The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. This data set contains the annual attendance figures for facilities operated by the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). The data is organized by OPRHP region and county.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation operates several nature centers throughout the state. Visitors to our nature centers learn about the abundance of natural resources to be found in state parks. Our state parks and historic sites are hosts to scenic viewsheds, geologic features and both common and rare flora and fauna. For more information, visit http://nysparks.com/environment/nature-centers/default.aspx

In 2022, an estimated 1.6 million people visited New River Gorge (NPS 2023b). To date, there are over 1,600 established rock climbs documented in the New River Gorge area (Mountain Project 2022, Williams 2019). As visitation has increased, NERI has become interested in documenting the presence of bat species and their habitat on and near the cliff face, rim, and base areas to support a park management plan. A total of 51 routes were selected to survey three times throughout the summer of 2022. Cliff line surveys included personnel on-rope rappelling down each selected cliff face to look for bats or bat sign and to collect data on the physical attributes and record habitat information. In addition, a simultaneous acoustic survey for bats was conducted at the base of each survey route. Although no bats or bat sign were documented, analysis of the acoustic data in concert with the environmental factors revealed that bats were detected at more highly climbed walls versus unclimbed walls, at least northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) were more likely to be detected near less vegetated walls, and activity of eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii) was higher as the summer progressed. Bats that roost on rock walls use cracks and crevices, which are also an important feature for climbers. Opportunistic conversations with climbers revealed that bats are observed on the cliffs. Colorado State University has a Climbers for Bat Conservation group (CSU 2023) that could be a resource for engaging climbers in a citizen science campaign.

Analysis of ‘National Register of Historic Places’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/83571960-a781-4a80-8f83-2fca4eaa4380 on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

The New York State Historic Preservation Office maintains the list of New York State’s National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( Federal Regulation 36 CFR 60 ) the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. To be considered eligible, a building, district, structure or object must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the property’s age, integrity, and significance. Please see metadata for additional information, including how to access the agency’s Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) which provides access to the agency’s database of historic records associated with each project listing in this dataset.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. The New York State Historic Preservation Office maintains the list of New York State’s National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( Federal Regulation 36 CFR 60 ) the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. To be considered eligible, a building, district, structure or object must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the property’s age, integrity, and significance. Please see metadata for additional information, including how to access the agency’s Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) which provides access to the agency’s database of historic records associated with each project listing in this dataset.

A backcountry campsite refers to a remote, primitive site typically located far from developed or maintained campgrounds. These campsites are situated in wilderness areas, often requiring hikers, backpackers, or other outdoor enthusiasts to hike or travel significant distances to access them. Here are some defining features of backcountry campsites: As of February 2013, Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a permit and advance reservations for all backcountry camping in the park. Before planning your backcountry trip, please read through important information about reservations and permits, regulations, bear safety, trail closures, and on our backcountry camping page. Questions: Please direct questions concerning backpacking trip planning to the Backcountry Information Office at 865-436-1297. Phone calls are the preferred method of contact. The information office is open for phone calls daily from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) and in-person service from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. In addition to answering your backpacking questions, the experienced backpackers in the Backcountry Information Office can provide you with tips to make your trip safe and enjoyable. Resources: The park has over 800 miles of trails offering hikers a wide range of scenery including spectacular mountain vistas, rushing streams and waterfalls, historic structures, and quiet groves of old-growth forest. You can download a park trail map to find the location of trails, backcountry shelters, and campsites in the park. In addition, Smokies Life sells a variety of hiking books, maps, and guides to help choose a hiking route and plan your backcountry trip. Smokies Life is a nonprofit organization that supports educational and scientific programs in the park. You can contact the Association online or by phone at 865-436-0120. Regulations: Backpackers and hikers are subject to all Backcountry Rules and Regulations. Failure to abide by park regulations may subject you to a fine under Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations. Maximum fine for each violation is $5,000 and/or 6 months in jail. Backcountry camping allows people to immerse themselves in nature, providing a chance to disconnect from everyday life, experience true wilderness, and test outdoor skills. It’s important to plan carefully, understand the local regulations, and ensure that you have the necessary equipment for a safe and responsible adventure.

