Park closings

Summer may be months away and not on the minds of state officials now, but this is the year when some families are looking ahead to vacationing at one of New York's state parks.

So, they cannot wait to hear in May or June whether their favorite pick for a few nights or a couple of weeks of camping will be open or not.

A proposed cut of $29 million from the budget for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will mean closing some of the 178 parks in the system with cutbacks in other programs also likely.

Parks officials need to determine which parks will be closed or reduced in any way. That information needs to be made public. Closing some campgrounds will put greater demand on others, making it even harder to find a campsite. Families need to know well ahead of time to make reservations and alternate arrangements.

Parks administrators also need time to plan for appropriate staffing levels and maintenance work.