Parks & Trails New York

Parks & Trails New York

Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) [http://www.ptny.org] is the only statewide not-for-profit parks and trails advocacy organization in New York State. Founded in 1985, and based in Albany, New York [http://www.albanyny.org] , the state capital, PTNY is dedicated to enhancing the health and quality of life of New Yorkers through the expansion and enjoyment of a growing network of green spaces around the state. The organization has worked with more than 275 community organizations and municipalities to protect, create, and increase New York’s network of open spaces, parks, and more than 1,200 miles of greenway (landscape), rail and canal trails, bike paths, and river walks.

As the leading statewide advocate for parks, in 2006 Parks & Trails New York issued a landmark report on the state of the state park system, "Parks at a Turning Point – Restoring and enhancing New York’s state park system" [http://www.ptny.org/pdfs/advocacy/state_parks_report.pdf] , and launched a Parks Campaign to secure $650 million in capital funding for the state’s magnificent but neglected state parks. The Campaign has had noticeable success in increasing the operations and capital budgets of the NYS state park agency [http://www.ptny.org/pdfs/advocacy/state_parks_report.pdf] . PTNY also works with park Friends groups around the state to improve conditions at New York’s parks.

Another of Parks & Trails New York’s priority initiatives is the development of a statewide network of multi-use trails. As part of this effort, PTNY provides intensive technical assistance to local groups and municipalities interested in developing multi-use trails. PTNY also founded and spearheads the Statewide Trails Coalition [http://www.ptny.org/advocacy/coalition.shtml] , which advocates for increased funding and supportive public policies for community trails and the statewide trails network.

Since 1998, Parks & Trails New York has been working in partnership with the New York State Canal Corporation [http://www.ptny.org/advocacy/coalition.shtml] to help communities along the 524-mile NYS Canal System organize, plan, and develop the Canalway Trail and to build awareness of the Erie Canal corridor as a premier destination for bicyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts. PTNY sponsors an eight-day cross-state bicycle tour [http://www.ptny.org/canaltour/index.shtml] along the Erie Canal and publishes a popular guidebook, Cycling the Erie Canal [http://www.ptny.org/guidebook/index.shtml] , available on-line and in hard copy.

In addition to organizing and supporting local park and trail groups through workshops and other targeted technical assistance, Parks & Trails New York provides an interactive web site, Trail Finder Maps [http://www.ptny.org/greenways/maps.shtml] , a print newsletter GreenSpace [http://www.ptny.org/publications/index.shtml] and an electronic newsletter Parks & Trails E-News [http://www.ptny.org/publications/index.shtml] .

Official website – www.ptny.org