THE FUTURE OF CLERMONT

Mike McCagg

ccSCOOP News

04-25-10 - 8:15 p.m. - A plan to fund the operation of the Clermont State Historic Site with a “loan” from the state's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) could result in the closure of the site, state park supporters claim.

In the budget proposed by Governor David Paterson, continued operations of Clermont— the home of Robert Livington and seven successive generations of Livingstons—would be funded through a $5 million transfer from the EPF. The same budget calls for the closure forty-one parks and fourteen historic sites across the state, including eleven in the Taconic Region, of which Columbia County is a part. The proposal would reduce the number of days the Olana State Historic Site is open for tours from seven to five, though Olana Partnership officials have vowed to compensate for the reduced state funding and continue tours of the site as usual.

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation spokesman Dan Keefe said the use of the EPF as proposed by Paterson is needed for Clermont to remain in operation. He also said there was no reason to believe the legislature—which has come under extreme pressure from lobbyists to restore funding to the state parks—would reject Paterson’s proposal to use the EPF to maintain Clermont’s operations. But state park proponents said there is no reason to believe the transfer would be permitted by state lawmakers, noting that the legislature has repeatedly rejected such plans in the past.

“The EPF is not meant to support operations. In the past, this has been proposed and been shot down by the legislature. The sense on the ground is that we have to go on the assumption that the EPF transfer will not be approved by the legislature,” said Sara Griffen, executive director of The Olana Partnership. “That would be a huge blow to the county [in terms of lost tourism dollars]." Griffen went on to explain, "There is a ripple effect of tourism through the historic sites in the Hudson Valley. We rely tremendously on the ripple effect of people coming up the Hudson Valley for the weekend and stopping at the sites and continuing on. If John Jay [State Homestead Historic Site in Katonah] is closed, if Clermont is closed, that would hurt Olana.”

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R-Tivoli) told ccSCOOP that the proposed loan from the EPF to continue funding Clermont was in essence thievery. “It’s really stealing from the EPF, because nobody has come up with a payback for the EPF,” said the assemblyman. He said funding should not be contingent on the EPF and that operational funds must be restored to the state budget. “I absolutely oppose whole sale closures of parks. It would devastate the region and the state,” said Molinaro, adding that he understands the need for reduced services as a result of the fiscal crisis.

Created in 1993, the EPF is funded through real estate transfer tax revenues. It’s supposed to be used to fund capital projects, such as state park land acquisitions and landfill closures. Molinaro and Griffen said that they remain optimistic that actions will be undertaken by the legislature to save the state park system.

“There has been a considerable response from the public that the legislature has never gotten in the past,” said Griffen. “I think they may be getting the message that closing parks doesn’t make financial sense.”

Molinaro added that legislation proposed in the Assembly would restore $12 million in funding to the parks. He added that while the Senate has not yet undertaken similar action, there have been supportive statements made by Senate leadership.