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OPRHP – Acting Commissioner Beers’ Testimony Before Assembly Standing Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development; Assembly Standing Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation
December 13, 2010
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Andy Beers
Assemblyman Englebright and Assemblywoman Titus, thank you for the invitation to participate in today’s hearing. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss critical issues facing the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the New York State Park System.
2010 Overview
2010 will certainly be remembered as a critical year for State Parks. New York’s fiscal crisis has necessitated reductions to every part of state government. OPRHP has been no exception – our agency has implemented a series of actions to reduce our staffing and operating budget in response to the unprecedented budget deficits facing New York State.
As you know, last February our agency announced that, as a result of budget reductions, 55 state parks and historic sites would be closed. In late May, Governor Paterson and the Legislature reached agreement to restore $11 million to OPRHP’s operating budget, avoiding the need for park closures. All state parks and historic sites were quickly opened, and the public came to our parks in record numbers – with attendance projected to exceed 57 million visitors this year. Allow me to express my deep appreciation to you and your colleagues in the Assembly and Senate for your strong support for the park system and your leadership in providing funding that enabled our parks and historic sites to remain open this year.
However, New York continues to face very serious fiscal problems. The state must address a $315 million shortfall this fiscal year and a projected budget deficit exceeding $9 billion in 2011-12. In order to secure $250 million in workforce savings that were assumed in the current year (2010-11) enacted budget, state agencies were directed to reduce their permanent workforce. In OPHRP’s case, our authorized staffing level has been reduced to 1,785 positions, effective December 31st. This represents a reduction of 221 staff from the 2,006 positions that were authorized in our original 2010-11 budget, as enacted last May.
Approximately two-thirds of OPRHP’s 2010-11 staff reductions have been achieved through attrition and the Early Retirement Incentive program. However, OPRHP needed to eliminate 76 positions through employee layoffs in order to reach the 1,785 employee fill target by December 31st. The 76 employees whose positions have been eliminated received final layoff notices on December 7th.
OPRHP has endeavored to minimize the impacts of staff and budget reductions on the public services we provide at our state parks and historic sites. First, OPRHP has eliminated a number of programs and initiatives that did not directly support park operations, including:
- The Heritage Trails Program.
- Support for the Heritage Areas System.
- The Green Thumb Program.
- The Preservationist Magazine.
- The Historic Battlefield Flag Conservation Program.
- Our Student Conservation Association/Americorps Contract.
And second, we have significantly reduced the size of the central staff in our Albany and Peebles Island offices – our central staff has been reduced from 255 in 2008 to 186 positions today, which equates to a 27% reduction in staff.
However, our Albany/Peebles Island staff account for only 10% of our employees. Given that ninety percent of our staff is located in the field – directly supporting park and historic site operations, maintenance, and safety – the 76 layoffs occurring at the end of the year will necessitate the closing of several facilities.
At Knox Farm State Park in Erie County, two staff positions have been eliminated (one through the Early Retirement Incentive and the other by layoff), and the remaining three staff are being reassigned to Niagara Falls State Park to cover positions lost at that park. In November, we informed local officials that as a result of the staff eliminations, Knox Farm State Park will be closed. We have recently been approached by a group of local officials including the Town of Aurora, the Village of East Aurora, Senate and Assembly members, and representatives of the Friends of Knox Farm, who are evaluating whether the local municipalities have the capacity to operate the park next year. These discussions are ongoing.
All staff positions have been eliminated at two state golf courses in central New York: Springbrook Greens Golf Course (an 18-hole course in Cayuga County) and Pinnacle State Park Golf Course (a 9-hole course in Steuben County). OPRHP has issued RFPs seeking private operators for both courses. Under the terms of the RFPs, the courses will remain open to the public. The private operator will assume all costs for operating the facilities (staff, supplies, utilities, etc.) and will retain all revenues. Responses to the RFPs were due last Friday and will be evaluated through the state’s normal competitive bidding processes. The two courses are already closed for this season. In the event that no private operator is identified, the two golf courses will not reopen in 2011.
