Press Release
May 07, 2012
Dan Keefe
518-486-1868
Public Invited to Help Shape Future of John Boyd Thacher and Thompson's Lake State Parks
State Parks Initiates Master Plan Process for Facilities
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation invites the public to participate in developing a comprehensive master plan for John Boyd Thacher and Thompson's Lake State Parks. Two preliminary meetings to help define a long-term vision for the facilities will be held. The first will start at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at the Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School in Berne, New York. The second will start at 6pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012 at the Bethlehem Town Hall in Delmar, New York.
At the meeting, State Parks staff will provide a brief overview of the planning effort and an introduction to all of the resources and uses of the park. The public is invited to provide suggestions on issues, impacts and considerations that could be addressed in the creation of a draft master plan and draft environmental impact statement. An up-to-date master plan will help determine the best recreational uses for the parks, make the most of available resources, offer quality programs and protect the environment. An information packet is available at: http://www.nysparks.com/inside-our-agency/master-plans.aspx
Written comments will be accepted until Friday, June 15, 2012. Please send them to: thacher-thompson.plan@parks.ny.gov
or
Salim Chishti,
Park Planner
OPRHP Planning Bureau
Albany, NY 12238
John Boyd Thacher and Thompson's Lake State Parks sit atop the Helderberg Escarpment providing spectacular views of the Mohawk and Hudson Valleys including the City of Albany, the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Rensselaer Plateau and the Adirondack Mountains. The parks offer a variety of recreational activities, trails and environmental interpretation. A campground and beach are located at Thompson's Lake State Park. The Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center is located in Thompson's Lake state park and is one of the most visited in the region. The numerous trails that thread through the grounds of both parks are ideal for a wide variety of all-season trail activities.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 178 state parks and 35 historic sites. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com.