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Newtown Battlefield State Park is in danger! |
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Governor Paterson has proposed
drastic cuts to the 2010-2011 NYS budget
Please! Help
us fight Governor Paterson's proposed budget. To locate
your NYS legislators,
go to: For
Chemung County, please contact: See below
for a sample letter text to copy and paste, if you wish. Visit
www.ptny.org,
an advocacy group that is working to save our parks and trails. |
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Dear_________________, I am writing to ask you to vote against Governor Paterson's proposed budget, which would cut $11million from the funding of our State Parks and State Historic Sites, forcing the closure of, and/or program cuts to, 55 State Parks and 14 State Historic Sites. I understand that these are tough economic times and that the State is facing an enormous budget deficit. However, making cuts of this nature is not the way to solve these problems. Here are some reasons why: 1. In a time when travel is so expensive and families must cut back on vacations, they are sticking closer to home and are camping, hiking, picnicking, and swimming in our State Parks and are visiting our Historic sites. Attendance in 2009 was way up. 2. State parks and historic sites account for 20,000 non-park jobs state-wide. Cutting jobs in a tough economy is not the way to help it improve. 3. The State Parks budget is only one-quarter of one percent of the total state budget. The savings to the state from closing the 57 parks is estimated to be $6.3 million. This is a drop in the bucket that will cause far more harm than good. 4. According to a 2009 report, state parks and historic sites generate $1.9 billion annually in economic activity statewide. Visitors from outside the community account for about 40% of that activity--visitors and money communities will lose if parks are forced to close. Why would anyone want to cut $11 million only to lose $1.9 billion in economic revenue? This makes no sense. The economic health of our towns and counties depends partly upon tourism that is generated by our state parks. 5. Our history and our heritage is important! Without our history, we have no future. Closing State Historic Sites is not the way to encourage our young people to visit and learn about those who have lived, struggled, fought, and gone before us. Please work with the Governor and your colleagues to find other ways to reduce spending. Please attack the "pork" projects and the needless, wasteful spending that is so prevalent, and save our beautiful State Parks and our valuable Historic Sites. Thank you! Sincerely,
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Chemung Valley Living History Center
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