OPRHP – Testimony Before NYS Assembly Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee

November 1, 2011

Testimony Before NYS Assembly Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee

Commissioner Rose Harvey

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Thank you, Chairwoman Markey, and members of the Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee, for inviting me here today to discuss our New York State park system, and the agency’s role in supporting New York’s tourism industry. As Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, I am charged with overseeing one of our state’s greatest treasures – the 126-year-old New York State park system. Since the 1885 creation of Niagara Reservation State Park – the oldest state park in the nation – the system has grown to 213 state Parks and Historic Sites encompassing 330,000 acres of protected lands and waters. Widely regarded as the finest in the nation, our New York State park system attracts tens of millions of visitors annually.

Since my appointment by Governor Cuomo in January, I have been traveling throughout our system to better understand park and historic site needs. I continue to be impressed by the diversity and scale of our park system. We have more parks than any other state park system in the nation, and the most developed system, and we’re the fourth-largest and second-most visited park system in the nation.

Our state park system is critical to our state’s prosperity and well-being. For a relatively small agency, State Parks has an outsized impact on New York’s economic development. Last year, 57 million people visited our 213 state parks and historic sites. Niagara Falls State Park alone attracts more visitors than Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks combined. Park visitors have a significant impact on New York’s economy and jobs.

A 2009 study by the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found that spending by New York State Parks and its visitors support 20,000 private-sector jobs (in addition to State Parks jobs), with an average compensation of about $50,000 a year. On a statewide basis, direct spending by the Office of Parks on park maintenance and capital improvements, and spending by visitors to state parks, supports up to $1.9 billion in output and sales. About 40 percent of the total is by people coming from outside the community to visit a park, and spending on transportation, lodging, groceries, restaurants, and other shopping. One-quarter of the people who stay at our campgrounds visit from out-of-state.

New York is open for business – and State Parks are a great place to do business. We have roughly 100 concession contracts with private business – everything from resort hotels to snack bars and the Maid of the Mist to kayak rental concessions. These businesses alone generate nearly $90 million in gross receipts annually, of which almost $10 million is returned directly to the agency to support park operations.

Our parks host major events, such as concerts, festivals and golf tournaments, which provide an economic boost to local economies. Bethpage State Park, for example, has twice hosted the U.S. Open Golf Championship and will host the PGA Tour’s Barclay’s tournament next year.

Yet the park system has its challenges. Consistent with many other state agencies, the Office of parks is rethinking its operations to provide the best service to our patrons at least cost. As a result of my visits to the parks and robust discussions with senior staff, we are focused on three main priorities to maintain the quality of park system, deliver a critical service to the people of New York, and contribute to the economic revitalization of New York.

Going into the summer season, our first goal was to keep open all parks and historic sites and maintain the quality of service with limited staffing and resources. Governor Cuomo made it clear that we need to keep all the parks open, particularly for those working class families where our parks are the only affordable alternative. I’m proud to say we’ve accomplished this goal. Despite some very uncooperative weather, we’ve had a successful season in 2011. We had another successful Memorial Day Air Show at Jones Beach State Park, opened a new and much needed $20 million aquatic facility at Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx; celebrated the millionth visitor to the new Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park in Poughkeepsie, extended our hours at swimming beaches across the state during the July heat wave, and kept our patrons and staff safe during Tropical Storms Irene and Lee.

We’ve done this – and will continue to do this – by focusing on our core values, maximizing efficiency, and leveraging our limited resources. Efficiency measures we implemented this past season included satellite park management, more partnerships with local governments, “controlled nature,” roving park maintenance, concessionaire-operated golf courses, and automation. We’ve learned a lot about how to do more with less this season, and we will continue to build on the experience.

We’re also bringing more focus to the agency. Our parks can no longer be all things to all people. During the off-season, our regional directors and park managers are going to focus on the core values that define what’s important about each park and we will align our future management to these core values. We’ve also set up a “blue ribbon” committee to review a new strategic plan by the State Historic Preservation Office to enhance the management of our 35 state historic sites. We will continue to look for ways to strengthen the work of our non-profit Friends Groups and partnerships with local governments to help operate parks that have mostly local visitation or are passive in nature.

Our second goal is to increase the quality and quantity of satisfied visitors—so we are number one most-visited and appreciated parks system in the country. To begin with, we must keep fees for core services affordable in these difficult times, particularly to underserved communities who cannot afford more. And we need to increase transportation access and physical access, such as trails and connectors to our own and local parks. We will create a strong brand to promote and celebrate our parks and historic sites, including uniforms, customer service training, marketing materials handed out at parks, and website improvements. We will soon have available a mobile app so smartphone users can more easily access information about our parks.Leveraging our limited resources with local government partnerships, Friends Groups and volunteers is a very high priority. We can supply the land, the buildings, the infrastructure, and many services, but we are looking to working with partners to provide more and a deeper level of programs and use opportunities—again, in keeping with the core value and purposes of each and every park. Simple policy changes such as providing access to different user groups – such as kayakers and canoeists – who’ve had limited access will help more patrons enjoy the park.

