Article: Perilous time for parks

[mrbirdnerd]

Looks like the Assembly is going to block a lot of these cuts.

AP Source: Assembly to Block Many Budget Cuts

Last Update: 2:07 pm
Print Story | ShareThis
Set Text Size Small Set Text Size Medium Set Text Size Large Set Text Size X-Large
NY State Legislature Building
NY State Legislature Building
Albany, N.Y. (AP) - A state official says New York's Assembly is scheduled to release its version of a crisis budget that won't include many of Gov. David Paterson's proposed cuts to schools, hospitals and public universities and would keep all the state's parks open.

The Assembly official says funding those restorations will involve measures that include a $1 per pack added tax on cigarettes. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity
because the plan isn't set to be released until later Wednesday. The plan won't include $600 million in cuts to school aid proposed by Paterson and the Senate's Democratic majority.

That would still leave an $800 million cut in school funding, which now totals $21.6 billion annually. New York City schools would see $193 million restored under the Assembly plan.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[cbobcat49]

Now lets see if they're smart enough to try to save money elsewhere in the budget...
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/new_york/S ... ving-parks

[Matt]

Guest view: Closing sites would threaten state tourism

Last month, Parks and Trails New York, an advocacy group released a report analyzing the economic activity our parks and historic sites generate. The organization estimates that the state parks in the Central Region that Oneida County is part of brought in $40 million to $82 million in spending in the 2007-08 fiscal year. Statewide, the group says that about 40 percent of all state park visits that year were from people from out of the area where the park is located.

I have recently expressed concern over a letter the National Park Service wrote to Gov. David Paterson about these proposed budget cuts. The NPS is warning that the closure of these facilities would put New York state out of compliance with federal funding requirements. Last year, the state received $1.9 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Federal Lands to Parks Program. If these parks are closed or have services reduced, we likely will lose this funding. And, the NPS’s concern that the closing of parks getting federal assistance could result in current state parks being sold for development is a very valid one.

more....
http://www.uticaod.com/viewpoints/x9323 ... te-tourism

[cbobcat49]

Arizona too...

http://www.backpacker.com/arizona_close ... _dirt/1776

[Matt]

the state has decided to close the parks

[cbobcat49]

that sucks.

[hobkyl]

Excuse me if this was already covered....what does this mean? Who owns the land and is it trespass to enter?

Also where are you hearing this from Matt? I dont see anything online or in news about it.

[Matt]

Also where are you hearing this from Matt? I dont see anything online or in news about it.

which is why they will announce it late on a Friday. Too many people will be enjoying the great weather and parks this weekend to notice the news.
i heard it from an inside source. Not 100%, but a state employee within the parks dept.

You can see the news trickle out now...
http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=12478070
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S1559206.shtml?cat=300

Parks close on Sunday, unless they can get funding from elsewhere. The State has to decide by memorial day on what to do for the rest of the year.