NY groups splitting $18K in parks-trails grants

ALBANY, N.Y. — Eleven not-for-profit park and trail organizations from Long Island to the Adirondacks are splitting nearly $20,000 in grants from an Albany-based preservation group.

Parks and Trails New York says it is awarding more than $18,000 to the groups so they can use the funds to increase organizational visibility, generate community support, grow membership, and attract additional volunteers.

Parks and Trails' Executive Director Robin Dropkin says the organization's grant program helps local groups across the state leverage more private funding and draw additional volunteers.

Since , the program has assisted 36 organizations in 25 New York counties.

This year's awards are going to groups on Long Island and in Queens, and to organizations from the Lower Hudson Valley to the Adirondacks and the Elmira area.