Official state park and historic site hit list released

The Count: (4.00 / 2)

I count 43 total park closures statewide with 13 closures of state historic sites.  Keep in mind some regional economic factors in this little rundown:

In the Central Region, all but one of 12 sites are closures.

In the Finger Lakes, six of nine sites are slated to close; the other two are reductions in swimming pool access.

In the Thousand Islands eight sites are listed and all eight are to be closed completely.

On Long Island we have 11 sites listed; only six are full closures, the rest a reduction in services.

Down in The City, only three sites listed and only one closure.

For the Palisades, nine sites listed with seven closures with one pool closure and one "reduction in maintenance."

The Taconic Region we have 11 sites listed.  But only three full closures.  We have some slight reduction services, including two sites with "Reduce Golf Course Season" and two with "Eliminate Interpretive Programs."  Keep those economic factors in mind!

In my home Capital Region nine parks and historic sites are listed.  100% of them are for closing.  Right in the Capitol's backyard!

Genesee Region has only three sites with one closure; Niagra Region is four out of five (eliminate interpretive programs at The Falls...poor honeymooners!); and in the Allegany Region we have one park set to be closed and one site with the largest list of reduction in services.

So it looks like Wealthy Westchester County golfers might be the key constituency here, doesn't it?

Thanks for the follow-up.  I'm out of time here at the Library.

BTW:  Rally at the Capitol on Wednesday, March 3 at 9:30 AM to save the parks and allow State Legislators to swoop in, get on TeeVee, and "save the day."  Get out your Bat Signals!

---

by: Soundpolitic @ Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 17:56:26 PM UTC

Here are my top ones that ought to be protested (4.00 / 5)

1. and 2.  Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site and John Brown Historic Site.  This list is really savage with the outright closures of Upstate historic sites and battlefields, but these two are the very worst proposals and ought to be protested loudly.  Without Oriskany, there would have been no Saratoga, and without Saratoga there would have been no U.S.A. (or New York State for that matter).  FAIL.

3.  John Boyd Thacher

4.  Chittenango Falls is questionable, unless they are doing it to somehow protect the snails.  But Chittenango Falls has been getting less love over the years anyway.  It used to have a campground, but that closed some years ago.

As for my question of "if one park stays open, another has to close"... I'll trade you Selkirk Shores for Thacher.  Selkirk is getting its beach closed... which boggles me a bit because aside from the beach I'm not sure what else there is to attract visitors and campers to Selkirk.  I can't imagine they go there for the scenery.

I was expecting to hear about more campsite closures and season reductions, but I guess they know where their bread is buttered.

---

by: NYCO @ Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 18:29:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I find myself in agreement (4.00 / 1)

My attachment to Thacher got the better of me.  That and the logistics of how you "close" a park with a state highway running right through it.

Your points about Oriskany and John Brown, though, really cut through to the truth.  These are supposed to be the cream of the "preservation" crop.

No Oriskany, no Sarataga, no Revolution, no USA.

Likewise, no John Brown, no Civil War, no more perfect Union.

---

by: Soundpolitic @ Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 20:54:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm wondering (4.00 / 1)

which municipalities around the parks/sites slated for closure are in a position to take them over.  For instance, North Elba wants to take over the John Brown site.

The Erie Canal park, which is 36 miles long, and passes through I don't know how many towns, might get taken over piecemeal by some more well-off municipalities.  I don't think anyone wants to see the bike trail go away.  (The town of Camillus has owned 7 miles of the old Canal for about 40 years and has done a bangup job with it; it's actually a better canal park than the state park is.  Er... was.)

Still... In the 21st century, New York State can't even officially show off a piece of the historic Erie Canal?  Really?  What a pathetic choice.  If necessary, shrink it - don't can it.

---

by: NYCO @ Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 21:03:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

In other news (4.00 / 1)

This was already announced, but Poplar Point State Campground is closed this year.  That's in addition to last year's closure of Poke-o-Moonshine.  So far, it looks like no additional closures have been announced, but nothing is certain. :(

---

by: Norbrook @ Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 19:02:13 PM UTC

Cut over paid bureacrat salaries instead of closing parks (4.00 / 3)

Parks supporters want you to know that NYS exceptional state parks attract out-of-state tourists and generate up to $2 billion in economic activity annually.  Every $1 of tax money spent on parks generates $5 in jobs and economic activity.

http://www.ptny.org/pdfs/advoc...

I suggest we start cutting here:

A record number of state employees are earning over $100,000 a year.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local...

http://www.pressconnects.com/a...

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/o...

and leave the parks alone.

---

by: AnswerLady @ Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 20:12:13 PM UTC

this is what worries me (4.00 / 1)

the most about the park closures.  the economies of a lot of communities depend on tourism, and with the prisons closing as well it's a double whammy.  of course, the parks aren't the only tourism draw, but why hurt the local economies to save a few dollars.

---

by: hearthmoon @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 00:50:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

not to mention (4.00 / 1)

we'll have to start compiling a list of "New York's 10 Deadliest Ex-State Parks."

---

by: NYCO @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 01:31:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not to mention the loss of summer employment (4.00 / 1)

for students, and at least some employment opportunity for the ones who need a job.   I know last year when DEC was closing campgrounds, the local county supervisors went all out to get some of them reopened.  

To give you an idea of the impact, you have a village like Inlet - has less than 500 people in it.  The two state campgrounds next to it (Limekiln and 8'th Lake) have around 400 sites combined - on a good weekend in the summer, you're talking about 1200-2000 people in the area, who are going to spend some money in Inlet.  That's a heck of a boost to the local economy.  

---

by: Norbrook @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 01:44:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not to mention the loss of summer employment (0.00 / 0)

for students, and at least some employment opportunity for the ones who need a job.   I know last year when DEC was closing campgrounds, the local county supervisors went all out to get some of them reopened.  

To give you an idea of the impact, you have a village like Inlet - has less than 500 people in it.  The two state campgrounds next to it (Limekiln and 8'th Lake) have around 400 sites combined - on a good weekend in the summer, you're talking about 1200-2000 people in the area, who are going to spend some money in Inlet.  That's a heck of a boost to the local economy.  

---

by: Norbrook @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 01:44:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Close Prisons, Not Parks (0.00 / 0)

The U.S. prison system is nothing more than the continuation of racial segregation.  1 in 11 males (no race) will be imprisoned during their lifetime in this country and we imprison that largest percentage of our population than any other nation on earth.

But the police and prison lobby is more powerful (read: has more money...wonder where that comes from) than us park protesters will ever have.

Close the prisons.  Employ the ex-cons at the parks.  Keep the parks open.  Most of these guys are non-violent offenders anyway who entered prison because a life of crime was seen as their only choice in the face of unemployment and discrimination.

---

by: Soundpolitic @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 15:37:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]