PRESTON – The Town of Preston is saying “No” to plans of expansion at Bowman Lake State Park, arguing that park expansion takes land off the tax roll and leaves local taxpayers shouldering an extra burden.
According to Preston Town Supervisor Peter Flanagan, the town wasn’t notified prior to the Open Space Institute’s acquisition of 307 acres adjacent to Bowman Lake in the towns of Preston and McDonough. OSI announced the purchase ordered by New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation back in January.
The land purchase – consisting of natural meadow, farm fields and forest – will add nearly 307 acres to Bowman Lake State Park, growing the size of the park by almost 50 percent. OSI says the preserved land will provide an important buffer to the entrance of the popular camping park, provide additional hiking trails and add varied landscapes and habitats to the park.
OSI will hold the land for several months until State Parks acquires it, with funding provided by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund.
The problem, said Flanagan, is that much of Chenango County – approximately 90,000 acres, or 15 percent of the county – is already state-owned, meaning some is also untaxable. The 307 acres recently purchased by OSI equates to another $11,000 annual loss on the local tax roll (approximately $2,000 for the Town of McDonough and $9,000 for Preston) which puts more burden on local taxpayers, Flanagan said.
“The park is already contiguous with (just over 7,000 acres) of state land which would seem like a fair buffer to our town. And since the Finger Lakes Trail goes right through the park, we though there may be some hiking already available,” said Flanagan. “The land was purchased before we were even told about it by the Open Space Institute, and the acquisition was announced on TV and in the newspapers before we received a letter seeking our concurrence ... This will take tax revenue off the rolls for schools, counties and towns which will mainly be picked up by citizens of Preston.”
The Preston Town Board was finally sent a letter from the NYS Parks Department in February seeking concurrence when the Environmental Protection Fund is used to fund the acquisition. But Board members declined.
“The Town Board voted not to concur, which apparently gives us authority to negate their use of the environmental protection fund to purchase the land,” Flanagan said. “At least that’s what we’ve been told.”
He added, “I have no objections to parks if there’s something done with them; but I don’t consider them to be active stewards of the land they have now.”
The New York State 2016-2017 budget earmarks $300 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, up from $25 million that was contributed to the fund in the previous year’s budget.
In a statement released in January, State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said the purchase of land around Bowman Lake was encouraging news for conservationists and a positive showing of the state’s efforts to preserve the environment.
“The expansion of Bowman Lake State Park is another example of how New York is expanding outdoor recreational opportunities and protecting the environment for New York residents and visitors,” Harvey said.