SCHUMER: FEDERAL PROGRAM COULD PREVENT CLOSURES OF SOUTHERN TIER'S STATE PARKS NEXT YEAR - PARKS ARE MAJOR DRIVER OF REGION'S TOURISM ECONOMY
Schumer Pushes for Full Funding of Land and Water Conservation Fund in Energy Bill - LWCF Sends Funds To States To Develop and Maintain Parks
Seven State Parks and Campsites in Southern Tier Were on The Chopping Block This Year: Oquaga Creek, Robert Riddell, Stony Brook, Newtown Battlefield, Hunt's Pond, Two Rivers, Buttermilk Falls, - New Push Could Help Prevent Closures and Cutbacks Due
Yesterday, US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Senate energy bill could provide the funding necessary to reverse cuts to state parks and reduce the risk that they would have to be closed in the future. It could also allow the New York State Parks Department to make critical upgrades and improvements to our state's parks. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is funded through offshore oil and gas drilling royalties, has historically been authorized at $900 million per year to help develop and maintain outdoor recreation facilities but Congress has only appropriated the full allotment twice in the last 40 years. The new bill, which could be voted on as early as this month, contains the full allotment, which could provide almost unprecedented resources to the state. Standing at Bowman Lake State Park, Schumer made the case that state and municipal parks make an enormous contribution to communities and should not fall victim to state budget difficulties.
"These dollars, already being collected by oil and gas drilling companies, have hardly been used for their intended purpose and should be spent on parks and outdoor recreation as Congress intended." said Schumer. "In the last year we have seen park closures and programs New Yorkers have come to expect eliminated because of squeezed state budgets. By providing the state more funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, our state parks will have greater flexibility to restore cuts to popular parks and make long overdue improvements that will ensure our state's parks remain national treasures for years to come."
Known as a 'camper's paradise,' Bowman Lake State Park attracts thousands of visitors to Chenango County every year who pump significant revenue into the area's economy forming a base for local shops and restaurants. Although Bowman Lake State Park was not on the chopping block during this year's round of cuts, the state's continuing budget problems put it at risk for the future. Fully funding the LWCF would ensure that Bowman Lake State Park and places like it throughout the state are not forced to close or cut back on services due to cuts.
For over 40 years, the LWCF has used revenue collected from offshore oil and gas development to purchase lands from willing sellers for the purposes of conservation and to provide grants to states for recreation planning, acquisition of lands and waters, and facility development. It is authorized at a spending level of $900 million per year. However, Congress has fully funded the program only twice since its inception and rarely has the fund come close to matching the full amount authorized. Appropriations over the years have varied wildly and have been a mere fraction of the total amount authorized. The result is a program that moves forward in fits and starts, to the detriment of our parks systems.
All across New York this year, access to state parks was in jeopardy as the State tried to fill its budget gap. Some parks were closed entirely while others underwent severe cuts that limited access and that held up vital improvements. Specifically, seven state parks in the Southern Tier were slated to close or face major service cutbacks this year due to budget constraints- a move that would have turned away the thousands of visitors who come to the region's state parks each year. Below is a list of state parks in the Southern Tier that faced closure or service cut-backs in the last year:
· Oquaga Creek State Park (Broome)
·Robert Riddell State Park (Delaware)
·Stony Brook State Park (Steuben)
·Newtown Battlefield State Park (Chemung)
·Two Rivers State Park (Tioga)
·Buttermilk Falls State Park (Tompkins)
·Hunt's Pond State Park (Chenango)
At its high point in 1979, New York State received roughly $24 million from the LWCF, which was used to provide grants to municipalities to undertake State Park development and land acquisition projects. Since 1965, the LWCF has partially funded 1,250 projects within the state. Virtually every community in New York has acquired and/or developed outdoor recreational facilities with the help of the LWCF.
Over the past year, due to severe state budget shortfalls, New York State Parks has had to close recreational areas and cut back operations throughout the state. Funding from LWCF to New York State Parks for outdoor recreation projects could relieve pressure on its strained budget allowing the state to focus its resources on keeping parks open and operating at their full capacity.