New York State Senator Mark Grisanti and New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan on Friday announced legislation to reform the Niagara River Greenway. Created by state law in 2004, the Niagara River Greenway Plan was designed to improve the waterfront along the Niagara River, in 13 municipalities, by “creating a linear system of parks, and conservation areas, linked by multi-use trails”.
A recently released report by the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG) has found that the Greenway Standing Committees, which determine funding for Greenway projects, have spent nearly $50 million since 2004.
The PPG also found that $23 million of that funding has gone toward projects that do not meet the original goal of the Niagara River Greenway Plan. Significant funding has been awarded to projects such as athletic fields, sidewalks, and festivals, which do not contribute to the adopted Greenway plan.
The legislation that Grisanti and Ryan announced requires that only projects that advance the Niagara River Greenway Plan can be approved by the Greenway Standing Committees. The legislation will also refine the Greenway boundaries and definitions of projects that can be eligible for funding.
Specifically, the legislation says that eligible projects must be within the lands and waters as identified within the “Greenway Focus Area,” which is already designated within the Niagara River Greenway Plan. As current law stands, the Greenway Focus Area is just a suggestion of where projects should be funded, and not a set boundary. In addition, within the tributaries of the Greenway Focus Area, only those projects which demonstrate a direct relationship to water quality improvement, ecosystem function, or trail connections, may be funded.
Senator Mark Grisanti said, “The Niagara River Greenway was created with the vision of creating an idyllic set of parks and trails for the region. While the Greenway has done many good works, it also has sometimes gone awry from its original intent.”
Assemblyman Sean Ryan adds, “The focus of the Greenway plan has drifted away in recent years, and our legislation is essential to bring the focus back to the original vision of creating a linear system of parks along the Niagara River.”
To announce the legislation, Grisanti and Ryan were joined by Sam Magavern of the Partnership for the Public Good, and Jill Jedlicka of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper.
“The Greenway has amazing potential for this region, but to achieve that potential, we need to spend our Greenway money on the Greenway, not on other municipal projects,” said Sam Magavern, co-director of the Partnership for the Public Good.
Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper said, “For several generations, poor decisions and short-sighted waterfront development resulted in our communities to be severed from our river and lakes. The Niagara River Greenway is our best chance to redefine how our communities connect to the waterfront.”