By MICHAEL VIRTANEN
Associated Press Writer
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - While visitors will find more state park
gates shut this winter as a means to save money, they'll still be
able to walk, snowshoe or ski in to most of those 325,000 acres
scattered from Long Island to Niagara Falls and up to the Thousand
Islands.
In designated parks, they'll still be able to snowmobile, and
some tracts will still allow hunters with special permits. Mostly
what will be missing are staff, special services and campgrounds.
All but two parks will be closed to visitors at night. The cabins
and cottages at Allegany and Letchworth state parks in western New
York are scheduled to stay open all winter.
"Unless you're told otherwise, parks are available for day
use," said Eileen Larrabee, parks spokeswoman. "They're public
grounds. But at the same time we have a concern for the safety of
patrons, and we also are always concerned about vandalism."
Officials recently proposed a "zero-growth" budget for the
2009-2010 fiscal year of $228.8 million for operations, $13.7
million for aid to localities and $52 million for capital projects,
agency spokesman Dan Keefe said.
With an economic downturn gripping much of the nation, many
states face tight park budgets and are trying various approaches,
said Philip McKnelly, executive director of the National
Association of State Park Directors. There are 6,624 park areas
with almost 14 million acres across the 50 states.
At the association's recent conference in Idaho, some state
directors had to stay home or pay their own way.
"Different states have been experiencing troubles for different
lengths of time," McKnelly said. One approach that seldom comes up
is selling parks, he said, noting those bought with money from the
federal Land and Water Conservation Fund are covered by "a
non-reversion clause" that prohibits any other use than public
land or open space.
More than 55 million visitors come annually to New York's 178
parks and 35 historic sites. With the trend in the current economic
downturn toward close-to-home "staycation," public demand will
remain strong and could increase dramatically, Parks Commissioner
Carol Ash told budget officials and lawmakers recently.
"Despite the fact we had a rainy summer, we held steady in
daily park attendance," Ash said. "Recreational tourism is one of
New York state's largest industries."
The economic downturn has left the state government facing a
deficit Gov. David Paterson estimated at $1.5 billion this year and
$12.5 billion next year, even following cuts he ordered in parks
and other agency programs of more than 13 percent, as well as a
general hiring freeze.
After reviewing all their sites, parks officials ordered service
and staffing reductions in every region of the state, with many
campgrounds shutting down earlier. Others include, for example,
closing until April 1 the Schodack Island State Park in the Hudson
River south of Albany; shutting the East Bathhouse at Jones Beach
on Long Island; and no winter cabins at Fair Haven Beach State Park
by Lake Ontario. So far, 75 parks and historic sites are affected.
Most parks are open for passive uses like hiking, snowshoeing or
cross-country skiing, Keefe said. Some, like Delta Lake State Park
in central New York, have designated routes for snowmobiling.
Permitted special uses for each park are listed on the agency's Web
site, he said.
In the separate 3 million acre state forest preserve in the
Adirondacks and Catskills, and some other largely undeveloped state
land, most areas are open for day use, as well as backcountry
camping away from trails, waterways and roadways. The Department of
Environmental Conservation also manages 52 campgrounds in the
mountains, most staffed only seasonally and closed in winter.
Hikers passing through can camp there but are asked to register at
trailheads, DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said.
At the budget hearing, Ash said there is no intention to sell
park lands or create any new parks, though they might consider
acquiring buffer areas around existing parks. The department has
been laying groundwork for private fundraising campaigns, she said.
California's governor recently proposed closing 48 parks, but
rescinded it after the public outcry, McKnelly said, while some
other approaches have gained traction.
Utah transferred a couple of parks to municipal governments,
McKnelly said. Mississippi and Arkansas added a fraction of a cent
sales tax to support parks. Several states, including Oregon and
Colorado, use lottery money. Florida, North Carolina and others use
a land transfer tax.
In Montana, a dollar was added to the cost of a license plate,
which goes to state parks. In return, citizens with Montana tags
get into the parks for free.
New York's transfer tax supports its Environmental Protection
Fund, which in part buys land for open space.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)