History, Natural History & the Arts
Registration is now open for Parks & Trails New York’s 22nd annual Cycle the Erie Canal tour, an opportunity to bike across New York State and learn the history of the Erie Canal.
The eight-day, 400-mile recreational bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany is scheduled for July 12-19, 2020. [Read more…] about 22nd Annual Cycle the Erie Canal Tour Planned
A 2018 survey of New Yorks State parks and historic sites’ Friends organizations details the support and programs these groups provide to the state parks system. Among the findings, is that Friends groups raised more than $17 million in private funds, and contributed nearly 132,000 hours of volunteer labor.
A Friends group is a group of individuals who work to support, steward and promote a park or historic site or multiple sites. They come in a variety of sizes and approaches from all-volunteer groups, to those with paid staff responsible for generating funds for operations and renovations. [Read more…] about Friends Groups Boost NY State Parks, Historic Sites
Applications are now being accepted for the fifth round of competitive grants through the NYS Park and Trail Partnership Grants program, funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund.
The grants, this year doubled to $1 million, are available to organizations, typically referred to as “Friends groups,” that support parks, trails, historic sites and public lands. [Read more…] about Grants Available for NYS Parks and Historic Sites
New Yorkers from across the state came together at the State Capitol on March 4th for the 13th annual Park Advocacy Day to urge policymakers to protect and preserve New York’s state parks. Nearly 80 representatives from more than 30 park Friends groups, environmental organizations, local parks, and educational organizations signed up to make the case for state park funding.
Park advocates urged state lawmakers to support the Governor’s $110 million capital investment in the state park system in this year’s state budget and continue to support the Park and Trail Partnership Program, a capacity-building grants program for Friends groups that support and strengthen the state’s parks, trails and historic sites. [Read more…] about Activists Call For Revitalization of State Parks System
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), have announce the fourth round of $500,000 in competitive grants through the NYS Park and Trail Partnership Program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund.
The grants are available to organizations that support parks, trails, historic sites and public lands, and are administered by PTNY, in partnership with OPRHP. [Read more…] about Funding for State Historic Sites, Trails and Public Lands
New York State and Parks & Trails New York has announced $450,000 in state grants to 21 organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York State parks, historic sites and public lands.
These groups raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programming, and promote public use through hosting special events.
The Park and Trail Partnership Program grants, funded through the Environmental Protection Fund, will be matched by almost $200,000 in private and local funding, which will support projects. [Read more…] about $450k In Grants To Parks, Forests and Historic Sites
Registration is now open for Parks & Trails New York’s 20th anniversary Cycle the Erie Canal tour, an opportunity to bike across New York State and take in the rich history of the canal that transformed America.
The eight-day, 400-mile recreational bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany is scheduled for July 8-15, 2018. [Read more…] about Registration Open for Cycle the Erie Canal 2018
A new economic impact study found that the New York State Park System and its visitors generated spending of about $5 billion, which supported nearly 54,000 jobs within the state of New York and over $2.8 billion in state GDP.
The study, by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, was commissioned by the park advocacy group Parks & Trails New York.
The study, Economic Benefits of the New York State Park System, found that from April 2015 to March 2016, the 67 million visits to the New York State park system resulted in about $4 billion in spending by local and non-local visitors. This includes day trips and overnight trips, with visitors spending money on park entrance and use fees, sporting equipment, food and drink, transportation, lodging, and other expenses. Visitor spending has a multiplier effect, as jobs and revenues are created in supporting industries throughout the local economy. The total economic significance of the $4 billion in visitor spending is about 45,000 jobs and $2.4 billion additional state GDP according to the authors of the study. [Read more…] about Study: NYS Park System Supports $5B in Sales, 54k Jobs
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), have announced the third round of $500,000 in competitive grants through the NYS Park and Trail Partnership Program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund.
The grants are available to organizations that support parks, trails, historic sites and public lands, and are administered by PTNY, in partnership with OPRHP. This year, for the first time, grants will also be available to organizations that support public lands managed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). [Read more…] about Historic Sites, Parks, and Trails Grants Available
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the Canalway Trails Association New York (CTANY) have released their sixth annual report – Closing the Gaps: A Progress Report on the Erie Canalway Trail 2015 – detailing progress made in completing the statewide Erie Canalway Trail as a continuous, off-road route. With 288 of 360 miles open to the public, the Canalway Trail is 80% complete and well on its way to becoming the longest trail of its kind in the United States, and a significant tourist destination for Upstate New York.
[Read more…] about Report Tracks Erie Canalway Trail Progress