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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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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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: Putting a face on Budget cuts

There will be a hearing on Monday 12/13 at Pace’s campus downtown – “Putting a Face to the Budget Cuts.” The hearing is before the State Senate Finance Committee and the public has the opportunity to testify and tell the Senators just how the budget cuts are affecting them. It is a good opportunity to talk about the effects at Riverbank State Park. Below are details on the hearing.

Senate Standing Committee on Finance

http://www.nysenate.gov/event/2010/dec/13/notice-public-hearing-putting-face-budget-cuts

Chair: Senator Carl Kruger
Public Hearing: Putting a face on Budget cuts
Place: Pace University, 1 Pace Plaza, Level B, New York , New York
Time: 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
Contact: Ms. Kit Flood (518) 455-3225
Media Contact: Senate Press Office (518) 455-2415

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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.

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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.

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Serrano Thrilled with Memorial Day Weekend Attendance at State Parks

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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.”

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WBEN – Paterson Talks Parks, Dysfunction in Albany

Governor David A. Paterson

Posted: Wednesday, 26 May 2010 11:21PM

Tom Puckett Reporting
tpuckett@entercom.com

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Governor Paterson says he’s willing to open up parks in time of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but needs help from state lawmakers. Meantime, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says negotiations are continuing to reach a deal to open the parks.

Paterson tells WSYR in Syracuse he’s willing to open the parks, but there need to be cuts of $5-6 million. “It is a good gesture if we can reopen the parks, but I need to account for it in the books,” says Paterson, “and until they make an agreement with me where I don’t have to give up any of my savings in the deficit reduction plan, I’m not going to do it.”

Paterson claims lawmakers want to restore some of the cuts he made in the Environmental Protection Fund. “They’ve already restored so much money so they’ll subtract some of the restoration but it still leaves them plenty of room and leaves me to make the difference on my own,” says Paterson which goes back to the problem of spending money the state does not have.

Paterson says it’s yet another example of dysfunction in Albany. “They can’t come up with $5 million more than what I’ve called for in reductions. If they can’t find $5 million, how are they going to come up with the $2 billion gap between them and executive branch right now?,” he pondered.

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Ithaca Journal – Paterson wants parks open for Memorial Day

Legislators balk at taking money from environmental funding

By Cara Matthews •Albany Bureau • May 24, 2010, 7:30 pm

Riverbank State Park Promenade - What will happen on Memorial Day? (Photo Courtesy of F. Andre Fortune)

ALBANY — After refusing to release aid for more than 50 state parks and historic sites, leading to their closure, Gov. David Paterson submitted legislation Monday that would reopen them in time for Memorial Day weekend.

But the Assembly and Senate as well as environmental groups criticized the proposal, which would use an additional $6 million from the state Environmental Protection Fund. It would require lawmakers to approve part of Gov. David Paterson’s budget proposal from January that would reduce EPF spending to $143 million, much lower than either house is aiming for.

Paterson said the Senate and Assembly have to cut elsewhere in the budget in order to open the 41 parks and 14 historic sites and maintain services at 23 other parks and one historic site.

“I have heard from my colleagues in the Legislature that funding state parks and historic sites is a top priority, but I have not heard any specific solutions as to how to pay for it,” Paterson said in a statement.

He cautioned that the bill would “require sacrifice.”

“There is a no free lunch. If legislators want to fully fund the parks, that money must come from a real source,” he said.

The public parks and historic sites have been closed while the governor and lawmakers attempt to reach a budget deal, which has been made more difficult because the state faces a $9.2 billion deficit for the current fiscal year. The governor has been proposing bare-bones emergency budget extenders each week for the current fiscal year, which began April 1, as a strategy to get lawmakers to pass a budget.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said he would bring the Paterson’s proposal up with fellow Democrats, who control the Assembly, “but I would expect the members might not like his overall plan. They definitely are committed to opening the parks, and I believe alternatively they might just pass a mandate to open the parks.”

The governor shouldn’t have closed the parks in the first place, Silver told reporters Monday, and said the governor actually is “re-routing $110 million from the Environmental Protection Fund and telling all of you that it is a $6 million program.”

Silver spokeswoman Sisa Moyo said the Assembly is working with the governor on the legislation “to see what we can accomplish.”

Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook said the administration was unclear on how Silver arrived at the figures he used.

Keeping parks and historic sites open has been one of the top priorities of the Senate Democratic majority, said Travis Proulx, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn.

“The governor’s current proposal has implications far beyond parks funding. We appreciate that he has responded to our efforts to keep the parks fully operational, and are partnering with his office on language that will open the gates without devastating the EPF,” he said.

Paterson’s bill would reduce funding levels for nearly all programs funded by the EPF by 4.5 percent to obtain the $6 million needed for the parks, several of which have remained open with private or local-government funding. The budget the governor proposed in January already includes $5 million from the EPF for personnel expenses associated with capital projects for parks and historic sites.

“Given this opportunity to vote up or down on this particular issue, I now expect that the Legislature will return its focus to passing a responsible budget,” he said.