There will be additional impacts next year due to staff reductions. We anticipate that several state historic sites, normally closed for the winter, will not open in 2011. In addition to a small number of facility closures, we expect to reduce days and hours of operation, facility maintenance and upkeep, and interpretive programming at other facilities next year. At other locations, some swimming pools, nature centers, and campgrounds may not open. We currently are evaluating staff deployment plans for 2011 to respond to the loss of 221 positions that we have absorbed since the end of last summer from attrition, Early Retirement departures, and layoffs. Decisions on site closures and other operational reductions will not be finalized until we complete our staff deployment plans and make reassignments to address facility staffing needs.
Our State Park Police have also absorbed significant reductions. Due to the state’s fiscal situation, our Park Police Academy was again cancelled this year – our last Academy was held in FY2007-08. The Park Police force has declined from 300 officers in 2007 to 245 members today. The force continues to experience attrition of approximately 25 officers per year. The reduction in Park Police officers continues to be a strain on our system.
As part of the layoffs, OPRHP also eliminated the 6-person unit that administered the Empire State Games. OPRHP has announced that all 2011 Empire State Games will be cancelled, starting with the Winter Games scheduled for February. As has been widely reported in the press, the Village and Town of Lake Placid have initiated an effort to hold the Winter Games this coming February, without State Parks involvement. A group of officials in Rochester and Monroe County is evaluating whether they could stage the 2011 Summer Games. OPRHP is providing information to the Lake Placid and Rochester groups.
These actions – laying off staff, closing facilities, cancelling the Empire State Games – are difficult steps for our employees, for the agency, and for the public we serve. We did not take them lightly. However, the reality is that New York State’s revenues are not sufficient to continue historical agency spending levels, meaning these decisions are necessary to realign State Parks’ expenditures with the level of resources available to the agency.
Revenue Actions
In response to budget reductions, OPRHP has aggressively sought to increase its revenues. Over the past four years, the agency increased annual revenues by $17 million, which equates to a 24 percent increase. This year, OPRHP’s revenues will total $94 million, providing one-third of our total operating budget and more than half of our capital budget. Over the past two years alone, OPRHP has increased recurring revenues by $10 million through the following actions:
- Park user fees have been increased by approximately 25% including day-use entrance fees, camping and cabin rental fees, golf, marina fees, picnic shelter rentals, and other amenities.
- An out-of-state surcharge has been instituted on campsite and cabin rentals.
- Reforms were implemented to the agency’s Access Pass program.
By law, all park revenues are retained by OPRHP to support operating costs and capital projects. The agency’s revenue actions avoided what would have been deep cuts to park and historic site operations.
OPRHP has also vigorously pursued private contributions and sponsorships to augment state funding:
- Private Sponsorships. OPHRP has secured dozens of private sponsors to support State Park programs. Example include: the Open Space Alliance organized a concert series at East River State Park that generated more than $200,000 for state parks operations; Bethpage Federal Credit Union sponsored the 2010 Jones Beach Memorial Day Airshow and other events on Long Island; the Nestle/Juicy Juice corporation donated $350,000 toward construction of playgrounds at seven state parks; Cascadian Farms provided $30,000 and marketing assistance; and Odwalla provided funding for tree planting projects on the Avenue of the Pines at Saratoga Spa and other state parks.
- Private Fundraising. With support from the State Council of Parks, during 2010 OPRHP raised millions of dollars of charitable contributions from private individuals. Examples of projects that recently received private gifts include: restoration of the Geyser area at Saratoga Spa State Park; improvements to Taconic Falls State Park’s day-use area; a bequest to make improvements to the Trailside Museum and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park; and development of public facilities at Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park. In addition, at its one-year anniversary in October, the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park celebrated the Dyson Foundation, Scenic Hudson, and many other donors who contributed private funds to the project. The Walkway welcomed more than 750,000 visitors in its first year of operation.
Agency Efficiency Strategies
OPRHP continues to pursue a number of new strategies and partnerships in response to budget and staffing reductions. Here are some examples of efforts currently underway in the agency:
- Park Operations. The agency has reduced seasons, days, and hours of operation at more than 100 state parks and historic sites. This year, many campgrounds and golf courses opened a month later and closed a month earlier than in the past. Mid-week (e.g. Tuesday-Wednesday) closures have been instituted at a number of swimming beaches and campgrounds. Public services have been reduced at many parks during the off-season (October through May). Buildings are winterized and closed, restrooms locked, roads and parking lots are not plowed, etc.
