Parks & Trails New York commends Governor Hochul’s proposed budget increases for parks and public lands

The statewide non-profit organization will continue pushing for additional funding for the Department of Environmental Conservation, Park & Trail Partnership Grants, and Connect Kids.

Parks and Trails NY, image by Parks and Trails NY[Albany, NY] – Parks & Trails New York, the leading statewide advocate for parks, trails and public lands since 1985, commends the proposed investments in New York’s public lands announced by Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday in the FY2026 Executive Budget.

The Governor’s budget puts forward increases to critical programs that support visitation and activation of New York’s public lands, including increasing the Park & Trail Partnership Grant program by $500,000 to $2.5 million, and increasing the Connect Kids program by $500,000 to $3.5 million. Both of these programs ensure that New York’s rich, diverse parks, trails and open spaces are able to welcome and captivate a growing number of visitors each year.

Park & Trail Partnership Grant program

The Park & Trail Partnership Grant program empowers grassroots nonprofit groups to enhance and sustain parks, trails, and outdoor spaces across the state. In recent grant cycles $5 million in requests went unmet. An increase to $4 million–$1.5 million more than proposed–would support additional shovel-ready projects and master plans, enhance public access to recreation, and upgrade infrastructure to meet growing visitation demands.

Connect Kids

Connect Kids has introduced nearly 800,000 students to New York’s parks and historic sites since 2016. The program funds necessary transportation and outdoor education, but 250,000 students missed out on transformative outdoor experiences in 2024 due to lack of funding. A more substantial increase will come closer to meeting the tremendous demand for this program that allows students to participate in outdoor recreation and its educational and wellbeing benefits, creating more equality and access in New York’s public lands.

Glimmerglass State Park, Photo from Glimmerglass State Park Facebook pageThe budget proposal also maintains critical capital funding for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation at $200 million per year and for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at $90 million per year. This funding would strengthen the nearly $2 billion already spent revitalizing New York’s public lands over the past decade. These critical investments have caused state visitation to nearly double over that time period. Despite record visitation and improved accessibility efforts, funding for the DEC has remained stagnant since before the pandemic. We look to the Governor to recognize the increasing popularity of the DEC’s sizable 5 million acres of land and accordingly allocate funds for the agency to meet its growing responsibilities.

Increased visitation and continued investment in our public lands directly strengthens local economies, with every $1 million invested generating $10 million in sales, $4 million in labor income, and $7 million in state GDP.

Funding for public spaces not only boosts local economies, it greatly improves the accessibility of outdoor recreation within neighboring communities and beyond. Public lands are for everyone, and with the right level of state investment, we can ensure they remain vital anchors of health, equity, and history for generations to come.

Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Paul Steely White said, “Though short of what we hope to win in the final version, we commend Governor Hochul for submitting a budget that gets us closer to realizing the full potential of our cherished public lands. Open spaces are essential to New York’s climate strategies, safeguarding critical habitats, enhancing local resilience, and improving quality of life for millions. It’s our responsibility to ensure these spaces remain welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for all who need them.”

About Parks & Trails New York

Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) is the state’s leading advocate for public lands. In the 40 years since our founding, we have been the leading statewide advocate for parks and trails, dedicated since 1985 to improving our health, economy, and quality of life through the use and enjoyment of green space. With thousands of members and supporters across the state, PTNY is a leading voice in the protection of New York’s magnificent state park system and the creation and promotion of more than 2,000 miles of greenways, bike paths, river walks, and trails. PTNY’s trail programs, which aim to transform unused transportation and other corridors into vibrant public places, have furthered dozens of trail projects and hundreds of miles of trail. For more information, visit www.ptny.org

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