The governor’s budget proposes reducing appropriations from the Environmental Protection Fund from $212 million to $143 million. The Assembly’s resolution restored the amount to $168 million while the Senate’s would put the total at $222 million, said Alison Jenkins, Environmental Advocates of New York State’s fiscal policy program director.

The EPF fund was $255 million in 2008-09 and was supposed to jump to $287 million in the current year, but it was only funded at $222 million and was cut during the year to $212 million, Jenkins said.

Jenkins said the governor is playing a game of “political chicken” and “picking the Environmental Protection Fund’s pocket to keep the parks open.”

EPL/Environmental Advocates, the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Long Island Environmental Voters Forum issued a statement Monday that said the governor’s bill would “inflict long-term damage on every facet of New York’s environment: capital spending on water quality, farmland protection, forestry, community recycling programs, zoos, aquariums and much more.”

“He’s putting a gun to the head of the Environmental Protection Fund and threatening to pull the trigger if the Legislature doesn’t correct his past mistake of closing state parks,” said Robert Moore, executive director of EPL/Environmental Advocates.

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The Buffalo News – Paterson’s plan to reopen parks hits snag in Legislature

The shutdown of 55 state parks affects a number of Western New York facilities, including Woodlawn Beach in the Town of Hamburg. Robert Kirkham / Buffalo News

By Tom Precious
News Albany Bureau
Updated: May 24, 2010, 2:54 pm
Published: May 24, 2010, 2:41 pm

ALBANY — A plan to reopen 55 state parks and historic sites is suddenly in trouble, with lawmakers criticizing the way Gov. David A. Paterson is trying to steer money to have the facilities open in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

The governor’s office on Sunday billed the solution as a $6 million transfer from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund to the state parks agency. But this afternoon, in introducing the bill, Paterson broadened the effort, saying it would involve more than $100 million and reach far beyond just the affected parks.

While lawmakers had been expecting to quickly pass legislation this afternoon to get the parks back open, that is now growing doubtful.

Leading the criticism was Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, who predicted his house will not go for the Paterson approach.

“We believe that parks are very important. We should open the parks. There’s no reason to hold the parks hostage,” Silver told reporters.

But Silver called Paterson’s plan “inappropriate” because it seeks to push the Legislature to accept his broader plan for the Environmental Protection Fund or risk keeping the parks closed.

The shutdown of the parks, seen as a bargaining chip for Paterson to try to put pressure on lawmakers to pass the delayed 2010 state budget, affects a number of Western New York facilities, including Woodlawn Beach, Wilson Tuscarora and Knox Farm.

“This is not a parks bill. This is an entire appropriations bill,” said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate Democrats.

“It sets a very dangerous precedent,” added Shafran, who said it would lead to lawmakers having to take up parts of the state budget on a piecemeal basis.

Earlier in the day, before the new bill was introduced by Paterson, some environmental groups were critical of raiding the Environmental Protection Fund, which supports a wide range of environmental efforts, to reopen the parks.

“It isn’t a solution. It’s really a pathetic political ploy,” Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates, an umbrella lobbying group, said of the Paterson plan.

Moore said his group opposes using the Environmental Protection Fund, which is supposed to support capital efforts, to fund the parks agency’s operating budget.

tprecious@buffnews.com

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Governor Paterson – Governor Paterson to Introduce Bill to Fully Fund State Parks and Historical Sites

May 24, 2010

Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he will send a bill to the Legislature that would provide funding to continue the operation of State parks and historic sites this year. Enactment of this bill would allow 41 State parks and 14 historic sites to remain open and would provide for continued services at 23 parks and one historic site. The bill would also continue necessary and critical programs funded through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

“I have heard from my colleagues in the Legislature that funding State parks and historic sites is a top priority, but I have not heard any specific solutions as to how to pay for it,” Governor Paterson said. “The bill I will send today to the Legislature will provide a funding plan for parks, but will require sacrifice. There is no free lunch. If Legislators want to fully fund the parks, that money must come from a real source.”

The Governor’s bill includes a fund transfer and appropriation authorization. Specifically, this bill would:

• Reduce the amount of real estate transfer tax (RETT) revenue deposited into the Environmental Protection Fund in State Fiscal Year 2010-11 by $67 million, from $199.3 million to $132.3 million, and remove references to RETT deposits related to prior fiscal years; and
• Provide discrete appropriations for the approximately 30 categories/programs funded in the EPF. The total amount appropriated in this bill is $143 million, representing the necessary funding for State fiscal year 2010-11. The bill also creates a new category in the EPF to fund State park operations at $6 million.

The bill does not increase State spending since proposed new funding, critical to keeping parks operating, will be offset by one-time across-the-board reductions to nearly all programs funded in the EPF. Deposits into the EPF from the Real Estate Transfer Tax will be reduced commensurate with the recommended spending levels.

“Given this opportunity to vote up or down on this particular issue, I now expect that the Legislature will return its focus to passing a responsible budget,” the Governor added.

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