- Partnership With Friends Groups. OPRHP has established new non-profit Friends Groups at 16 state parks and historic sites since 2007. There are now more than 75 Friends Groups that provide assistance, funding and volunteers at OPRHP facilities.
- Private Concessions. Currently, OPRHP has more than 100 concession agreements with for-profit businesses to operate public amenities in state parks and historic sites. These concession agreements range from large-scale international companies such as Delaware North and Guest Services Inc., to small family run businesses. In total, OPRHP concessionaires generate more than $90 million annually in gross receipts, of which roughly $9 million is returned to OPRHP as direct revenue to support park operations.
- Municipal Agreements. In the last two years, OPRHP has transferred management responsibility for seven facilities to local governments and federal agencies. Ownership of Empire Fulton Ferry State Park and the undeveloped South Beach property have been transferred to New York City. The National Park Service has assumed management responsibility for Oriskany Battlefield and Steuben Memorial State Historic Sites. OPRHP has entered into agreements with local governments to operate the Oak Orchard Boat Launch (Orleans County) and Beechwood State Park (Town of Sodus). And just last week the agency announced that the Town of Hamburg will take over operation of Woodlawn Beach State Park in Erie County, starting this spring.
- State Park Police. Historically, the Park Police were organized into eleven units corresponding to our eleven state park regions. We are in the process of streamlining the eleven units into five regions, thereby eliminating six senior management (police major) positions, and enabling more efficient deployment of our Park Police force to address the agency’s most pressing public safety issues.
- Improved Efficiency Through Technology. OPRHP has developed a Point of Sale system for park entrance booths and other locations where we collect revenue. This system will replace cash boxes and cash registers, with desktop and handheld computer units. The new system will reduce the number of staff required to collect entrance fees, and automate and thereby reduce staff time for processing and reporting revenue. We will pilot test the system at 10 park entrance lanes on Long Island this spring. In addition, OPRHP is experimenting with automated parking “pay stations” at several facilities (historically the agency has relied exclusively on staff to collect entrance fees). In 2010, automated systems were installed at the Walkway Over the Hudson and Watkins Glen State Park.
While OPRHP is aggressively pursuing efficiencies, partnerships, and private fundraising and sponsorships, I do need to emphasize that the state park system cannot run on private support alone. Even with increased partnerships and the $17 million of new annual revenue generated over the past for years through park fee increases, the state General Fund still accounts for more than half of OPRHP’s operating budget. Continued state support is essential to the operation and maintenance of our parks and historic sites.
State Parks Capital Program
OPRHP continues to aggressively advance capital construction projects to address the park system’s pressing health & safety and facility rehabilitation needs. Over the last four years, OPHRP has invested more than $300 million in park and historic site capital projects – with nearly $100 million spent annually in fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Examples of major projects completed during 2010 include:
- Jones Beach State Park – The agency completed a $6 million restoration of the park’s iconic 1929 water tower, which is the sole source of drinking water for the entire park and the adjacent U.S. Coast Guard Station.
- Robert Moses State Park – OPRHP completed a $1 million emergency project to replenish sand at the Field 4 & 5 ocean beaches in response to severe erosion from winter storms.
- Roberto Clemente State Park – The agency finished rehabilitation of the park’s 30-year old swimming pool, aquatics facilities, and locker rooms. The project was funded through mitigation funds provided by New York City.
- Letchworth State Park – OPRHP completed an $884,000 project to install two new drinking water treatment systems on the east side of the park.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park – Using privately donated funds, OPRHP restored deteriorated recreational facilities and constructed a new picnic pavilion.
- Chenango Valley State Park – The agency completed several capital projects totaling $1.6 million, including installation of a new underground electrical distribution system (replacing outdated wiring) and reconstruction of the Page Brook camping area, including new water and sewage systems, that was destroyed by a flood several years ago.
- Taughannock Falls State Park – OPRHP completed construction of a $1.8 million drinking water treatment and distribution system to service the park (the previous system did not meet health code requirements).
Many of these projects were funded through the State Parks Capital Initiative, which provided $94 million in bonded capital funds to the agency in fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10. I am pleased to report that 100 percent of the bonded Capital Initiative funds have been encumbered. Most of the projects are already completed, and the remainder are now underway.
