Pepsi sign Gantry Plaza State Park / Hunters Point Park South (File Photo by Michael Dorgan)
March 6, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assembly Member Claire Valdez have expressed support for increases in state funding for New York State Parks following calls from activists for Park Advocacy Day in Albany last week.
Rob Basch, president of the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy (HPPC), traveled to Albany on Tuesday, Feb. 25, along with hundreds of other advocates from across New York State for Park Advocacy Day, organized by non-profit Parks and Trails New York and the Open Space Institute.
Hundreds of park advocates from across New York State descended on the state capital for the event, meeting with legislators to call for increases to the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and increases in capital funding for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).
Basch noted that New York State Parks received a record 88 million visitors throughout 2024, with Gantry Plaza State Park on the Long Island City waterfront welcoming more than two million people throughout the year.
The coalition of park groups is calling on the state legislature to increase the state’s EPF from $400 million to $500 million to help state parks cope with growing crowds, also calling for capital funding for the OPRHP to be maintained at $200 million.
The EPF, which supports and protects public lands by providing critical funding for stewardship,
public access, municipal parks, and Park and Trail Partnership Grants have plateaued at $400 million for the last three years.
The coalition argues that increasing the fund to $500 million would help expand the Municipal Parks Program to $40 million and create a $10 million Greenway Trail Connections and Enhancements Program, among other initiatives.
The coalition is also calling for a $1 million increase in the Connect Kids to Parks Program, bringing its total funding to $4 million.
Basch met with Valdez and Gonzalez, the two elected officials representing Gantry Plaza State Park in the state legislature, to advocate for increased funding for state parks.
Both Valdez and Gonzalez expressed support for increased funding for state parks, describing efforts to increase the state’s EPF as crucial to preserving outdoor spaces and allowing the public to enjoy parks across the city and state.
“We must safeguard funding for parks and green space in New York, especially amid the chaos and reckless cutting coming out of the White House,” Valdez said in a statement. “Increasing funding for the Environmental Protection Fund is an important step to protecting our drinking water and air, as well as the organizations doing critical work to preserve outdoor spaces and educate the public so that everyone can enjoy our beautiful city and state.”
Gonzalez, meanwhile, said parks and community spaces are essential to the quality of life of New Yorkers and said the state legislature should support measures to protect and expand green spaces.
“I’m proud to support funding increases to make sure these vital community spaces stay open to the public,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “We must stand up to the federal attack on conservancies and on the operations of our state parks by supporting more initiatives to protect and expand green space.”
Basch said growing visitor numbers increase the necessity for the maintenance of parks across the state and added that it is vital that parks receive continued investment.
“Starting with COVID, even before that, parks have become so much more important to the wellness of people, to the ability to get out and get fresh air,” Basch said. “And we can’t have parks that aren’t getting the funding they need because if you skip a year or two before you know it, you’re in a big hole.”
Leslie Wright, New York City Regional Director with New York State Parks, described the eight state parks located within the five boroughs of New York City as “incredible resources” for local residents, stating that continued funding will play a vital role in maintaining parks across the state.
She said state funding will help ensure that parks have the necessary staff to clear ice and snow in the winter and that park toilets are stocked with toilet paper and other essential items.
“(They) make sure that there are no tripping hazards, provide programming for patrons, make sure to answer patrons questions,” Wright said, adding that park staff at Gantry Plaza State Park facilitate several trash pick-ups every day of the year.
Wright added that New Yorkers are fortunate to have access to so many parks across the city, including state parks, city parks, and “one-off parks” operated by other agencies, such as Governor’s Island, operated by the National Park Service (NPS).
“We’re just, we’re really, really lucky to have so many parks. And it’s everybody’s backyard, everybody’s front yard. It’s our green gathering place.”
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