Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum receives $45K grant to expand executive-director position

CHITTENANGO, N.Y. — Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum announced it has been awarded a $45,625 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s (EPF) Park and Trail Partnership Program to upgrade the position of executive director to full time to “better serve the educational needs of the area and boost tourism.”

Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum said in a news release that it will need to raise an additional $15,208 in matching funds, for a project total of $60,833, to make this happen.

Christine O’Neil is the museum’s current executive director, serving in the position since January 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Chittenango Landing says its mission is to preserve a rare, historic dry dock site on the Old Erie Canal, recreate a boat building and full-service repair facility, educate people about the key role the Erie Canal played in building a nation, and serve as a visitor center to tourists on the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park Canalway Trail. The museum and historic site is open daily 10-4 p.m., May 15 through Oct. 15.

The $45,000-plus grant, announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo, is one of 20 awards totaling $450,000 for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York’s state parks and historic sites. The grants, funded through the EPF, will be matched by nearly $242,000 in private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen “Friends” groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities at state parks and historic sites across the state, the news release stated.

The Park and Trail Partnership Program grants are administered by the State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation and Parks & Trails New York, a statewide nonprofit group that advocates for the state’s parks and trails.

Friends groups — nonprofit organizations often made up entirely of volunteers — help state parks and historic sites raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programs, and promote public use through hosting special events, advocates say.

“The state’s investment in grassroots Friends Groups will complement Governor Cuomo’s extraordinary commitment to the revitalization of the entire state park system,” Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks & Trails New York, said. “These grant funds will enable groups to leverage more private and federal funding, marshal more volunteer power, and augment the state’s historic investment in parks. We look forward to seeing the transformational results from these innovative and important projects.”

Chittenango Landing says it educates nearly 3,000 school children annually in a hands-on education program and welcomes tourists from all over the world on the Canalway Trail and historic site. This grant allows the museum to better serve the school, local, and tourist community.

“This grant will give us the capacity to keep up with the growing education program and increasing visitation to the site. We will be able to better serve the school children and tourists who want to visit and learn more about the wonders of the Erie Canal. We are grateful to the Parks and Trails Partnership Program for this support.” Ken Mangine, president of the museum’s board of trustees, said in the release.

Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com