Due to the state’s unprecedented fiscal challenges, the bonded State Parks Capital Initiative was not continued in OPRHP’s FY2010-11 budget. This year, the agency is focusing its available capital funds – provided through the State Park Infrastructure Fund (SPIF) and the Environmental Protection Fund Stewardship line – on addressing high priority health and safety issues in our facilities.
Thank you for providing me the opportunity to provide this summary of OPRHP’s 2010 activities. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Times Union – 891 on layoff list, not all to go
By RICK KARLIN Capitol Bureau
Saturday, December 11, 2010
ALBANY — When the dust settles from Gov. David Paterson’s layoffs next month, fewer than the approximately 900 people who’ve been targeted will actually lose their jobs, state officials predicted Friday.
“It is fair to say by the end of the year not all of those 891 people will be on the street as the result of layoffs,” said Erik Kriss, spokesman for the state Division of Budget.
“You still have essential positions in state government that are open and need to be filled,” he said, adding that in some cases jobs like correctional officers or direct care workers become vacant unexpectedly. In those instances, people on the layoff lists would have the first shot at filling those jobs.
Additionally, Kriss noted that some employees on layoff lists are able to retire and at least one person has recently died.
Nonetheless, 891 state employees on Friday received notices that they were on track for termination. By being notified on Friday, the state has met the 20-day notice requirement for state work force reductions.
State agencies varied in how they notified workers: most provided personal notification as well as a mailed or parcel post delivery of letters explaining the terminations, effective Jan. 1.
Unions representing state employees blasted the cuts, with CSEA President Danny Donohue saying they were done out of “political spite,” and PEF President Ken Brynien calling it “unnecessary and unconscionable.”
Paterson has maintained the layoffs are needed to achieve a goal of $250 million in workforce savings, and he has noted that unions rejected earlier calls for give-backs.
Union heads note the savings are minimal in light of the $9 billion budget deficit looming next year and the firings won’t account for added expenses in unemployment insurance and lost tax revenue.
The targeted workers were bitter, noting they are entering the worst job market in years.
“Merry Christmas guys,” said Don Bush, a mechanic at the Belleayre ski center.
He’s relatively lucky — he has the option of going from full- to part-time status — meaning a pay cut of approximately $22- to $18-an-hour, after 24 years of experience.
He knows of co-workers who will earn even less and they are wondering how they’ll pay rent or make car payments. One co-worker is about to give back the new truck he purchased.
“People are very nervous and very afraid,” he said.
To be sure, New Yorkers across the state will see some reduction in services right off the bat, said Chris Hickey, vice president at New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc.
Park rangers are being laid off at Riverbank and Roberto Clemente state parks in Manhattan and the Bronx, he said.
Two educational centers run by the Department of Environmental Conservation — Rogers in Sherburne, Chenango County, and Stony Kill Farm in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County — will be closed.
Also closing is Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora, Erie County.
And 33 full time and seven hourly security screeners in the Capitol complex are on the termination list.
Adding insult to injury, Hickey said the state Office of General Services is advertising to hire a private security firm in the Empire State Plaza.
OGS spokeswoman Heather Groll stressed the openings are for security during off-hours events, such as car shows, which would be paid for by the sponsors, not taxpayers.
“This has been going on for a number of years,” said Groll, who said the ad was not related to the layoffs.
Hickey noted the security screeners had in past years helped guard special events on an overtime basis.
“We were an easy mark,” said Alfred Christian, the screeners’ chief union steward.
Christian added that, due to the cutbacks in staff, the state is looking to close public access to one of the entrances to the Capitol complex.
Most likely, they will close the State Street door to the Legislative Office Building to all but employees.
This could make for longer lines during legislative sessions, when scores of people descend on the Capitol to lobby for various causes, press events and other activities.
The state hasn’t officially announced plans for the access points.
Additionally the Empire State Games are being cancelled and the State Museum in Albany will close on Sundays.
State employees weren’t the only public workers getting bad news this week. As of Wednesday approximately 1,000 employees of the New York City Off Track Betting Corp. were jobless after the Senate on Tuesday failed to pass a bill that would have rescued the bankrupt organization.
Rick Karlin can be reached at 454-5758 or rkarlin@timesunion.com.
