The agency that would become the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) was created in 1970; however, the history of state parks and historic sites in New York stretches back to the latter part of the 19th century. Management of state-owned parks, and guidance for the entire state park system, was accomplished by various regional commissions, private organizations, statewide advisory councils, and divisions within other state agencies prior to the establishment of NYS OPRHP, which grew from the framework created by these earlier organizations.
Initial acquisitions , was the first park opened by New York State. State-level procurement and management of parks in New York began in 1883, when then-governor
Grover Cleveland signed legislation authorizing the appropriation of lands near
Niagara Falls for a "state reservation". Two years later, the Niagara Reservation, known today as
Niagara Falls State Park, opened to the public. The park is claimed to be the oldest state park in the United States, During the early 20th century, the state continued to expand its public parks system with several large additions, including
Letchworth State Park in 1906, Fire Island State Park (known today as
Robert Moses State Park) in 1908,
John Boyd Thacher State Park in 1914, Enfield Glen State Park (today's
Robert H. Treman State Park) in 1920, and
Allegany State Park in 1921. A coordinated effort to protect portions of the
Hudson Palisades from the damaging effects of
quarrying resulted in the creation of a number of state parks in the 1910s and 1920s, including
Bear Mountain State Park and
Harriman State Park. To address the need for statewide coordination, the
New York State Council of Parks was created by legislation adopted on April 18, 1924. Its formation was supported by governor
Alfred E. Smith and based on plans by
Robert Moses, who became the council's first commissioner; As the Depression came to a close with the United States joining
World War II in 1941, New York State was managing 74 parks welcoming a combined 20 million visitors annually. The state park system underwent a period of rapid expansion during former governor
George Pataki's administration. Between 1995 and 2007, Pataki, along with then-parks commissioner
Bernadette Castro, opened 28 new state parks. Although the governor was lauded as a conservationist for his actions, The 2010 fiscal crisis resulted in decreased availability of funds for maintenance and upkeep at New York's parks. To help address an estimated $1 billion in needed repairs, $143 million in funds were made available in 2012; the money came from a combination of state, federal, and private grant sources. Sustained funding for repairs was announced in 2015, with the state planning to spend $900 million by 2020 at parks and historic sites throughout the state. ==Facilities==