Planned closings of New York state parks

Press release from Governor Patterson and Commissioner Ash:

The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a recommended list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State’s historic fiscal difficulties.

Governor David A. Paterson issued the following statement:
"New York faces an historic fiscal crisis of unprecedented magnitude. It has demanded many difficult but necessary decisions to help ensure the fiscal integrity of our State. The unfortunate reality of closing an $8.2 billion deficit is that there is less money available for many worthy services and programs. In an environment when we have to cut funding to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and social services, no area of State spending, including parks and historic sites, could be exempt from reductions. We cannot mortgage our State’s financial future through further gimmicks or avoidance behavior. Spending cuts, however difficult, are needed in order to put New York on the road to fiscal recovery. Going forward through the budget process, I look forward to a productive dialogue with the Legislature on parks and historic sites, as well as other issues."

OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash issued the following statement:
"The 2010-11 Executive Budget included reductions to every area of State spending. As such, the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation has today put forward proposed closures and service reductions to meet its agency savings target. These actions were not recommended lightly, but they are necessary to address our State’s extraordinary fiscal difficulties."

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A fact sheet on the proposed closures and service reductions is included below:
The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its proposed 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State’s historic fiscal difficulties. As part of a comprehensive plan to close an $8.2 billion deficit, the 2010-11 Executive Budget included necessary cost reductions to each executive State agency, as well as cuts to education, health care, social services, and every other area of State spending.
OPRHP’s plan includes the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and 1 historic site.
The plan also assumes $4 million in park and historic site fee increases that will be identified at a later date, and the use of $5 million in funds from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to finance OPRHP operations. These two actions were part of the 21-day amendments to the Executive Budget and are intended to reduce the number of parks and historic sites subject to closures and service reductions.

Specific recommended closures and service reductions are detailed below:
Long Island

Brookhaven State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Bethpage State Park
Suffolk
Eliminate Winter Sports;
Reduce picnic area and polo field

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
Suffolk
Close Park

Cold Spring Harbor State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Connetquot River State Park
Suffolk
Close Weekdays

Heckscher State Park
Suffolk
Close Swimming Pool

Jones Beach State Park
Nassau
Close West Swimming Pool;
Eliminate July 4th fireworks

Montauk Downs State Park
Suffolk
Close Swimming Pool

Nissequogue River State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Orient Beach State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Trail View State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

New York City Region

Bayswater Point State Park
Queens
Close Park

Riverbank State Park
New York
Reduce Operating Hours;
Close Outdoor Swimming Pool;
Eliminate Seniors Classes;
and Community/Cultural Events

Palisades Region

Fort Montgomery Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

Harriman SP– Anthony Wayne
Orange
Close Park Area

Harriman SP – Group Camps
Orange
Reduce Maintenance

High Tor State Park
Rockland
Close Pool

Knox Headquarters Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

New Windsor Cantonment SHS
Orange
Close Historic Site

Schunnemunk State Park
Orange
Close Park

Stony Point State Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

Tallman Mountain State Park
Rockland
Close Pool

Taconic Region

Donald J. Trump State Park
Westchester
Close Park

FDR (Roosevelt) State Park
Westchester
Reduce Swimming Pool Season

Hudson Highlands State Park
Putnam
Close Arden Point Area

James Baird State Park
Dutchess
Reduce Golf Course Season

Mills Norrie State Park
Dutchess
Reduce Golf Course Season

Olana State Historic Site
Columbia
Close 2 Days per Week

Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site
Westchester
Close Historic Site

Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Westchester
Eliminate Interpretive Programs

Taconic Outdoor Education Center
Putnam
Eliminate Interpretive Programs

Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond
Dutchess
Close Rudd Pond Area

Wonder Lake State Park
Putnam
Close Park

Saratoga-Capital Region

Bennington Battlefield State Park
Rensselaer
Close Historic Site

Hudson River Islands State Park
Rensselaer
Close Park

John Boyd Thacher State Park
Albany
Close Park

John Brown Farm Historic Site
Essex
Close Historic Site

Johnson Hall State Historic Site
Fulton
Close Historic Site

Max V. Shaul State Park
Schoharie
Close Park

Schodack Island State Park
Rensselaer
Close Park

Schoharie Crossing Historic Site
Schoharie
Close Historic Site

Schuyler Mansion Historic Site
Albany
Close Historic Site

Central Region

Chittenango Falls State Park
Madison
Close Park

Clark Reservation State Park
Onondaga
Close Park

Fort Ontario State Historic Site
Oswego
Close Historic Site

Helen McNitt State Park
Madison
Close Park

Herkimer Home Historic Site
Herkimer
Close Historic Site

Hunts Pond State Park
Chenango
Close Park

Oquaga Creek State Park
Broome
Close Park

Old Erie Canal State Park
Onondaga
Close Park

Oriskany Battlefield/Steuben SHS
Oneida
Close Historic Site

Pixley Falls State Park
Oneida
Close Park

Robert Riddell State Park
Delaware
Close Park

Selkirk Shores State Park
Oswego
Close Public Swimming Beach

Finger Lakes Region

Beechwood State Park
Wayne
Close Park

Bonavista State Park
Seneca
Close Park

Chimney Bluffs State Park
Wayne
Close Park

Newtown Battlefield State Park
Chemung
Close Park

Springbrook Greens State Park
Cayuga
Close Park

Two Rivers State Park
Tioga
Close Park

Buttermilk Falls State Park
Tompkins
Close Public Swimming Area

Seneca Lake State Park
Seneca
Close Lake Swimming Beach

Stony Brook State Park
Steuben
Close Public Swimming Area

Thousand Islands Region

Canoe Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Cedar Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Eel Weir State Park
St. Lawrence
Close Park

Keewaydin State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Macomb Reservation State Park
Clinton
Close Park

Mary Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Point Au Roche State Park
Clinton
Close Park

Sackets Harbor State Historic Site
Jefferson
Close Historic Site

Genesee Region

Hamlin Beach State Park
Monroe
Close Swimming Beach 3 Days per Week

Oak Orchard State Marine Park
Orleans
Close Park

Regionwide
Multiple
Eliminate Camper Recreation Program

Niagara Region

Joseph Davis State Park
Niagara
Close Park

Knox Farm State Park
Erie
Close Park

Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara
Reduce Interpretive Programs

Wilson-Tuscarora State Park
Niagara
Close Park

Woodlawn Beach State Park
Erie
Close Park

Allegany Region

Allegany State Park
Cattaraugus
Close Quaker Area Swim Beach;
Close Quaker Cabins Area on December 1st;
Eliminate Winter Trails Maintenance;
Reduce Recreation Programs

Long Point State Park
Chautauqua
Close Park