Cuomo announces expansion of Green Lakes, other projects

MANLIUS — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on March 10 announced the expansion of Green Lakes State Park in Manlius, as part of several state parks land-protection projects that cover more than 760 acres in Central New York and the Southern Tier. 

The governor has proposed a $3 billion Restore Mother Nature Environmental Bond Act to fund projects to protect the state’s water resources and fish and wildlife habitats. Cuomo has incorporated open-space protection as “a critical component” of his strategy to combat the effects of climate change.

“This expansion of Green Lakes State Park will offer new opportunities for recreation and boost tourism in Upstate New York, while protecting environmentally significant lands,” the governor said in a release. “Open space protection is a critical piece of the Restore Mother Nature Initiative, and with the Bond Act we will be able to pursue even more projects like this for land preservation and habitat restoration, and better protect our environment for future generations.” 

 New York acquired the 160-acre Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities’ Spirituality and Nature Center at Alverna Heights to be added to Green Lakes State Park in Onondaga County. The land will provide a “significant buffer of open space” for Central New York’s most-visited state park. In addition, the state announced projects in the Southern Tier, adding 297 acres to Robert V. Riddell State Park and protecting more than 310 acres of land in Tompkins County from potential development, as well as extending the Black Diamond hiking trail near Ithaca. 

These land acquisitions provide significant conservation value and buffers in the area of four state parks, as well as offer space that in the future can be used to provide amenities for the popular Black Diamond trail. Some of the land being acquired had been approved for a residential subdivision and now will become park land and thus, stay open space, per the state.

 In Onondaga County, the 160 acres of open fields and forest of Alverna Heights are near the main entrance to Green Lakes State Park on Route 290. Acquisition of the parcels provides a buffer for the park’s Rolling Hills campground, and adds to its Bird Conservation Area. The property also will help “protect the park’s unique ecology, including its striking meromictic lakes and the maple-basswood rich mesic forest.” 

 Erik Kulleseid, commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said, “Keeping these lands safe from development is crucial to preserving the rare natural beauty and ecology of Green Lakes State Park. I’m grateful to the Sisters for their excellent stewardship of the property. Their participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Habitat Incentive program brought back native grasses to 10 acres on the property and with it, the birds and wildlife that inhabit these grasslands. We thank them for partnering with New York State on this open space project…”

 Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon added, “This acquisition will help ensure that Green Lakes State Park remains the preeminent State Park in our region. The unique natural beauty of this park routinely draws a million visitors a year, making it an important part of our tourism industry. Now this land will be able to be enjoyed and appreciated for generations to come.” 

The Sisters of St. Francis will keep a presence on the property through a 10-year lease of the two residences on the property. Public access is limited to ensure the sisters’ privacy and safety, the state says. New York State Parks will explore opportunities to expand its trail network on portions of the land. 

State Parks acquired the Alverna Heights property with $1.2 million from the Environmental Protection Fund. 

 Along with the addition on the east side of the facility, Green Lakes State Park has added 420 acres in the last two years — growing the now 2,200-acre facility by almost 25 percent. 

 State Parks is also adding open space and expanding trail connections near several facilities in the Southern Tier. That includes the following:

• 297 acres added to Robert V. Riddell State. The addition to the Delaware County-side of the park buffers a heavily subdivided area near the park and provides room to expand trails. Now nearly 2,700 acres, the Susquehanna River Valley park offers an extensive trail network for bird-watching, snowshoeing, and fishing 

• 46.2 areas will be added to Robert H. Treman State Park, south of Ithaca, that will further a master plan to connect several state parks, Cornell University Natural Areas, and Finger Lakes Land Trust Preserves as a greenbelt. The addition also seeks to protect water quality within Enfield Creek including recreational swimming at the park. 

• Nearly 11 acres will be added to Buttermilk Falls State Park that will allow a future phase of the 8.4-mile Black Diamond Trail to extend a 3.7-mile connection between Robert H. Treman State Park and Buttermilk Falls State Park 

• North of Ithaca, the state is partnering with the Finger Lakes Land Trust for the $92,000 purchase of 11.7 acres adjacent to the Black Diamond Trail that runs along Cayuga Lake and the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway. This addition will allow improved public access to the trail from Route 89, as well as for the future addition of trail amenities such as rest rooms, drinking water, and seating. This area is also part of Tompkins County’s Greenbelt. 

• On the eastern side of Cayuga Lake, the state has provided a $327,475 grant to the Finger Lakes Land Trust that will allow the nonprofit conservation group to buy a 243-acre parcel in the town of Lansing for use as a nature preserve with waterfalls and trails. This acquisition will protect views across the lake of Taughannock Falls State Park, as well as protect water quality in a lake that has been hit by harmful algal blooms in the past. 

 The environmental bond act would provide funding for land acquisition to provide recreational opportunities, protect communities from flooding, and safeguard drinking water sources. New York’s last environmental bond act was passed in 1996. Other examples of types of projects that can be funded through this new initiative may include: 

• Freshwater and tidal wetland restoration to “put nature to work” filtering contaminants and nutrients. 

• Riparian buffers to protect water bodies from nutrient runoff and sedimentation and prevent HABs. 

• Fish-hatchery investments and public-access site improvements to boost the state’s recreational fishing. 

• Measures to bolster resilience including voluntary property buy-outs, right-sizing culverts and bridges, removing obsolete and hazardous dams, and green-infrastructure projects. 

 The governor has also has proposed funding the Environmental Protection Fund for the fourth year in a row at a “record high” $300 million. Appropriations include $39 million for solid-waste programs, $89 million for parks and recreation, $152 million for open-space programs, and $20 million for the climate-change mitigation and adaptation program. 

 New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual parks, historic sites, recreational trails and boat launches, which are visited by 77 million people annually. A recent university study found that spending by State Parks and its visitors supports $5 billion in output and sales, 54,000 private-sector jobs, and more than $2.8 billion in additional state GDP, per the release.         ν