Our third goal is to fix the aging infrastructure and build a 21st century green and sustainable park system. We need to restore, rehabilitate, and improve the strong, stable, and visionary park system we inherited from the likes of Frederick Law Olmsted and Robert Moses. In 1883, Olmsted convinced the State to pass legislation to purchase the Niagara Reservation, which became the nation’s first state park. Then in the 1920’s, the State and Robert Moses picked up the mantle and completed, funded, and built out one of the most ambitious and visionary state park plans in the country. A system designed to be easily accessible to New York residents and visitors and offer them unprecedented recreational, historic and nature experiences in the likes of Jones Beach, Palisades State Park, Letchworth, Allegany, Olana and, last but not least, Riverbank and Roberto Clemente. As the oldest and most developed park system in the country, New York has significant infrastructure challenges that must be addressed. This year we have identified resources that begin to address our priority capital needs. For example, better than budgeted revenues in parks allowed us to spend an additional $7 million on equipment and capital projects this fiscal year. We’ve also freed up $5 million of previous federal Transportation Enhancements funds, granted to the agency but which were never spent, to advance park and historic site improvements. We will continue to work on raising private dollars for parks and partnering on capital projects with sister agencies and our friends groups. We are also prioritizing our needs and designing long-term improvements, so that we will be “shovel ready” when the economy improves and additional capital funds are available.

Thank you again for your interest in our state park system. As always, I am truly appreciative for the tremendous support that members of the Legislature have provided to our agency and I welcome any questions.

OPRHP – Testimony Before the Joint Fiscal Committees of the State Legislature on the FY 2011-12 Executive Budget

Thumbs up! No Park Closures.....

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – Acting Commissioner Andy Beers – February 8, 2011 – Senate Finance Chair DeFrancisco and Assembly Ways & Means Chair Farrell, thank you for the opportunity to be with you today to discuss Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget proposal for State Parks for Fiscal Year 2011-12. Thank you also Senator Little and Assemblyman Englebright, Chairs of the Tourism & Parks Committees, as well as other members of the Senate and Assembly here today.

I am representing State Parks today as Acting Commissioner, having served in this role since last October. Governor Cuomo recently announced he will nominate Rose Harvey as the next State Parks Commissioner. Ms. Harvey, who expects to begin working later this month, brings a wealth of experience in parks and environmental issues to our agency, and she looks forward to working with you and your colleagues during this legislative session.

In his State of the State Address and Executive Budget presentation, Governor Cuomo forcefully articulated the severity of the fiscal challenges facing New York State and the need to right-size and redesign how government provides services to the people of our state. Governor Cuomo’s message has been crystal clear – maintaining the status quo is simply not an option. State spending over the past ten years has grown at more than double the rate of inflation. We can no longer spend beyond our means.

We at Parks are prepared to do our part in the budget while ensuring the continued operation of our facilities.

As all of you know, New York’s parks and historic sites are among New York’s great assets. State Parks has been entrusted with the care of 213 state parks and historic sites, which include many of the state’s most iconic landscapes – treasured places like Niagara Falls, Jones Beach, Bear Mountain, Green Lakes, Saratoga Spa, Allegany, Bethpage, Riverbank, Orient Point, Letchworth, and Hudson Highlands State Parks. The system also includes 35 historic sites that preserve and interpret critical elements of New York’s culture and history – including Washington’s Headquarters, Olana, Fort Niagara, Ganondagan, and the Darwin Martin House.

For more than a century, New York has invested in developing world-class park facilities, and today we have the most developed state park system in the nation. Our park system encompasses 5,000 buildings, 8,355 campsites, 817 cabins, 53 swimming pools, 76 swimming beaches, 29 golf courses, 27 marinas, 40 boat launch sites, 18 nature centers, more than 1,350 miles of trails, 106 dams, 640 bridges, hundreds of miles of roads, and hundreds of historic structures listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

We are incredibly fortunate and all benefit from the time, energy, and money that have been invested in these resources over the years. New York’s parks and historic sites are gifts given from one generation to the next. And this team at State Parks will continue to care for and improve upon these gifts in the next fiscal year, while managing the ten percent reduction in State Operations Funding required of all state agencies as part of closing the state’s $10 billion deficit.

I am confident that the ten percent reduction can be achieved without requiring new closures of state parks or historic sites by reevaluating our operations to identify additional efficiencies, eliminating redundancies, and examining how savings from actions taken in the current fiscal year will help us in the next fiscal year.

