By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter Producer
MANHATTAN — New Yorkers won't have to travel far to enjoy the great outdoors this Memorial Day, as the state agreed to reopen 55 shuttered parks and historic sites in time for the holiday weekend.
As politicians wrestle to cut more than $2 billion from the state budget, the legislature chose to divert $6 million from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) towards operation of the sites, including campgrounds in the Adirondacks and the Catskills, a statement by Gov. David Paterson's office said.
Riverbank State Park in Morningside Heights had been slated to reduce its hours and close its Olympic-size swimming pool, but will now be saved by the new budget.
"These are tough times and many families are still struggling to make ends meet and can't afford lavish vacations," Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, according to the statement. "Our parks give them the opportunity to stay close to home and enjoy all that our State has to offer. It is time to resolve this issue immediately and give the people of New York State their parks back."
An additional $74 million was diverted from the EPF to the state's General Fund, leaving the 2010-11 EPF budget at $134 million, the statement noted.
The EPF will, however, benefit from an estimated $4 million in revenue, collected by violators of new hazardous waste laws that were attached to the agreement, according to the statement.
Among the new laws is the governor's E-waste Program Bill, which will launch a state-run re-use and recycling program for electronic equipment. The law will also require electronics manufacturers to accept unwanted items from consumers, the statement said.
