Paul Bray is right in calling for attention to green infrastructure in our state parks ("Cultivate parks to our needs," May 13), and we commend Commissioner Rose Harvey and the office of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation for its emphasis on increased sustainability as it works to restore our world-class park system.
Thanks to a renewed commitment to state parks by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature, decades of underinvestment in our world-renowned state park system has been reversed.
Over the past two years, $180 million has been allocated to repair and upgrade deteriorating state parks and a commitment of $90 million has been made for each of the next five years.
For a state park system that offers significant cultural, recreational and economic benefits, but faces a capital backlog totaling nearly $1 billion, this is tremendous news.
A balance is being struck between protecting the natural beauty, varying ecosystems and defining landscapes of our state parks and ensuring that they can safely and comfortably accommodate the more than 60 million people who visit them each year.
With this balance comes the opportunity and need to be thoughtful and resourceful as the revitalization of New York's 179 state parks continues.
Commitment to sustainable buildings and practices, creative public-private partnerships, deliberate planning, and the wise investment of public funding will ensure that our parks live up to their world-class status for generations to come.
Erik Kulleseid
executive director, Alliance for New York State Parks, Albany