Wall Street Journal – Advocates call for more NY parks funding
Associated Press
Dec 5, 2010
Erik Kulleseid of the Alliance for New York State Parks. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
ALBANY, N.Y. — Advocacy groups are calling for a new source of revenue to revitalize New York’s parks and historic sites, suggesting state leaders consider a surcharge on vehicle registrations, a deposit on plastic grocery bags or other measures used by other states.
A report by the Alliance for New York State Parks and Parks & Trails New York says budget cuts have left the parks system understaffed and in need of repairs.
The report, released Thursday, calls for restoring the park agency’s budget, investing $1 billion over the next decade for repairs, and establishing a new, dedicated funding stream to ensure the future of the state’s parks.
As examples of potential new funding streams, alliance Director Erik Kulleseid points to Montana’s $4 fee on vehicle registrations and Washington, D.C.’s nickel deposit on grocery bags.
Montana’s vehicle fee, enacted in 2004, has kept that state’s park system in better financial shape than many other states during the recession. Faced with closing 40 of 121 state parks to save money, Washington state followed Montana’s lead in 2009 and enacted its own $5 vehicle registration surcharge. In both states, drivers can opt out of the fees.
In Michigan, a new system for funding parks began in October. It gives residents the option of paying $10 for a “recreation passport” when they register a vehicle. The one-year passport grants access to all 98 state parks and recreation areas, plus boat launches.
California’s Proposition 21 on last month’s ballot would have increased vehicle registration fees by $18 a year to raise about $500 million a year in a dedicated fund for the state’s 278 parks. The proposition was defeated.
Last spring, Gov. David Paterson announced that dozens of New York’s 178 parks and 35 historic sites would have to close and others would have to reduce services because of the state’s budget deficit. After a public outcry, Paterson and the Legislature restored $11 million to keep all the parks open.
Carol Ash, who resigned recently as New York’s parks commissioner and now serves as an adviser to the alliance, said attendance at state parks has been rising as the economy forces people to seek recreation closer to home. Attendance is expected to reach 60 million visitors next year, she said.
The state parks budget has been cut from $195 million in fiscal year 2008-09 to less than $160 million for the current fiscal year, Ash said, and staffing has been reduced by more than 1,400 permanent and seasonal workers. Facilities are critically in need of repair — roofs, heating and plumbing systems, electrical systems, recreational fields, pools, roads, drinking water supplies and buildings — she said.
In his “Cleaner, Greener NY” plan, Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo notes that open spaces support industries that generate billions of dollars in annual revenue for the state, including the $54 billion outdoor recreation and tourism industries. He says the state’s park system creates nearly $2 billion in revenue annually and supports more than 20,000 park-related jobs.
To ensure that state parks stay open, Cuomo said, the state parks office must rely on public-private partnerships with not-for-profit organizations that raise money for parks and help maintain them.
Cuomo has ruled out raising taxes and fees once he takes office in 2011, but parks boosters stress that investing in parks is good for the state’s economy. New York’s parks create $5 in economic activity for every dollar the state invests, said Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks & Trails New York.
Erik Kriss, budget spokesman for Paterson, said it’s too soon to say whether park closings will be proposed for the next budget. But he said more cutbacks can be expected because the state faces a $315 million deficit in the current fiscal year and a projected $9 billion deficit in 2011-12.
Kriss noted that the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has agreements with dozens of organizations, including large nonprofits that fully operate parks and historic sites as well as all-volunteer groups that operate a discrete building or program. It also has agreements with local governments to operate sites.
OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash Resigns: Lead NYS Parks in Hard Times
09/23/2010
Governor David A. Paterson today announced that Carol Ash will resign her position as Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) effective October 13.
“Over the past four years Commissioner Ash has led her agency with dedication, integrity and professionalism,” Governor Paterson said. “Despite these extraordinarily challenging times, the Commissioner presided the over construction and opening of the remarkable Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, a very successful U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park and initiated an effort to rebuild and restore the agency’s aging infrastructure.”
During Commissioner Ash’s term more than $200 million was invested in roadways, bathhouses, historic structures and electrical and plumbing systems. She promoted public-private partnerships and encouraged strong relationships with Friends Groups and non-for-profits. She also saw visitation rates climb, as more than 56 million people were welcomed at the State’s 178 parks and 35 historic sites in 2009.