For the last two years, State Parks has undergone consistent review and faced many challenges, proving that we can do more with less and that in crisis there is also opportunity. Our management of past budget reductions has made us a more flexible, innovative, and efficient institution. When faced with insufficient resources to maintain a facility, we didn’t just shutter the building or lock the park. Instead we looked for synergies and partners in local governments, state and federal agencies, and private organizations, and we were able to keep our parks and facilities open to the public.

In the past year, we have reached agreements with local governments to operate Woodlawn Beach State Park in Erie County, Beechwood State Park in Wayne County, and Oak Orchard Boat Launch in Orleans County. Ownership of Empire Fulton Ferry State Park and the undeveloped South Beach property were transferred to New York City. And we reached an agreement under which the National Park Service is operating Oriskany Battlefield and Steuben Memorial State Historic Sites. We will continue to forge partnerships and find other creative solutions to better serve New Yorkers in the next fiscal year.

In response to the Governor’s call for a fresh look at how government operates, State Parks is initiating a comprehensive review of the agency’s operations to identify opportunities to achieve cost efficiencies by redesigning the way we do business. Potential areas of savings that we will continue to explore include:

• increased partnerships with local governments and non-profit organizations and exploration of opportunities for greater private sector involvement in state park operations;
• collaborative efforts and shared services with ESDC, DEC, DOT and other sister agencies;
• efforts to increase fundraising from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors; and
• technology investments that can boost agency productivity.

The 2011-12 Executive Budget contains $25 million in state funding for capital rehabilitation and improvement projects in our State Parks and Historic Sites:

• The budget makes $17.2 million available for State Park Infrastructure Fund (SPIF) capital projects, which is the same amount provided in 2010-11.
• The budget recommends $16.2 million from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) for capital “Stewardship” projects, of which $8.1 million is allocated to OPRHP (the other half of the Stewardship funds would be allocated to DEC). Given the State Park System’s substantial capital rehabilitation needs, the EPF Stewardship line is a critical source of funding for OPRHP’s capital program.
• The budget also provides appropriation authority for OPRHP to expend capital funds received from federal sources, mitigation projects, and private contributions.

You may recall that during fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10, State Parks received a total of $85 million of bonded “State Parks Capital Initiative” funds for park and historic site revitalization projects. I am pleased to report that all of these funds have been fully deployed, allowing the agency to complete hundreds of vitally important facility and infrastructure rehabilitation projects.

The Executive Budget contains $134 million for Environmental Protection Fund programs, which is the same amount provided in the current year. There are no proposed program off-loads to the EPF. The funding level and programmatic approach to the EPF was very welcome news for the environmental community, and many of the groups have been vocal in their support for the Governor’s budget.

OPRHP administers funding from four major EPF programs. In each case, the budget funding is continued at this year’s levels, honoring the Governor’s commitment to retain the EPF for traditional purposes:

• $16.2 million is provided for capital Stewardship projects, to be split between OPRHP and DEC.
• $13 million is allocated for matching grants to local governments and non-profits for park and historic preservation projects.
• $9 million is provided for grants to zoos, botanical gardens, aquaria, arboretums, and nature centers under the ZBGA program.
• $17.5 million is allocated to OPRHP’s and DEC’s open space land protection programs.

In conclusion, Governor Cuomo has clearly articulated the need for all parts of government to achieve costs savings and efficiencies in response to the fiscal crisis facing the state. State Parks is committed to fully participating in this effort, including implementing strategies to address the ten percent reduction to our General Fund appropriation, while maintaining the agency’s core mission and programs.

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Gotham Gazette – With State Parks at Risk, Advocates Seek New Funding Sources

by Anne Schwartz
December 20, 2010

After layoffs take effect Dec. 31, Riverbank State Park in Manhattan, the fourth most visited of New York's state parks, will lose all four of its rangers and see its hours significantly cut back. Photo by Ruthanne Reid

When Gov. David Paterson threatened to close 88 state parks and historic sites last spring, he unleashed a torrent of public outrage. Legislators said they received more phone calls, letters, emails and petitions on parks than on any other issue.

The closings were averted when the Paterson administration agreed to restore $11 million to the parks budget after legislators consented to slashing the Environmental Protection Fund, which pays for land acquisition, recycling and other environmental needs. But the park system is still at risk.

Several parks upstate are already slated for closing after the latest round of layoffs that will go into effect Dec. 31. Riverbank State Park in Harlem is losing all four of its rangers, and hours are being significantly curtailed.

More than a decade of declining funding for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has cut its operations to the bone. Further budget reductions will inevitably lead to more closed parks and hours reduced to the point that sites will not be open when people want to visit.

Advocates hope to build on the outpouring of grassroots support last spring to get new funding dedicated to the parks. With the state facing a huge budget gap — and the new administration vowing not to raise taxes — parks supporters are looking at new funding mechanisms that could help pay for parks, not just in this current crisis but for the long term.

