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Albany,
NY – April 2025 / NewsmakerAlert: The
New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announces
the release of a new installment of the interactive, online timeline ‘Blazing
a Trail: A History of New York State Parks and Historic Sites’.
This project employs photographs, illustrations, paintings, documents,
archival footage, maps, and well-researched narratives to tell the story
of the development of the New York State Parks system.
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 This
era, titled “A New Millenium,” explores the period from 2000 to
the present day. In this era, we learn about ambitious plans to preserve
more than one million acres, the impact of the Great Recession, and how
advocacy groups and the public mobilized to prevent parks from closing
and support them through initiatives like “I Love My Park Day.” The rails-to-trails
trend that began in the previous decades accelerated, and the Empire State
Trail, which connects the entire state, opened for use. The timeline discusses
the agency’s diverse leadership over the last 25 years, and how new climate
change realities have been navigated while also continuing to position
New York as a nationwide recreation destination. The newest installment,
“A New Millenium,” is available
here, along with previously released eras.
“The
story of our parks in the 21st century is one of resilience and hope,”
said Randy Simons,
Commissioner Pro Tempore of the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic
Preservation. “Our 5,000+ dedicated employees will take pride in seeing
their efforts—and those of their mentors—highlighted in this installment
of Blazing a Trail. As we look ahead to the final installment of
this project in April, we are reminded of the obstacles overcome and the
resilient vision established during challenging times. These achievements
inspire us to forge a path toward the next century of our cherished park
system.”
In
the first eras, ‘Blazing a Trail’ readers learned about the drive
to conserve natural spaces during the rapid development of the late 1800s
and the shift in focus from preservation to recreation. They met leaders
who created the system of parks and historic sites we know today and guided
its development. The third era took users into the Great Depression and
New Deal years and examined the role of the park system during World War
II. In the fourth era, users got a look at the post-war period through
the lens of the park system. The fifth era explored leadership changes
and park expansion during the Rockefeller years of the 1960s. The sixth
era discussed the agency’s expansion into New York City, the conservation
of open space, and the response to increased public interest in historic
preservation. The final era of ‘Blazing a Trail’ will cover the
future of parks and historic sites.
‘Blazing
a Trail’ was created in celebration of the Parks Centennial in 2024.
The yearlong statewide celebration included special campaigns, events and
exhibits held at parks, historic sites and partnering agencies and organizations
throughout the year; and the documentary “From Land to Legacy,”
produced by PBS affiliate WMHT, which premiered in September 2024 and continues
to air on PBS affiliates statewide.
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New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP)
oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf
courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 88.3
million visits in 2024. For more information on any of these recreation
areas, visit parks.NY.gov, download
the free NY State Parks Explorer
app or call 518-474-0456. Join us in celebrating our Centennial throughout
2024, and connect with us on Facebook,
Instagram,
X
(formerly Twitter) and the OPRHP Blog.
Source
Document
Media
Contact:
Dan
Keefe
Public
Information Officer
518-486-1868
news@parks.ny.gov |