Commissioner Ash also directed the formation of Riverbank Sports teams, supported the Save Riverbank Campaign and aided in the formation of the Riverbank Partnership.
Commissioner Carol Ash said: “I offer my sincere thanks to Governor Paterson for the opportunity to serve the people of New York. I am also deeply honored to have had the privilege to lead a dedicated and resourceful workforce. Even in these trying times, their commitment to our parks and historic sites has resulted in better experiences for millions of park patrons and I am proud of their collective efforts. ”
Governor Paterson appointed Andy Beers to the position of Acting Commissioner. Mr. Beers has served as OPRHP Executive Deputy Commissioner since 2007. He has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency, as well as overseeing the continuing efforts to revitalize the State parks system.
VOTE FOR RIVERBANK!
Coca Cola is encouraging all families to help support Riverbank by voting for Riverbank as your favorite park. The national or state park with the most votes will receive a $100,000 grant from Coca-Cola.
Vote as many times as you like from 7/29 to 8/31.
Please click the link below to vote.
http://www.livepositively.com/#/americasparks/vote
Follow the instructions.
Find Riverbank by typing “Riverbank” into the Search box or typing the “10031” into the Zip Code box
The security code you enter is case sensitive and is usually all caps.
Let’s Go Riverbank!
List of vetoes signed by Paterson
Parks survive budget battle
Updated: Thursday, 08 Jul 2010, 12:34 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 08 Jul 2010, 9:30 AM EDT
- Shannon Ross
- Posted by: Emily Lenihan
ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) – State Parks managed to survive the budget battle, but other agencies are falling victim to Governor Paterson’s veto pen.
His administration has given state lawmakers more than 6,000 budget items he has rejected.
Among them, $419 million dollars in public school aid and $190 million in Pork Barrel Spending.
Paterson and lawmakers are still at odds over a final revenue bill that’s holding up passage of this year’s budget.
A full list of the vetoes signed by Governor Paterson can be found here.
FOX5 – Should NYS State Parks Be Privatized?
Updated: Wednesday, 07 Jul 2010, 12:14 AM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 07 Jul 2010, 12:14 AM EDT
CLICK IMAGE TO SEE VIDEO REPORT
MYFOXNY.COM – As with every state agency, the New York State Parks Department is dealing with a slashed budget. The department oversees 35 historic sites and 178 parks, including golf course and beaches.
Fox 5 explores the spirited debate about whether New York should explore privatization as a way to save money at state parks.
Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates, a nonprofit watchdog group, discussed the issue with Leonard Gilroy, of Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank. Croft doesn’t support privatizing state parks, but Gilroy says public-private partnerships could generate money for the state.
Serrano Thrilled with Memorial Day Weekend Attendance at State Parks
José M. Serrano
Posted on Friday, June 4th, 2010
“I am so thrilled and excited to learn of the major increase in park attendance that we are currently seeing. Now more than ever, we should recognize the significance that State Parks hold for the people of New York,” stated Senator José M. Serrano after the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announced that with 1.17 million visitors over Memorial Day weekend (May 29-31), attendance at State Parks soared by 245,296 visitors. This translates to a 17 percent increase from the 2009 holiday weekend.
Serrano, who is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, was a vocal advocate in the fight to keep State Parks open, after Governor David A. Paterson proposed budget cuts that would have padlocked many parks throughout the state.
“Had our parks been closed, the people of our state would have been deprived of one of our greatest natural resources,” said Serrano. “Our communities’ access to recreational and physical activities would have been greatly diminished. Additionally, the state would have lost significant revenue that, if Memorial Day weekend is any indication, will increase considerably from last summer.”
In addition to the increase in overall park visitors, the amount of State Park system campsites that were occupied over the holiday weekend increased by a whopping 88 percent when compared to last year. There was also a significant increase in sales of the Empire Passport, an annual pass that provides unlimited use of most of New York’s State Parks.
“Just as the state is undergoing a financial crisis, so is the average New Yorker,” said the Senator. “State Parks and Historic Sites are a worthwhile, economical alternative to expensive summer retreats, as they offer varied educational, recreational and relaxation opportunities that every New Yorker can enjoy.” He continued, “Thanks to the hard work and support of vocal parks advocates throughout our communities, Parks Commissioner Carol Ash and her staff, and the people of our state, we can all look forward to a thriving summer park season.”
