Fahnestock and Hudson Highlands Receive Funds for Trail and Access Improvements

Clarence Fahnestock and Hudson Highland State Parks are among the parks in Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, and Orange counties that will receive funding funding through the NY Parks 2020, according to an announcement by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office. The governor’s office announced $1.3 million in funding for 17 projects around the state to improve and expand hiking trails and outdoor recreational access projects in state parks. The trails projects are part of the Governor’s commitment to improving parks and expanding access to outdoor recreation.

The projects include:

Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park – $5,000 to replace degraded School Mountain Road bridges with structures suitable for equestrian use.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park – $5,000 to improve the parking lot #5 to the pool area trail and install a bridge over the Crompond inlet stream.

Goosepond Mountain State Park – $100,000 to improve the parking area and install directional signage in the undeveloped park.

Hudson Highlands State Park – $40,000 to restore a severely eroded section of the popular Washburn trail leading up to Bull Hill in the Preserve.

Rockland Lake State Park – $150,000 to replace a deteriorated 1,300-foot boardwalk trail at the Rockland Lake Nature Center.

Taconic and Palisades Region State Parks – $172,000 to continue the successful Backcounty Trails Program; a contract with the New York-New Jersey Trails Council to build new trails, and improve existing trails in State Parks in the region.

The Governor's NY Parks 2020 program is a multi-year commitment to leverage $900 million in private and public funding for State Parks from 2011 to 2020. The 2016-17 State Budget allocates $90 million toward this initiative. “These trails are pathways to the unparalleled natural beauty that exists in every corner of New York,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this funding, we will ensure they are remain well maintained and accessible for years to come and I encourage residents and visitors alike to take a trip and experience these natural treasures for themselves.”

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