New York Gov. David Paterson announced Thursday that an
agreement has been reached with Legislators to reopen 55 state
parks by Memorial Day, including the Quaker and Red House areas in
Allegany State Park near Salamanca, N.Y.

According to multiple reports, Paterson said a tentative deal
will keep the 41 parks and 14 historic sites operational that the
governor closed early this week, with funds diverted from the
state’s Environmental Protection Fund.

After negotiations that lasted until approximately 4 a.m.
Thursday, it was decided to cut the Environmental Protection Fund
by $74 million in order to delegate the $11 million dollars to
operate all 178 parks and sites in the state and to help close the
state budget gap.

“We’ve come to a deal to approximately cut about what I proposed
in the original budget,” the Associated Press quoted Paterson as
saying on WOR radio 710’s “The John Gambling Show.” “The bad news
is it has taken about four days to find $11 million dollars to keep
the parks open.”

Lawmakers were reluctant to cut such large amounts out of the
Environmental Protection Fund which go toward conservation and
recycling programs, as well as the Buffalo Zoo, but were under
pressure from constituents seeking use of the parks for the holiday
weekend.

The current agreement will also serve to eliminate partial
service closures for which several other park areas were destined
and keep open Department of Environmental Conservation campgrounds
targeted for closing, according to several sources.

Red House Lake in Allegany State Park was one of the areas that
would have been subject to limited use, as swimming was going to be
prohibited until June 26 and last through Labor Day. The Quaker
Area almost saw a complete termination of activities this summer
and the preclusion of camping during the winter as well.

These particular closures would have resulted in a savings of
$24,000 covering the cost of lifeguard wages and the like, but
since people would still have been able to access the areas other
costs would have been generated in the effort to enforce the
closure.

Should these reopenings achieve anticipated permanence, people
will be able to enjoy the use of the parks and their facilities for
the rest of the year.

Attempts to reach Allegany State Park Regional Park Director
Michael Miecznikowski and the public relations office of Paterson
on Thursday for additional comment were unsuccessful.