
Workers for the non-profit parks advocacy group visited 36 parks, including Fair Haven Beach State Park. Cayuga County also is home to Long Point State Park, south of Aurora, and Fillmore Glen State Park, which is sandwiched between Moravia and Locke.
While the visitors found more than 100 problems, they stressed that the parks are still worth the drive.
“But we would not want anyone who reads this report to come away with the feeling that a nearby state park is not worth a visit. On the contrary, almost all the parks we visited - even those with a problem or two - were in good condition overall,” the report states.
The workers found that some of the parks' structures looked outdated, had confusing trash disposal arraignments, posted incorrect data, had deteriorating sports fields and cracked pavement.
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation called the study “fundamentally flawed.”
“Parks & Trails has chosen to ignore innumerable positive accomplishments of the state park system, its half-billion dollars in capital improvements, record funding levels and the universal acclaim our parks receive for excellence in park and recreation operations,” spokeswoman Wendy Gibson said in a prepared statement.
Fair Haven Beach State Park was singled out for having one of the only acceptable paths for wheelchair accessibility
“(The park) is very important. Certainly, it brings a lot of people here, I think last year it brought in 3,000 visitors... that's good for businesses in Fair Haven,” Fair Haven Mayor Bill McVea said.
He would like to see more state and federal funding to pay for the park to hook into the sewers village officials are installing.
Besides funding to make up for inflationary increases, the study also pointed for the need for more educational materials and more funding so parks can make preventative maintenance.
The report took a year to complete and was release to coincide with the announcement of election winners.
“Our over arching goal is to get the parks' (needs) on the agenda of the new administration,” Parks & Trails Executive Director Robin Dropkin said.
The organization selected the 36 parks based on use and geographical location. The areas count for two-thirds of the state's parks visitors.
The agency provided Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer with a copy of the 34-page report and hopes to schedule a meeting with him.
“Parks are part of the infrastructure of the state. We need to take care of them as we need to take care of the roads, buildings and schools. They are very important to the quality of life,” Dropkin said. Maintaining recreational areas is another way to keep people in upstate New York, she added.
The group is pushing for a five-year funding plan to help the state catch-up in maintenance that was deferred because of budget restraints.
Gary Duckett, director of Cayuga County Parks and Trails, agrees that parks could use more money.
“I'm sure that it's not unique to the state. We could certainly use more money,” Duckett said.
However, he knows times are tough all around so he does the best with what he has.
Last year, the county received $8,100 for improvements.
Contributions and donations funded the year's two major projects, the little league building and the disc golf course.
“We do modest things but there aren't things on the grand scheme right now,” Duckett said.
Like most parks systems, he's turned to grants to supplement the tight budget. The county just received a $260,000 grant that will fund installing bridges and making other improvements for the Cato-Brutus trail.
The study suggests that grants and other sources of money, including park fees, sponsorship and donations makes legislators reluctant to increase parks' funding in proportion to inflation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
The study, called “Parks at a Turning Point: Restoring and Enhancing New York Sate Park System,” calls for more fiscal attention from lawmakers. Funding has stayed at the same level for 10 years, forcing plans to improve infrastructures to take a back seat because the money is going to basic maintenance.
New York has one of the oldest park systems in the country.
Workers for the non-profit parks advocacy group visited 36 parks, including Fair Haven Beach State Park. Cayuga County also is home to Long Point State Park, south of Aurora, and Fillmore Glen State Park, which is sandwiched between Moravia and Locke.
While the visitors found more than 100 problems, they stressed that the parks are still worth the drive.
“But we would not want anyone who reads this report to come away with the feeling that a nearby state park is not worth a visit. On the contrary, almost all the parks we visited - even those with a problem or two - were in good condition overall,” the report states.
The workers found that some of the parks' structures looked outdated, had confusing trash disposal arraignments, posted incorrect data, had deteriorating sports fields and cracked pavement.
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation called the study “fundamentally flawed.”
“Parks & Trails has chosen to ignore innumerable positive accomplishments of the state park system, its half-billion dollars in capital improvements, record funding levels and the universal acclaim our parks receive for excellence in park and recreation operations,” spokeswoman Wendy Gibson said in a prepared statement.
Fair Haven Beach State Park was singled out for having one of the only acceptable paths for wheelchair accessibility
“(The park) is very important. Certainly, it brings a lot of people here, I think last year it brought in 3,000 visitors... that's good for businesses in Fair Haven,” Fair Haven Mayor Bill McVea said.
He would like to see more state and federal funding to pay for the park to hook into the sewers village officials are installing.
Besides funding to make up for inflationary increases, the study also pointed for the need for more educational materials and more funding so parks can make preventative maintenance.
The report took a year to complete and was release to coincide with the announcement of election winners.
“Our over arching goal is to get the parks' (needs) on the agenda of the new administration,” Parks & Trails Executive Director Robin Dropkin said.
The organization selected the 36 parks based on use and geographical location. The areas count for two-thirds of the state's parks visitors.
The agency provided Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer with a copy of the 34-page report and hopes to schedule a meeting with him.
“Parks are part of the infrastructure of the state. We need to take care of them as we need to take care of the roads, buildings and schools. They are very important to the quality of life,” Dropkin said. Maintaining recreational areas is another way to keep people in upstate New York, she added.
The group is pushing for a five-year funding plan to help the state catch-up in maintenance that was deferred because of budget restraints.
Gary Duckett, director of Cayuga County Parks and Trails, agrees that parks could use more money.
“I'm sure that it's not unique to the state. We could certainly use more money,” Duckett said.
However, he knows times are tough all around so he does the best with what he has.
Last year, the county received $8,100 for improvements.
Contributions and donations funded the year's two major projects, the little league building and the disc golf course.
“We do modest things but there aren't things on the grand scheme right now,” Duckett said.
Like most parks systems, he's turned to grants to supplement the tight budget. The county just received a $260,000 grant that will fund installing bridges and making other improvements for the Cato-Brutus trail.
The study suggests that grants and other sources of money, including park fees, sponsorship and donations makes legislators reluctant to increase parks' funding in proportion to inflation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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