NYSR – Thank You!
MEMORIAL DAY AT RIVERBANK – MAY 31, 2010
June 3, 2010
Lewis Burgess
When Governor Paterson and Commissioner Ash proposed to close dozens of NYS State Parks and historic sites and reduce operating hours, classes, pools, and services at dozens of others on February 19th, no one imagined that there would be an unrelenting state-wide outcry rejecting the proposal.
On March 3rd, Senator Jose M. Serrano and Assemblyman Steve Englebright rallied Senators and Assemblymembers to the cause. From beginning to end, the two legislators were unrelenting in their efforts to restore funding to NYS parks and historic sites Kudos to them.
And once informed, citizens across the state, upstate and downstate, began to organize hold rallies and campaign to keep our parks and historic sites open and operating as usual.
Riverbankers also rallied and campaigned to save Riverbank non-stop from March 4th to May 28th. Riverbankers joined together at rallies at Riverbank, in front of the NYS Office Building, and at a vigil on May 17th at the 137th Street entrance. Riverbankers called, wrote and met with legislators, interviewed with NY1, the Daily News, El Diario, Amsterdam News, DNAInfo, manned info and petition tables, bought Save Riverbank t-shirts and swim caps, made Riverbank videos for YouTube, designed graphics, blogged, reported, researched and Facebooked. 5,297 of us signed a petition that was sent to Governor Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Majority Conference Leader Senator John L. Sampson. The Riverbank Community of park users spread the word to save Riverbank.
Our local legislators also responded to the call to hold Riverbank harmless in the budget crisis. Assemblymen Daniel O’Donnell, Keith L.T. Wright and Herman D. Farrell joined the fray early with their March 3rd joint letter to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Senator Eric Schneiderman appealed to Governor Paterson and Senator Sampson on March 24th. Since then Herman D. Farrell carried the cause to the floor of the Assembly and fought for Riverbank. They all voted in the affirmative in the Senate and Assembly budget resolutions to restore NYS parks as well as the bills that freed the parks and historic sites from devastating budget cuts.
Quietly in the background, the Albany Office of OPRHP, the New York City Commission of the State Council of Recreation and Historic Preservation and Riverbank State Park administration and employees supported the Riverbank Community effort to restore the budget cuts from the beginning. Community Planning Board 9 sent a unanimously approved letter to Governor Paterson on May 21st.
The Riverbank Community thanks you all.
In the end, after much political brouhaha and wheeling and dealing in Albany, all NYS parks and historic parks where held harmless in the budget crisis on May 28th. The citizen’s outcry was heard, our parks were given back to us as it should be.
NYSR – ALL PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES ARE OPEN!
Players on Riverbank's Soccer/Football Field
May 28, 2010
Lewis Burgess
The Parks are Open for the Memorial Day Weekend and the Rest of the YEAR!
The Assembly (86-47) and Senate (32-27) and Assembly approved Governor Paterson’s Program Bill #267, A11308, S7988 early this morning at 2:59 am and afternoon at 2:37 pm. The bill provides $11.2 million dollars to maintain operations at 178 parks, 35 historic sites and all campgrounds in the Adirondacks and Catskills for State Fiscal Year 2010-2011. It will provide $134 million for a wide variety of environmental projects and establish a state-wide E-waste program to reuse and recycle electronic equipment that is expected to generate $4 million in revenues from fees, surcharges and penalties that will go into for the Environmental Protection Fund.
To achieve these results $80 million was diverted from Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) revenues. These revenues would have been deposited into the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). $6 million of the $80 million went to reopen the 55 closed parks and historic sites. $5.2 million went to fund all the open parks and historic sites for the rest of the fiscal year. $5 million was used for payments to local governments in the forest preserve. The EPF received $130 million for RETT and $4 million from the E-Waste program. EPF funding in SFY 2009-10 was $212 million. This year EPF funding was reduced by$78 million.
OUR VOICES HAVE BEEN HEARD!
OUR LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNOR DID THE RIGHT THING! THANK YOU!
LET US ENJOY OUR PARKS THIS WEEKEND, THIS SUMMER AND FOR REST OF THE YEAR!
ENJOY RIVERBANK!
Save Riverbank 