In his Cleaner, Greener NY agenda released just before the election, Gov. elect Andrew Cuomo recognized the importance of parks to the state’s economy and environment, and pledged to “work to ensure that they stay open for the benefit of all New Yorkers.” He did not, though, offer any specifics other than encouraging private-public partnerships and local community involvement. It remains to be seen whether Cuomo will find a way to put one of the nation’s great park systems back on a solid footing.

125 Years of Parks

When Paterson made closing the parks a symbol of the need for fiscal austerity during last year’s budget negotiations, his message was “parks are a luxury we can’t afford.”

Judging from the impassioned response to the prospect of closings and a rise in park attendance, the public has a different view. “Parks are one of the principal public interfaces of government, where people know they get their tax dollars back,” said Eric Kulleseid, a former state parks official who now directs the Alliance for New York State Parks, a group recently launched to increase both public and private support for the parks.

New York established the first state park in the nation, creating theNiagara Reservation in 1885 to protect the spectacular falls from encroaching industrialization and allow public access. The state park system now includes 178 parks and 35 historic sites. It provides every kind of outdoor recreation and preserves scenic landscapes, a diversity of plant and animal life and the state and nation’s political and cultural history.

State parks are also a key component of New York’s tourism industry. They attract 57 million visitors a year, bringing an annual economic boost of $50 million and generating 20,000 jobs (not including parks employees). A2009 study by the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that every dollar invested in state parks (both operating and capital) returns $5 in economic benefits.

In many upstate areas hard hit by the economic downturn, parks are a lifeline.

“We’re very short-sighted if we don’t keep all of the parks open,” said Steve Engelbright, chair of the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.

There are four state parks in New York City, including Riverbank State Park along the Hudson River, the fourth most visited park in the state. City residents also count on state parks for day trips to escape the summer heat and for affordable vacations. Some of the most popular parks in the system, such as Jones Beach and Harriman, are within easy reach of the city.

State of the State Parks

Like many other states, New York has not made its parks and historic sites a budget priority even in good times. In the decade leading up to the economic crisis, the operating budget of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation steadily declined even as the system added 26 new parks.

Over the last three years, the agency took an even deeper hit. Even before the showdown over park closures last spring, repeated budget cuts had forced the agency to shorten the season and hours at 100 parks and historic sites. Since 2008, its operating budget was cut seven times, going from $195 million to less than $160 million in the current fiscal year — an overall cut of 18 percent that surpasses the reductions in other budget areas.

As a result, the parks agency staff dropped from 5,000 permanent and seasonal workers in 2008 to about 3,600 in 2010, with additional positions cut as of January. The cuts strike directly at park maintenance and operation because 90 percent of the agency’s staff works in the field.

Although last spring’s budget deal restored the bare minimum of funding needed to reopen the parks for the summer, the most recent elimination of staff positions will result in the closing of some parks and facilities, and the reduction of maintenance and hours of operation at others, said Acting Commissioner Andy Beers in testimony at a joint hearing of the Assembly standing committees for Parks, Recreation, and Sports Development, and Oversight, Analysis, and Investigation.

On Jan. 1, the state will close Knox Farm State Park near Buffalo. Photo by Sonja McAllister

As of Jan. 1, the state will shutter Knox Farm State Park outside Buffalo. Two other Buffalo-area parks, Joseph Davis State Park and Woodlawn Beach State Park, will also close unless an agreement is reached for local governments to operate them.

In addition to the reductions in services at Riverbank State Park, the cuts would eliminate the sole ranger at Roberto Clemente state park in the Bronx.

Beers said that several state historic sites that close for the winter probably will not open in 2011. The agency expects to reduce days and hours of operation, facility maintenance and upkeep, and interpretive programming at some locations, and close swimming pools, nature centers and campgrounds at others, but has not yet determined which sites will be affected.

The agency also has a $1 billion backlog of necessary repairs and infrastructure upgrades, according to its own 2010 analysis. Decades of deferred repairs to deteriorating bridges, roads and pools, and sewage, drinking water and electrical systems risk the public’s health and safety and make parks less enjoyable to visit.

When parks are closed and minimally maintained, they become vulnerable to damage from neglect and vandalism. It endangers the public, creates liabilities for the state and puts the taxpayers’ financial investment at risk. Getting bathrooms, buildings, pools, trails and other facilities back in usable condition would likely cost many times the amount saved by budget cuts.

Searching for Solutions

Gearing up for the next legislative season, park advocates hope they can once again harness the enormous public support for state parks to prevent further cuts. To ensure the system’s future viability, they would like to put in place a dedicated funding source for state parks.

In November, the Alliance for New York State Parks and Parks & Trails New York, the statewide advocacy group that organized the opposition to park closings last year, issued a report calling for an end to cuts and restoration of funding for park operations, an increase in capital funding and a new dedicated mechanism to secure parks funding for the future.

