Overview
The Freedom of Information Law ("FOIL"), Article 6 (Sections 84-90) of the NYS Public Officers Law, provides the public right to access records maintained by government agencies with certain exceptions. "Record" means any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for this agency, in any physical form whatsoever including, but not limited to, reports, statements, examinations, memoranda, opinions, folders, files, books, manuals, pamphlets, forms, papers, designs, drawings, maps, photos, letters, microfilms, computer tapes or disks, rules, regulations or codes.
Request Records
FOIL requests must be in writing. Please be specific as possible in describing the records you seek.
OPRHP's online FOIL Request System (GovQA) allows you to submit, edit, and track your pending request. It is quick and easy to create a customer account or log in to an existing account.
Submit a request by using the FOIL Request System (GovQA) below:
Mail a written request to:
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Albany, NY 12238
ATTN: Records Access Officer
E-mail a written request to: foil@parks.ny.gov
Submit a request for records in person: Our main offices are located at 625 Broadway, Albany NY 12207. Upon entering the main entrance of the building, advise Security Staff that you would like to request records. Security Staff will contact the appropriate bureau to provide assistance. Please be advised records require review prior to disclosure. As a result, documents and records will not be immediately available.
Accident Reports
Please note we require a copy of a government issued photo ID to release police incident and accident reports. To expedite your request for your own accident report include a copy of your driver's license or other form of identification. If you are requesting an accident report on behalf of another include authorization from the individual involved in the accident.
FOIL Process
Within five business days of the receipt of a written request for a record reasonably described, we will send you a letter either: making such record available; denying such request in writing; or furnishing a written acknowledgment of the receipt of such request. If you have not received a letter within five business days, please use your GovQA account to inquire.
An acknowledgment letter will provide you with an estimate of when the records you request will be available, which shall be reasonable under the circumstances of the request. This date is determined by the number of documents you request, their format, their availability, the time it takes to redact any information that cannot be disclosed pursuant to FOIL, the time it takes to assemble the documents, and other factors.
Once the requested records are prepared, you may receive the records via email, paper, CD/DVD, or USB. Agency records are available for inspection, by appointment, on business days between 9 AM and 5 PM at 625 Broadway, Albany NY 12207. You may schedule an appointment for in-person inspection of records by calling 518-486-7838. Please note we require a copy of a government issued photo ID to release police incident and accident reports.
Fees
If the records you request require a fee to be paid, you will be notified prior to the records being released to you. Unless a different fee is otherwise prescribed by statute, Public Officers Law §87(1) authorizes an agency to charge a fee of 25¢ per copy for copies of records up 9"x 14", or the actual cost of reproducing a record. In determining the actual cost of producing a record, an agency may include only:
- an amount equal to the hourly salary attributed to the lowest paid agency employee who has the necessary skill required to prepare the requested record(s), if at least two hours of agency employee time is needed to prepare a copy of the record(s) requested;
- the actual cost of the storage devices or media provided to the person making the request in complying with such request; and
- the actual cost to the agency of engaging an outside professional service to prepare a copy of a record, but only when an agency's information technology equipment is inadequate to prepare a copy, if such service is used to prepare the copy.
Right to Appeal
Under provisions of the Public Officers Law you may appeal a FOIL determination. If you desire to submit such an appeal, you must do so within 30 days of the written response to your FOIL request. Please include a copy of the original request for records and a copy of the FOIL response letter you received along with your appeal letter to:
Records Appeal Officer: General Counsel
NY State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
625 Broadway, Albany NY 12238
You will be informed in writing of the decision within ten business days of our receipt of such an appeal. Please indicate the FOIL Request Number when corresponding on this subject.
Subject Matter List
The following is a current list of records, by subject matter, that are maintained by this agency. Some of the listed records may be exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law.
Helpful Tips
For more information about FOIL, please visit the New York State Committee on Open Government's website.