A STATE PAEK PLAN FOR NEW YORK 



1916 Bond Issue Exhmisted 



The State Park bond issue of ten million dollars, which was 

 approved by the Legislature and by the people in 1916 (Chapter 

 569 of the Laws of 1916), is now exhausted by appropriations. 

 Of this bond issue $7,500,000 was applicable to the acquisi- 

 tion of lands for state park purposes within the Forest Pre- 

 serve counties and $2,500,000 was applicable to the acquisition 

 of lands for the extension of the Palisades Interstate Park. 

 The last $2,500,000 for the State Forest Preserve extension was 

 appropriated at the last session of the Legislature and this 

 sum will be expended within another year. It will be seen that 

 the Forest Preserve land has become available at the rate of 

 approximately $1,000,000 a year and that purchases for the 

 extension of the Palisades Interstate Park have been made 

 at the rate of approximately $500,000 a year. This calcula- 

 tion does not take into consideration the substantial gifts of 

 land and money to the Palisades Interstate Park from private 

 sources. As a matter of fact, the Palisades Interstate Park has 

 received more from private sources than from the states of 

 New York and New Jersey combined. In addition to the Forest 

 Preserve and Palisades Interstate Park the state has also 

 provided by bond issue monies which are now exhausted, for 

 the development of the Saratoga State Reservation. 



New Bond Issue Gives Opportunity for Unified Plan 



The most superficial consideration of this problem shows 

 the imperative need of extending the Forest Preserve upon 

 which the very life of the state depends and of adding to the 

 present area and recreational facilities of the Palisades Inter- 

 state Park which are already overtaxed. The state is now 

 definitely committed to the use of bond issue monies for the 

 development of the Forest Preserve, Palisades Interstate Park 

 and Saratoga Reservation. A new bond issue is now required 

 for this purpose. It is expected that these parks can be de- 

 veloped effectively during the next seven or eight years at a 

 somewhat reduced rate of progress as compared to the past 

 five years. Since no new issue could be approved before the 

 end of 1923, it is clear that we must plan for a period of at least 

 seven or eight years in advance. It is estimated that over such 

 a period approximately $5,000,000 will enable the state to carry 



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