Here we go again.  The New York State budget comes around and once again its the small programs that threaten to get the financial axe to “fill the budget gap”.

According to the joint statements issued by Governor Paterson and Carol Ash, the park closures and service reduction area “includes the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and 1 historic site” (New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, 2010).  Included in these numbers are several parks that I personally enjoy:

Parks Closing:
Chimney Bluffs State Park, Chittenango Falls State Park, Clark Reservation State Park, Fort Ontario State Historic Site, Old Erie Canal State Park, Pixley Falls State Park, Buttermilk Falls State Park and many others.  Also included is the closing of the public swimming beach at Selkirk Shores State Park,

These closures and service reductions are always prefaced with the current state of budget woes.  However, I’ve gotten to the point that I believe we have the money to support the parks.  What we don’t have are the representatives that know how to distribute the funds properly.  I believe it’s a matter of priority.

In the same article that announced these postings, it goes to say the following; “..the Empire State Development Corp. gave the Village of Liverpool $883,302 to help a developer renovate a vacant building into nine apartments and two storefronts.  Less than half that money — $378,000 — would save every park, beach and historic site slated to be axed in Central New York.” (Goldberg, Closing Parks would save little, 2010).  The article goes on the say that this money can’t be used toward the parks because it was borrowed, albeit borrowed from tax payer money.  To me, it appears that something is wrong with the whole process when enough tax payer money to eliminate the need for 41 park closures, twice over, can to be given to a single developer renovating one nine person apartment building.

Here is another immediate observation.  I’ve utilized the state park services numerous times this last year.  Not once, in all of those times, was there anyone even in the booth to collect an entrance fee to the park.  For me, this is irrelevant because I purchase the Empire Passport each year, but how much additional revenue was lost from just not collecting existing fees?

Let’s think out of the box for a moment.  If the cost of staffing the toll booths at State Parks is too great, why not start a collaborative effort with the countless groups of non-profits organizations and individual supporters that can make this a volunteer based service?  For the most part, the majority of these parks only charge through the summer months.  Let a different group of volunteers come in each week to man the booths.  A simple written process can be created to drop the revenue off at a specific local bank at the end of each day and money is deposited directly into a designated account.  The organizations could utilize “their weeks” to promote their own causes while they’re there.  How about the Red Cross manning the booths on a weekend when they’re doing a fundraiser or the Boy Scouts manning the booths the weekend of a jamboree.  There are countless volunteer opportunities at the cost of a couple of volunteer coordinator positions.

I know what I’m about to say next will really rub some purists the wrong but, what about considering a corporate sponsorship.  Again, just thinking out of the box here, but put together a package to allow a designated area for sporting goods stores can setup shop.  The state can use the revenue to maintain the parks and the stores themselves would have incentive to utilize the park to sell their goods.  I can image that these stores would also become hubs for volunteer organizations.

So what can we do?  First and foremost we need send a backlash of feedback to our local representatives.  The Parks and Trails New York website have laid this out nicely.  From there, we’ll have to wait and see what this next week brings.  I’d like to actually see the proposed budget needs for the parks.  If anyone comes across this information, please let me know.

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Goldberg, D. (2010, 02 19). “State releases parks hit list, 9 sites in CNY targeted”. Retrieved 02 19, 2010, from syracuse.com: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/clark_reservation_fort_ontario.html

Goldberg, D. (2010, 02 20). Closing Parks would save little. Syracuse Herald American , pp. A3-A4.

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. (2010, 02 19). Statements from Governor David A. Paterson and Commissioner Carol Ash on Parks Budget Cuts. Retrieved 02 20, 2010, from New York State Parks: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/newsroom/press-releases/release.aspx?r=776