The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department charged with the operation of state parks and historic sites within the U.S. state of New York. the NYS OPRHP manages nearly of public lands and facilities, including 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, that are visited by over 78 million visitors each year.

Initial acquisitions

thumb|Prospect Point at the Niagara Reservation, . The reservation, known today as [[Niagara Falls State Park, was the first park opened by New York State.]]

State-level procurement and management of parks in New York began in 1883, when then-governor Grover Cleveland signed legislation authorizing the appropriation of lands near Niagara Falls for a "state reservation". Two years later, the Niagara Reservation, known today as Niagara Falls State Park, opened to the public. The park is claimed to be the oldest state park in the United States, For a discussion of earlier state parks, see History of state parks in the United States. and was the first established via eminent domain. During the early 20th century, the state continued to expand its public parks system with several large additions, including Letchworth State Park in 1906, Fire Island State Park (known today as Robert Moses State Park) in 1908, John Boyd Thacher State Park in 1914, Enfield Glen State Park (today's Robert H. Treman State Park) in 1920, and Allegany State Park in 1921. A coordinated effort to protect portions of the Hudson Palisades from the damaging effects of quarrying resulted in the creation of a number of state parks in the 1910s and 1920s, including Bear Mountain State Park and Harriman State Park. To address the need for statewide coordination, the New York State Council of Parks was created by legislation adopted on April 18, 1924. Its formation was supported by governor Alfred E. Smith and based on plans by Robert Moses, who became the council's first commissioner;

As the Depression came to a close with the United States joining World War II in 1941, New York State was managing 74 parks welcoming a combined 20 million visitors annually.]]

The state park system underwent a period of rapid expansion during former governor George Pataki's administration. Between 1995 and 2007, Pataki, along with then-parks commissioner Bernadette Castro, opened 28 new state parks. Although the governor was lauded as a conservationist for his actions,

The 2010 fiscal crisis resulted in decreased availability of funds for maintenance and upkeep at New York's parks. To help address an estimated $1 billion in needed repairs, $143 million in funds were made available in 2012; the money came from a combination of state, federal, and private grant sources. Sustained funding for repairs was announced in 2015, with the state planning to spend $900 million by 2020 at parks and historic sites throughout the state. New York State Park Police personnel are New York State police officers under paragraph e, subdivision 34, §1.20 of the state Criminal Procedure Law.

State Park Police maintain law and order at 180 state parks and 35 state historic sites, covering nearly 335,000 acres (523&nbsp;sq mi; 1,360&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of public lands and facilities, that are visited by over 78 million visitors each year.

See also

  • Adirondack Park Agency
  • List of New York state park golf courses
  • New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Notes

References

  • New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
  • State Parks
  • Historic Sites
  • Golf Courses
  • Trails
  • Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations