Executive State Budget Includes Record Funding for Parks & the Environment

In January, Governor Kathy Hochul released her Executive Budget for FY 2023, proposing the most ambitious investment in parks, trails, and the environment in decades. Highlights of this investment include:

• $200 million in capital investment in State Parks.
• A 15% increase in the operating budget for State Parks.
• $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF)
• $4 billion for the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act

Governor Hochul's budget ensures that all visitors continue to have access to safe and welcoming outdoor places for recreation and respite. The governor's support for preserving open space and our natural environment underscores the importance of public green space, made more apparent during the pandemic.

Capital Funding for State Park Infrastructure

Governor Hochul’s budget would allocate a record $200 million in capital funding for larger-scale parks infrastructure projects. This commitment, which reflects a dedication to restoring and enhancing the nation’s oldest state park system, builds upon a decade of investment that enables repair of critical park infrastructure and creates new opportunities for visitors to access the outdoors. The State Park System welcomed a record 79 million users in 2021.

The previous capital funding program leveraged more than $1.2 billion in public and private funds to carry out more than 900 improvement projects in over 200 parks, trails, and historic sites in local communities across New York State. This year’s proposed funding will continue this legacy by transforming flagship parks, addressing critical infrastructure needs, and expanding opportunities for local recreation.

Funding is critical to ensure that New York State Parks can meet the goals laid out in ambitious planning documents such as the Statewide Greenway Trails Plan, which calls for continued growth in New York’s greenway trail network and expanding the Empire State Trail to serve all New Yorkers.

Parks Operating Budget

Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget helps connect people to parks and the outdoors by providing crucial funding needed to maintain the quality of our state park system. The Executive Budget restores some of the agency’s capacity to welcome a growing number of visitors, reach new and underserved audiences, and more accurately interpret our state’s multi-cultural history. As agency staff are pressed to “do more with less,” the stress on park infrastructure and programming becomes more evident.

We remain hopeful that this proposed increase, as well as the budget proposal for a Park Police Academy class to be held this fall, are the first of many meaningful steps towards ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to safe, nearby outdoor places for recreation and respite. For too long, New York has overlooked the imbalance between the capital investments made over the last decade and effectively accommodating record visitation and upholding New York State’s unparalleled park legacy.

Environmental Protection Fund

Governor Hochul’s proposal to increase the EPF would fund significant expansions of some of New York’s most impactful environmental programs.

The Executive Budget calls for a doubling of the Park and Trail Partnership Grant Program, from $1 million to $2 million. These competitive grants enable Friends groups to expand their impact by supporting a wide array of efforts, from raising funds for capital projects and performing maintenance and beautification tasks, to providing innovative educational programming and hosting special events. Since the grant program’s inception in 2015, 140 non-profit organizations have received $3.6 million in grants and leveraged more than $1.6 million in private investment that directly benefits park communities.

The increased funding will be directed into three primary strategies for enhancing stewardship of our treasured outdoor resources. A primary focus will advance diversity, equity and inclusion through the development of community partnerships that expand access to marginalized communities, while also providing resources to Friends groups to train and educate board members and staff and develop action plans to internally address DEI and begin the process of dismantling barriers to inclusion for marginalized communities. Other strategies include expanding eligibility to new groups to strengthen public-private partnerships and volunteerism, as well as increasing maximum grant amounts for existing categories in an effort to offset the rising costs of goods and services and allow friends groups to have greater impact with the projects they undertake.

The proposed budget includes an increase to $26 million for the Municipal Parks program, providing critical support to local parks projects. Funding in this line provides matching grants to projects that acquire, develop and plan municipal parks and recreational facilities in our comunities. The proposed increase – of which 38% is dedicated for projects in environmental justice communities – is an important step in addressing a persistent funding shortfall that impedes dozens of projects.

The Environmental Protection Fund supports more than 350,000 jobs across New York, adding $40 billion to the state's economy every year, and for every $1 invested, $7 in economic benefits are returned to the state.

Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Bond Act

In 2021, the legislature approved the state’s first environmental Bond Act in more than 20 years, which would have provided $3 billion to environmental projects, and required voters to approve the measure in November 2022. The pandemic halted the progress of the Bond Act. As part of this year’s budget, Governor Hochul has proposed increasing the Bond Act to $4 billion.

The Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Bond Act, which would provide essential investments in climate change mitigation, the protection of clean drinking water, modernization of critical infrastructure, and restoring wildlife habitats while providing access to nature and recreational opportunities for more people. Moreover, the Bond Act will support more than 65,000 jobs and allow New York to leverage federal, local, and private funding to improve quality of life for New Yorkers in every corner of the state.

A proposed $650 million from the Bond Act will be used for Open Space Land Conservation and Recreation, providing funds for important conservation projects, to protect farmland, and to cover costs associated with the development or improvement of state and municipal parks, campgrounds, nature centers and other infrastructure. The Bond Act also includes strong environmental justice provisions that require 35% of funds spent to benefit environmental justice communities.