Will Saratoga Spa State Park get help at last?

Governor’s State of the State address holds exciting news for New York’s parks and trails
Governor Spitzer’s State of the State address today included a major initiative for New York’s parks, plus an exciting trail project.
The Governor committed to a $100 million capital program for state parks this year – hopefully the first installment of a larger park reinvestment effort over the next few years.
Parks & Trails New York applauds the Governor for his vision and commitment to restoring New York’s magnificent state park system. We are gratified that our advocacy efforts over the last year, which began with publication of our landmark report, Parks at a Turning Point, have resulted in this great leap towards a brighter future for New York’s parks.
New York’s state park system is near to crisis condition, the result of many years of underfunding and deferred maintenance. Over the past 15 years, 29 new parks were added to the system, for a total of 178 parks and 325,000 acres, yet the park agency’s capital budget today, adjusted for inflation, is half what it was in 1992. The result is 750 urgent capital projects totaling $650 million.
In his address, the Governor also committed to supporting the Walkway over the Hudson – a visionary project to convert the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge over the Hudson River into a pedestrian and bicycle path that will offer breathtaking views. The Governor’s inclusion of the Walkway is a clear recognition of the importance of trails to the state’s economy and quality of life and a welcome validation of our work in helping communities develop these resources.
Parks & Trails New York pledges to work with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure that the funding for these initiatives is included in the final state budget and that this is but the first phase of a multi-year reinvestment plan for our parks.
Read more of Parks & Trails New York’s response to the State of the State.
Let the Governor know that parks and trails are important to you and that you support the initiatives put forth in the State of the State.
Support Parks & Trails New York’s Campaign for Parks.
Please pass this alert on to others who care about parks & trails in New York
Parks & Trails New York29 Elk Street, Albany, N.Y. 12207518-434-1583
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