New York State Parks Need Your Help & Support... here is how you can!

March 2014

Dear Friend of FDR Park:

At the end of February, I participated in an advocacy day in Albany visiting our elected officials. But in spite of a well-demonstrated need and a successful program these last two years, the New York State Senate’s one-house spending plan last week slashed $92.5 million from the state parks capital budget. Without question, members of the Senate are failing to stand up for the needs of state parks.

NY State Parks need a strong and immediate response from the parks community in order to ensure the final budget agreement includes the full $92.5 million in capital funds called for in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget and endorsed in the Assembly plan.

For the past two years both houses of the legislature voted to support the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation’s capital improvement program. But this year, the Senate turned their backs on parks, citing a lack of an explicit agency spending plan. This decision is unacceptable. We must keep state parks from being used as a pawn in an intergovernmental squabble. State parks, having been allowed to fall into disrepair and failure over the past decades, deserve better.

If you visit parks, if you love parks, please contact your state senator and urge him or her to support the full $92.5 million in funding provided in this year’s executive budget. Greg Ball is Yorktown's state senator (845) 531-9796. For other districts find your senator and contact info by clicking here: http://www.nysenate.gov/contact_form 

Also consider calling Senate Majority Coalition Leader Senator Dean Skelos at (518) 455-3171 and Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeffrey Klein at (518) 455-3595.

A simple message: The capital budget rebuilds the parks' infrastructure which means there are local jobs. Visitors to state parks provide income to local businesses. In short, state parks are good for the economy and at the same time they are providing recreational opportunities. 

We should all be thanking the governor and members of the Assembly for the continuing demonstration of support of our state parks.

Thank you for your support to show that we love our state parks.

Jane Daniels

President, Friends of FDR State Park