NYS to close state parks

[Bob Hubbard]

List of New York State parks slated to be closed

Updated: 02/19/10 4:47 PM


On Friday, Gov. David A. Paterson announced the planned closings of these parks and historic sites due to budget cuts.

Long Island
Brookhaven State Park: Close Park
Bethpage State Park: Eliminate Winter Sports; Reduce picnic area and polo field
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve: Close Park
Cold Spring Harbor State Park: Close Park
Connetquot River State Park: Close Weekdays
Heckscher State Park: Close Swimming Pool
Jones Beach State Park: Close West Swimming Pool; Eliminate July 4th fireworks
Montauk Downs State Park: Close Swimming Pool
Nissequogue River State Park: Close Park
Orient Beach State Park: Close Park
Trail View State Park: Close Park

New York City Region
Bayswater Point State Park: Close Park
Riverbank State Park: Reduce Operating Hours; Close Outdoor Swimming Pool; Eliminate Seniors Classes; and Community/Cultural Events

Palisades Region
Fort Montgomery Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Harriman SP - Anthony Wayne: Close Park Area
Harriman SP - Group Camps: Reduce Maintenance
High Tor State Park: Close Pool
Knox Headquarters Historic Site: Close Historic Site
New Windsor Cantonment SHS: Close Historic Site
Schunnemunk State Park: Close Park
Stony Point State Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Tallman Mountain State Park: Close Pool

Taconic Region
Donald J. Trump State Park: Close Park
FDR (Roosevelt) State Park: Reduce Swimming Pool Season
Hudson Highlands State Park: Close Arden Point Area
James Baird State Park: Reduce Golf Course Season
Mills Norrie State Park: Reduce Golf Course Season
Olana State Historic Site: Close 2 Days per Week
Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Rockefeller State Park Preserve: Eliminate Interpretive Programs
Taconic Outdoor Education Center: Eliminate Interpretive Programs
Taconic State Park � Rudd Pond: Close Rudd Pond Area
Wonder Lake State Park: Close Park

Saratoga-Capital Region
Bennington Battlefield State Park: Close Historic Site
Hudson River Islands State Park: Close Park
John Boyd Thacher State Park: Close Park
John Brown Farm Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Johnson Hall State Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Max V. Shaul State Park: Close Park
Schodack Island State Park: Close Park
Schoharie Crossing Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Schuyler Mansion Historic Site: Close Historic Site

Central Region
Chittenango Falls State Park: Close Park
Clark Reservation State Park: Close Park
Fort Ontario State Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Helen McNitt State Park: Close Park
Herkimer Home Historic Site: Close Historic Site
Hunts Pond State Park: Close Park
Oquaga Creek State Park: Close Park
Old Erie Canal State Park: Close Park
Oriskany Battlefield/Steuben SHS: Close Historic Site
Pixley Falls State Park: Close Park
Robert Riddell State Park: Close Park
Selkirk Shores State Park: Close Public Swimming Beach

Finger Lakes Region
Beechwood State Park: Close Park
Bonavista State Park: Close Park
Chimney Bluffs State Park: Close Park
Newtown Battlefield State Park: Close Park
Springbrook Greens State Park: Close Park
Two Rivers State Park: Close Park
Buttermilk Falls State Park: Close Public Swimming Area
Seneca Lake State Park: Close Lake Swimming Beach
Stony Brook State Park: Close Public Swimming Area

Thousand Islands Region
Canoe Island State Park: Close Park
Cedar Island State Park: Close Park
Eel Weir State Park: Close Park
Keewaydin State Park: Close Park
Macomb Reservation State Park: Close Park
Mary Island State Park: Close Park
Point Au Roche State Park: Close Park
Sackets Harbor State Historic Site: Close Historic Site

Genesee Region
Hamlin Beach State Park: Close Swimming Beach 3 Days per Week
Oak Orchard State Marine Park: Close Park
Regionwide: Eliminate Camper Recreation Program

Niagara Region
Joseph Davis State Park: Close Park
Knox Farm State Park: Close Park
Niagara Falls State Park: Reduce Interpretive Programs
Wilson-Tuscarora State Park: Close Park
Woodlawn Beach State Park: Close Park

Allegany Region
Allegany State Park: Close Quaker Area Swim Beach; Close Quaker Cabins Area on Dec. 1; Eliminate Winter Trails Maintenance; Reduce Recreation Programs
Long Point State Park: Close Park


Plan to close 41 state parks attacked from all quarters

If this goes through, the closest state park to me will be an hour away.

 

[Omar B]

Wow that sucks. I'm a big user of the Long Island parks and well the city parks as a whole (Forest Park is pretty much my back yard).

 

[grydth]

Funny how there's always enough money around in these emergencies to continue to hire political hacks to state jobs at 6 figure salaries...

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Simply unreal!

 

[Flea]

The federal park system has made closures around the country too.

:bs1:

 

[terryl965]

Just goes to show all of us that money is never enough we must have some value to it as well.....

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I use several of these parks regularly. I bet there's still money to pay the drivers, and surf-the-web-all-day political hires.

 

[Scott T]

That'll brighten the moods of real estate developers.

 

[shesulsa]

That'll brighten the moods of real estate developers.

Horrifically sad yet true.

We are looking at the closing of newly-opened local community centers.

 

[CoryKS]

That'll brighten the moods of real estate developers.

Closing the park doesn't necessarily mean selling the land.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

What it means is it sits there, unused, overgrowing, being vandalized, and stripped of whatever is of worth, so that in a few years when they decide to reopen, it costs more to refurb it than if they'd run it continuously.

NYS government is about as smart as a cat turd.

 

[Flea]

Last year my city closed a park for budget reasons - it was more like a state park with a campground, big meeting spaces, and hiking trails. It's been a huge controversy because the criminal element moved in immediately.

Now, not only do they have to continue maintaining all the buildings so the meth-heads don't sue over having something collapse on them, but they've had to increase the police patrols exponentially. Last I heard, they re-opened some of the facilities because it was cheaper than all the extra police patrols. Of course, that means cleaning up all the fresh vandalism ...