More Money for New York State Parks!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
I get a lot of e-mail newsletters on a wide variety of subjects, in part because whenever I'm at a web-site that I'm even vaguely interested in that has a free e-newsletter, I sign up for it. After all, it's easy enough to delete an e-mail I don't want... and I never know what I'll stumble across because of something I've read in one. One of the e-mails I received today was from Parks & Trails New York, a state-wide nonprofit organization with the mission "to expand, protect and promote a network of parks, trails, and open spaces throughout our state for use and enjoyment by all." The folks at P&TNY were very excited because of some things the governor said in his State of the State address today, in regards to New York parks:
Open space – clean, safe, attractive parks – are a third building block for livable communities. New York State once led the nation, creating America’s first network of state parks. A peaceful park is not just a place for a picnic, it is an economic asset. It draws families to neighborhoods and businesses to communities. I propose $100 million in capital spending to revitalize our aging systems.
In what will be the first major investment in our parks leading up to the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s first voyage up the river that bears his name today, I am announcing the State’s commitment to transform the dormant Poughkeepsie Rail Bridge into an awe-inspiring historic park, complete with a walkway and bikeway that will create a unique public space with breathtaking views of the Hudson.
When it was built in 1888, the bridge – in typical New York style – was the longest bridge in the world, an engineering marvel. For the last three decades, however, the bridge has sat empty and unused. As a new pedestrian bridge over the Hudson, it will allow New Yorkers to connect to the history and natural beauty of our State, and draw them to Poughkeepsie, Kingston, and surrounding communities.
I have to admit, I'm cautiously excited about what Governor Spitzer said today. Having visited a number of state parks this year, I think it's a fantastic idea to invest more money in them, particularly in light of both the obvious understaffing and the visible repairs and improvements that need to be made at many of them. I don't balk at paying the park admission fee when it's charged, because I support our parks 100%. P&TNY has had a lot to say, both about the lack of funding (when adjusted for inflation, the current park agency's capital budget is half of what it was 15 years ago) and about much-needed work to keep our parks a viable asset to New York State. (They also have glowing reports regarding the many dedicated park workers who are keeping our parks beautiful and safe on what amounts to a shoestring budget.) While the Pataki administration was very good about purchasing greenspace to add to our parks system, apparently it wasn't quite as good about providing sufficient funding. So any announcements about additional money for the parks is excellent news indeed.
Governor Spitzer's specific mention of the Walkway Over the Hudson is particularly exciting - this project to refurbish the Poughkeepsie-Highland railroad bridge as a pedestrian walkway is one that has been gaining a lot of positive momentum and is an excellent example of adaptive reuse of a historical ruin. How cool will it be to be able to walk out onto a bridge which carried countless trains over the river for almost 100 years and enjoy spectacular views up and down the river... not to mention the link the walkway will provide between rail trail systems on both sides of the Hudson.
At the same time, I am cautiously excited about what Governor Spitzer had to say, because these are all things he will be proposing - which means they are by no means a done deal. But I take it as a very positive sign that he felt it was important enough to include in his address, and I'm hopeful it will be the start of renewed interest in proper funding for some of the greatest resources New York State has - the many wonderful parks I'm coming to know and love, and the many more that I have yet to visit!
JMH