“It’s time to step back and think creatively about the ways to remedy the situation,” said Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks & Trails New York. “A new, dedicated funding mechanism for parks seems to us the best chance to adequately support our iconic state park system, for ourselves and future generations.”

Advocates have been gathering ideas from other states in hopes of developing a funding mechanism that would work in New York. One model that bears looking at, they say, is a voluntary vehicle registration fee. Montana has a state parks fee of $4 people pay when they register a vehicle. Drivers can waive the fee by filling out an additional form, but few choose to opt out. In October, Michigan began offering residents an optional $10 annual“recreation passport” in addition to the vehicle registration fee. The passport gives free access to all state parks, recreation areas and boat launches.

Washington, D.C. took another approach last January it became the first place in the U.S. to establish a plastic and paper shopping bag fee. The nickel per bag fee raised $1.1 million in the first half year toward efforts to clean up the Anacostia River and dramatically curtailed plastic bag use.

Engelbright said that he would like to see the new administration’s budget presentation include supplementary revenue sources such as these. “If we did something like plastic grocery sacks at a penny apiece, and a motor vehicle registration fee and made them both declinable, it could bring in between $60 and $100 million a year,” he said. “The interesting thing about the Montana model is, when they made it voluntary and kept the fee nominal, participation was somewhere north of 90 percent.”

Another way to support the parks, Engelbright said, is by encouraging the creation of highly professional nonprofit organizations supporting individual state parks. He cited the conservancies and friends groups that turned around Central Park and other New York City parks neglected during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. Cuomo placed a strong emphasis on this approach in his environmental agenda.

Encouraging park partnerships and raising private contributions is also one of the goals of the newly formed Alliance for New York State Parks, which itself operates as a public-private partnership under the auspices of the nonprofit Open Space Institute.

Private funding can only go so far. It has become more controversial in New York City, where opponents charge that an increasing reliance on nonprofit park partners and private donations has led to reduced public access and oversight. But Kulleseid noted that the state park system always has had significant contributions from the private sector, going back to the early donations of property for parkland by prominent New York families.

Park supporters are heartened by the Cuomo campaign pledge to keep parks open. They are waiting to see what solutions he offers.

“I’m hopeful that the new administration takes a look at the outcry that happened last year, understands that parks are an economic driver rather than a drain, and has a different approach,” said former parks commissioner Carol Ash in a television interview. Ash resigned as commissioner in October and now serves as an advisor to the alliance.

With the state facing years of continuing budget deficits and Cuomo determined not to raise taxes, the challenge is enormous. But in hard times, people need parks more than ever. And, as advocates point out, the state can’t balance the budget with further cuts to an agency that represents just a tenth of a percent of the total budget.

“New York has one of the finest state park systems in the country,” said Kulleseid. “What we do here is going to have implications everywhere.”

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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.

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NYSR – Thank You!

MEMORIAL DAY AT RIVERBANK – MAY 31, 2010

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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.

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Governor Paterson’s Leaders Meeting Highlights and Post-Leaders Meeting Q&A – Where are we now?

May 19, 2010
Lewis Burgess

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SEE ENTIRE LEADERS’ MEETING VIDEO HERE: http://pointers.audiovideoweb.com/stcasx/1c2win1559/GOV_05182010edit.wmv/play.asx

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LEADERS’ MEETING HIGHLIGHTS – MAY 18. 2010

A leaders’ meeting was held on May 18, 2010 to jump start the passing of the budget. Though nothing much was accomplished besides agreeing to have have joint conference committees, we can see what goes on in Albany, understand where leaders stand and how our political leaders relate to each other. In the highlights we have Governor David A. Paterson, Democratic Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Republican Minority Conference Leader Senator Dean G. Skelos and Minority Assembly Leader Assemblyman Brian M. Kolb.

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POST-LEADERS’ MEETING QUESTION AND ANSWER

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Governor Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver take questions after the Leaders’ Meeting. The tall man talking into Paterson’s ear is Robert L. Megna, Director of Division of the Budget. In this video, we can hear Governor Paterson’s and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s opinions on the budget and budget crisis and what the next steps will be.

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WHERE ARE WE NOW?
1. The 49th day has passed without a budget and Legislators went home yesterday on May 18, 2010.

2. As seen in the video above, the Senate and Assembly have not yet agreed on their reductions or eliminations of amounts to items in Governor Paterson’s Executive Budget or to additions made to it – there is no mutually agreed on fiscal plan to discuss or debate in joint conference committees composed of rank and file legislators.

3. The budget is at an impasse because of fundamental disagreements between the Governor and the Senate and Assembly leadership and between the Senate and Assembly themselves.

