New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation-Western District Niagara Falls, NY
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First Greenway Dollars Awarded: State Parks Standing Committee funds restoration projects Contact: January 18, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The first funding to be awarded in Western New York as a result of the federal relicensing of the New York Power Authority‘s (NYPA) Niagara Power Project was made today at a meeting of the New York State Parks Standing Committee which is overseeing a portion of the funds dedicated to the Niagara River Greenway. The Committee, which includes a representative from the Office of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and a representative from NYPA, met today to review and approve a total of $2.6 million to fund projects that will initiate the restoration of several areas within Niagara Falls State Park as well as the Gorge trails overlooking the Niagara River. The projects funded are $650,000 for restoration of Luna Island & Stedman’s Bluff on Goat Island, $75,000 for a planning grant to begin the Goat Island Landscape Restoration Plan, $700,000 for phase one of restoration on Three Sisters Island, $500,000 for the Whirlpool State Park Rim Trail and Overlook restoration and $675,000 for restoration of Niagara Gorge Trails from Whirlpool State Park to Devil’s Hole State Park. “These projects were quintessentially designed with the purpose of the Greenway in mind. This work, which begins to restore what Olmsted built nearly one hundred years ago, will compliment the commitment that Governor Spitzer is making at Niagara Falls State Park,” said New York State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash. “It seems fitting that the first Greenway funding from the relicensing of the New York Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project will go to projects in Western New York state parks as they exemplify the environmental and economic goals of the Niagara River Greenway,” said Roger B. Kelley, NYPA president and chief executive officer. “These initiatives reflect the spirit of Governor Spitzer’s plan for reinvigorating Upstate’s parks, as part of his vision for enhancing the quality of life in the region and giving a boost to tourism and other business." The projects approved and funded today by the State Parks Committee received unanimous support from the Niagara River Greenway Commission earlier in the week. Details of the projects are available at www.niagaragreenway.org. The State Parks Committee is one of four standing committees that will distribute funding from NYPA for projects deemed consistent with the Greenway plan. About NYPA: ■ NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. ■ NYPA is a leader in promoting energy-efficiency, new energy technologies and electric transportation initiatives. ■ It is the nation’s largest state-owned electric utility, with 18 generating facilities in various parts of the state and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. |
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