NY Governor’s Budget Proposal Increases Catskills Visitor Center Funding
The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development applauds Governor Kathy Hochul for increasing funding for the Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center in her Executive Budget proposal unveiled February 1. We’re thrilled to see support grow to $200,000 following our advocacy efforts.
“The Catskills Visitor Center is a critical piece of the plan for managing the increasing number of visitors to the Catskill Park,” said Jeff Senterman, Executive Director of the Catskill Center. “We applaud the Governor for recognizing the importance of the CVC, and the value of the partnership between the Catskill Center and New York State. This partnership allows us to do more together than we could separately to educate and interpret the Catskill Park for visitors and residents alike.”
The Catskill Center will work with our Senate and Assembly representatives to ensure that the funding remains in their budget proposals and, ultimately, the final budget.
The funding represents a $50,000 increase over the prior year’s budget, and remains in the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The Catskill Center’s Executive Director first wrote a letter to Governor Hochul in November requesting the increase, citing the critical Catskill Park visitor services provided at the Catskills Visitor Center — the Catskill Park’s only official visitor center.
In December, the Catskill Park Coalition, which the Catskill Center co-chairs, wrote to Governor Hochul advocating for Catskill Park priorities, including $200,000 to support the Catskills Visitor Center in its education and stewardship of the region’s natural and recreational resources.
Finally, in January, Senterman again sent a letter to the governor, urging her to not only increase Catskills Visitor Center funding to $200,000, but to have the funding remain a line item in the EPF directed to the Catskill Center in continuation of a partnership with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
The Catskill Center manages and operates the Catskills Visitor Center.