4. The Governor does not want to borrow money to reduce the $9.2 billion deficit. Both the Senate and Assembly want to borrow up to $2 billion to reduce the deficit. The Senate and Assembly disagree over the school aid cuts. The Assembly wants to restore $600 million in school aid and $126 million in health care cuts. The Senate does not. The Senate wants to refinance tobacco bonds and use the money obtained to give away property tax rebates to seniors. The Assembly and Governor do not. Also, the Democratic Senate has a one seat majority over the Republican minority and so one or two Democratic Assemblymembers can alter a Democratic vote by going against the Democratic majority. The result of these disagreements, the slim margins in the Senate balance of power and other issues is that the Leadership find it difficult to come to agreements between and among themselves. Therefore, a three way (Governor, Senate and Assembly) budget has not been made and therefore not passed.

4. Since there is no budget, it has become necessary to run state government operations on a week by week basis. Every week since April 1, Governor Paterson has issued an emergency appropriations bill that must be approved by the Senate and Assembly. The emergency extender bills contains billions of mandated funds and Governor deemed “essential”  monies. For example in the 6th extender bill, nearly $3.6 billion in state and federal monies for support of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, health insurance, medical assistance and medicaid for children and adults, unemployment insurance, capital projects in transportation and the failed furlough measure were included. However, it left out certain construction monies due on 500 contracts, school aid, etc.

The 7th extender bill passed Monday and included more of the same and also a portion ($7.4 million) of the previously denied 4 percent raise ($26 million) to union workers. 20,000 workers will receive up to a 7 percent pay hike. A furlough measure was not included as per Lawrence Kahn’s court order.

The governor will add $2.1 billion in school aid as a separate bill to be paid before June 30th, though remarks have been made for a June 1st date. And additional $1.5 billion will be paid on or before June 30th, if the bill amending the June 1st date is approved by the Legislature. The current bill (see below) seeks a schedule change – The Governor wants to move all school aid payments to June 30th. Source of the school aid figures is from Robert L. Megna, Director of the Division of the Budget.

Links to Appropriation Bills #7 and related memos
Emergency #7 Appropriation>> – Memo >>
Emergency #7 School Aid Payments>> – Memo >>

5. NYS Parks (OPRHP) is an executive agency and its employees are funded in the extender bills. Therefore, all of NYS Parks personnel, including Riverbank’s personnel are being paid without exception. At Riverbank, there have been no layoffs or reduction in employee/worker hours. Overtime is now not permitted (See this memo to agency commissioners). Paterson says there will be no funds for the parks until the state budget is settled.

6. Even so, 37 parks and 14 historic sites were closed state-wide on Monday. Park employees are being transferred with full pay to other parks that are not closed or reduced in operating hours with pay. Riverbank now has reduced operating hours: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, Monday to Friday and 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. 20 seasonal workers have been moved to the following State Parks: Roberto Clemente, Gantry Plaza, East River and Clay Pit Ponds. They will work there and be paid for 32 hours of works as contracted.

Why not work at Riverbank and keep the normal 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM hours?

7. The reduction in operating hours at Riverbank is not due to proposed budget cuts since the budget has not been passed. The reduction in operating hours at Riverbank is not due to a lack of funds since all employees are receiving salaries and wages without interruption. There are no layoffs. The reduced operating hours are not in effect to gain overall savings since nothing overall is being saved. All spring classes and programs were canceled in April so the main or perhaps sole cost to operate at full hours is labor time. One can say that on the books Riverbank saves because 20 seasonal workers will no longer there though it has been said that Riverbank is footing the wage bill while they work at other parks. If not, there is no budget for Riverbank, so saving must be calculated at the Regional level and no substantial savings are being made there as well. Workers are being shifted and paid the same as before with no savings overall obtained.

8. Since there are no real savings being made with reducing the operating hours and the same is perhaps elsewhere, this can only be seen as a political move by the Governor to raise the ire of New Yorkers state-wide by unnecessarily closing NYS State Parks and historic sites and reducing operating hours and services.

But for what purpose? To motivate the Senate and Assembly Leadership to accept the Governor’s budget?

Click here to listen to another view from Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, who say the closings are “unfair and unwise.”

9. Whatever purpose the Governor and the Division of Budget have, the result makes no fiscal sense and is inhumane – millions of people state wide are forced to sacrifice using their parks for what appears to be no fiscal gain.

10. Governor Paterson is the primary source of these directives and he is the one responsible for the reduction of hours. Rank and file Senators and Assemblymembers are helpless to do anything directly but make appeals. Only Sheldon Silver and John Sampson can make a difference by negotiating with the Governor.

The Senate and Assembly resolution of March 22nd and 24th restored all cuts made to the NYS Parks.

On May 7th, Senator Serrano and Assemblyman Steve Englebright have sponsored bills (S7776A , A11013A) that if approved will give authority to OPRHP to operate and maintain all parks as before:

“AN ACT in relation to requiring the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation to operate and maintain all state parks and historic sites under its jurisdiction during the fiscal year that ends March 31, 2011 pursuant to the same seasons of operation, hours of operation, service levels, and public access to facilities as were implemented at the beginning of the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2010.”

