Funding for New York’s public lands has been increased in the finalized FY2026 budget. The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) will receive a record $425 million, with capital funding maintained at $200 million for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation and $90 million for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The budget secures funding to the Park & Trail Partnership Grant program, which increased from $2 million to $2.5 million, and the Connect Kids to Parks program, which increased from $3 million to $3.8 million over FY2025.
The Park & Trail Partnership Grant (PTPG) program allocates funds to grassroots nonprofit groups for necessary maintenance and improvement projects in addition to capacity building and community programming.
With $5 million in unmet requests, increased funding to PTPG is expected to improve the accessibility of outdoor recreation and support infrastructure projects and programming to keep up with growing visitation.
Since 2016, Connect Kids has funded field trips to public lands for nearly 800,000 students. The program fosters tomorrow’s conservation leaders by providing environmental education and understanding of New York’s rich history.
Visitation to New York’s public lands continues to grow year after year, with State Parks reaching a record 88.3 million visits in 2024.
Tourism to public lands drives New York’s economy, with State Parks alone adding $3.7 billion to the state GDP in 2021, on par with the state’s agricultural sector.
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