On May 11th and May 17th, Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell, Chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee appealed in the Assembly to restore the Riverbank cuts and expressed outrage at obvious disparities.

In the May 18th Leaders’ meeting, Senator John Sampson, Democratic Majority Conference Leader,  directly asked Governor Paterson  for money to be placed in the next extender bill to open NYS State Parks.

Our voices are being heard. Our calls are bringing result. Now is the time to increase our efforts.

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WHAT CAN I DO?
Demand the passing of a balanced budget that restores all cuts to NYS Parks and Riverbank!

Call – Call Governor Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader John L. Sampson and your local legislators to ask what they are doing for Riverbank and how their work is going. Help your family, relatives and friends to make calls to them – Contact info is below for local electeds – Click here to find your Elected Official if not listed below.

Sign – sign the petition at Riverbank and online – have others do the same

Buy – Buy a “Save Riverbank” t-shirt and wear it – spread the word.

Become a Facebook Fan – http://tinyurl.com/yhmlbb8

VOLUNTEER! – save.riverbank@yahoo.com

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GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON
Email/web contact page: http://www.state.ny.us/governor/contact/GovernorContactForm.php

Mailing Address:
State Capital
Albany, New York 12224
518-474-8390

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ASSEMBLYMAN SHELDON SILVER
Speaker of the New York State Assembly
Email address:speaker@assembly.state.ny.us
web contact page: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=064&sh=contact

District Office
250 Broadway
Suite 2307
New York, NY 10007
Tel: 212-312-1420

Albany Office
Legislative Office Building 932
Albany, NY 12248
Tel: 518-455-3791

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SENATOR JOHN L. SAMPSON
Democratic Conference Leader
Email address: sampson@senate.state.ny.us
web contact page: http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/john-l-sampson/contact

District Office:
1222 East 96th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11236
Tel: 718-649-7653
Fax: 718-649-7661

Albany Office:
409 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Tel: 518-455-2788
Fax: 518-426-6806

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Contact the state legislators at their NYC and Albany offices listed below. Urge them to reject the proposed cuts to Riverbank and to restore all Riverbank funding, hours and programming.

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Senator Bill Perkins
212 222-7315
518-455-2795
perkins@senate.state.ny.us

Senator Eric Schneiderman
212 544-0173
518-455-2041
schneide@senate.state.ny.us

Senator José Serrano
212 828-5829
518-455-2795
serrano@senate.state.ny.us

Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat
212-544-2278
518-455-5807
espaila@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblymember Herman “Denny” Farrell
212 568-2828
518-455-5491
farrelh@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell
212 866-3970
518-455-5603
odonned@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblymember Keith Wright
212 866-5809
518-455-4793
WrightK@assembly.state.ny.us

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The Legislative Gazette – State park supporters come out in full force

State park supporters come out in full force

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By Andrew Beam

March 08, 2010

Assemblyman Steve Englebright speaks at a rally fighting parks closures in New York. Englebright, who spoke at a press conference regarding the issue earlier, demanded state Parks stop canceling reservations before the budget is even passed. Photo by Stephanie I. Witkin, The Legislative Gazette.

In their battle to prevent the potential closings of New York state parks and historic sites, park advocates have enlisted the help of singing protestors, marching children and angry lawmakers who all are demanding the state do everything possible to keep parks open.

Last Wednesday, Assembly Tourism, Parks, Arts, and Sports Development Committee Chairman Steven Englebright, D-Setauket, and Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Jose Serrano, D-Bronx, conducted a press conference, while Parks and Trails New York led a rally drawing nearly 300 people in support of saving state parks from closing.

At the press conference held in the Senate Lobby, Serrano and Englebright were joined by 12 other lawmakers who shared their anger over the possible 41 state parks and 14 historic sites that could be closed as a result of budget cuts proposed in Gov. David A. Paterson’s 2010-2011 Executive Budget. Those cuts could also mean a reduction in services at 23 state parks and one historic site.

Opposition was voiced and solutions to the problem were offered by the lawmakers.

“I think we should have all options on the table to try and find a way to fill this hole,” said Serrano, “whether it be bonding for funds for state parks, fee increases or even diverting stimulus dollars to other areas to offset funds to help stave off cuts to parks.”

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is facing a possible cut of $29 million to its operating budget, as well as the loss of 265 staff workers through attrition in an attempt to close the state’s estimated $8.2 billion budget gap.

Critics are also unhappy with the governor’s proposal to transfer $5 million from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s operational budget, as they are worried the proposed transfer would not be approved by the Legislature, which could lead to 34 more park closures.

Serrano asked his colleagues in the Senate to sign a letter calling for the restoration of funding in the budget for state parks. He said the letter garnered bipartisan support, with senators such as Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn, Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, and Brian Foley, D-Blue Point, putting their signatures on the document.

While many of lawmakers asked state Parks officials to develop innovative ways of resolving the funding issue and to at least come up with the $11 million OPRHP needs to keep the parks open, only Assemblywoman Ginny Fields, D-Oakdale, came to the press conference with legislation to help prevent park closures.

“This is not the fight that we should be involved in,” she said. “This administration and this agency doesn’t seem capable of thinking outside the box.”

Field’s bill (A.10064), which was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on March 3, would create “I Love NYS Parks” license plates. The plates would be sold for $25, and the revenues would go to a designated fund to keep parks open. She also suggested the idea of naming rights, similar to how families or corporations pay money to get naming rights to sports arenas, for a two-year period.

Environmental advocacy groups were also in attendance, as Audubon New York Executive Director Al Caccese, who used to be on the executive staff of OPRHP, offered his thoughts on how the state could halt park closures.

“We should come up with creative ways to fund it. It should not come out of the EPF,” he said, adding that money for the Environmental Protection Fund is supposed to be coming out of the Real Estate Transfer Tax. Caccese suggested taking 1 to 2 percent of the revenue generated from the tax on sugary drinks to fund the state parks, saying parks is where kids and families go to enjoy recreational activities.

When asked whether privatizing parks was an idea that had been discussed, Englebright said that idea was not a very popular one, but lawmakers might want to consider generating funds through private sponsorships.

In response to the notion of privatizing the parks, Serrano reiterated his ideas of increasing fees, selling bonds and the diversion of stimulus dollars, but he also brought up the possibility of using money now earmarked for capital improvements for a different purpose.

“There is $20 million already sitting there, real money, for capital improvements. If that money could be shifted over to operating expenses, we could close this gap immediately,” said Serrano. “All of those options need to be explored before thinking about privatizing.”

Immediately after the press conference, a crowd of protestors speaking out against the closing of parks began walking around West Capitol Park holding signs that read statements such as “parks not politics,” “we love our parks” and “keep us green,” and starting chants such as “save our parks” and “the parks are the people’s.” One of the protestors, Eliza Rudegeair, even led the crowd in a sing-along of an old Woody Guthrie tune “This Land is Your Land.”

Assemblyman Jack McEneny, D-Albany, whose district includes John Boyd Thacher Park, which is on state Parks’ list of sites facing closure, as well as the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, spoke at both the press conference and the rally, voicing, along with Englebright, his disappointment over 12 state parks cancelling camping reservations, sending refunds to campers who had made them and no longer taking new reservations even before budget bills have been passed.

“There is a process: A governor proposes, the Legislature changes it, then it goes through the process of being passed, the governor can then veto and we can override,” McEneny explained. “Let’s have respect for the people and for the process that represents them.”

During Englebright’s speech at the rally, he took a much more aggressive approach in asking state Parks to stop cancelling reservations.

“I want to say how outrageous it is that the legislative process has been pre-empted by state Parks,” Englebright said. “So today we’re asking state Parks: Stand down from closing our parks. Stand down from pre-empting the people’s voice to their duly elected representatives.”

According to OPRHP spokesman Dan Keefe, refunds have been sent to 350 campers who made reservations at some of the parks. It was a decision, said Keefe, that Parks felt was in the best interest of the people.

“We’re trying to do the right thing by people who have spent money on their reservations to places that might close,” he said. “There are 55 other parks where we are accepting reservations, and there are up to 40,000 people who have reservations.”

Chris Eckert, an Iraq War veteran who was stationed in Ramadi, Al Anbar Province, referred to Thacher Park as a lifeline when he returned home. After watching his staff sergeant killed when the vehicle he was driving was hit by a remote detonated improvised explosive device, Eckert suffered from a traumatic brain injury, short memory loss and shrapnel wounds, resulting in him experience post traumatic stress disorder.

“If it wasn’t for Thacher Park, I don’t know what I would have done or if I would be standing here today to speak in front of all you,” he said. “I’ve obviously never talked to Mr. and Mrs. Thacher, nor have I talked to any of their living relatives, but I am sure that it’s safe to say that the pair of them would roll over twice in their grave if our park is closed.”

Parks and Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin also spoke at both the press conference and rally. During the press conference, Dropkin highlighted the many rallies that have occurred all over the state, emphasizing that New Yorkers are not waiting for their parks to be gone before they do something.

“People feel passionately about their parks in New York,” she said. “Parks are a real economic boon to the state. Every dollar the state invests in the state park system, it gets back $5.”

Recently sworn-in Assemblyman Dean Murray, R-East Pachogue, who said he comes from a business background, opined that closing parks is bad for business.

“From a business standpoint, [closing parks] simply does not makes sense,” he said. “One of my main concerns is the message we’re sending, not only to the residents of New York, but across the nation and across the world. The message we need to be sending in times like this is we are open for business.”