Welcome to the Great Koala Count!

The Great Koala Count is an exciting large-scale Citizen Science survey being run by National Parks Association, in partnership with the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. The Great Koala Count is running from the 7th to the 17th of November and everyone is invited to join! The aim of the Count is to create a comprehensive picture of Koala numbers and locations across the landscape by engaging the community directly in a once-a-year survey. With sufficient support, it is hoped the Count will be replicated each year to show trends in Koala populations, movement and habitat use over time.

A free GPS enabled smartphone app 'BioTag' which links to the Atlas of Living Australia has been developed specifically for the Count. BioTag will enable participants to easily record the location of each Koala they see, along with a series of observational questions about the Koala and its habitat. This will result in the generation of scientifically robust data and will serve to complement existing Koala records. The survey breaks new ground by allowing anyone to record and share their own ecological data, as well as to view the data collected by others. People who do not own a Smartphone can upload their sightings directly to the Koala Count data portal.

The Count includes two surveys, one for Koala sightings and one to record other common species sighted during your Koala search. Knowing that no Koala sightings have been made in a survey area is as important as surveys that locate Koalas, as it helps to build a more complete picture of Koala distribution. We would like you to record as many of the common species as you see so we know where you were looking.

How will counting Koalas help? By participating in the Great Koala Count, you will help build a more detailed picture of Koalas and their habitat use, providing a valuable resource for planning future Koala conservation projects and helping to make a difference to this unique Australian animal. The more people that get involved, the more valuable data we will generate and therefore the more successful the survey will be.

Long-term aims The long-term aim is to repeat the Count annually so that changes in populations and the effectiveness of conservation efforts, along with the impact of events such as drought and fire, can be monitored over time. The analysis of this monitoring can be used to inform decisions about future conservation effort.

How to get involved Getting involved is quick and easy and anyone can join. To participate, simply register as an NPA Citizen Scientist here. Once you have registered, you can download BioTag, our Citizen Scientists Smartphone App which is available from Google Play and iTunes. Once you have downloaded BioTag you are free to practice with it anytime up until the start of the Count, after which you are ready to start recording your Koala sightings. We will delete all records entered before the Count so don't worry about making a mistake or entering test data. At the end of the Count participants will each receive a report of the Great Koala Count survey findings.

To share your stories and experiences about the Count, and to be kept up to date with what is happening, join our new Koala Count Facebook page www.facebook.com.au/KoalaCount.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. From the famed Bethpage Black, to the rolling terrain of the Robert Trent Jones' designed 18-hole course at Green Lakes State Park, New York's state park golf courses rank among the best public courses in the world. For more information, visit http://nysparks.com/golf-courses/

Content

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.From the famed Bethpage Black, to the rolling terrain of the Robert Trent Jones' designed 18-hole course at Green Lakes State Park, New York's state park golf courses rank among the best public courses in the world. For more information, visit http://nysparks.com/golf-courses/

Context

This is a dataset hosted by the State of New York. The state has an open data platform found here and they update their information according the amount of data that is brought in. Explore New York State using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the State of New York organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated quarterly.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using Socrata's API and Kaggle's API. Socrata has assisted countless organizations with hosting their open data and has been an integral part of the process of bringing more data to the public.

Cover photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Analysis of ‘New York State Parks Concession Contracts’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/f4f8ff1e-851d-4798-8124-2a463e8f47d5 on 26 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

he New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

This dataset includes the name, concesson type and term of concession contracts active in New York State Parks during the most recent calendar year.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

he New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. This dataset includes the name, concesson type and term of concession contracts active in New York State Parks during the most recent calendar year.

description: The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. The New York State Historic Preservation Office maintains the list of New York State s National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( Federal Regulation 36 CFR 60 ) the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. To be considered eligible, a building, district, structure or object must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the property s age, integrity, and significance. Please see metadata for additional information, including how to access the agency s Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) which provides access to the agency s database of historic records associated with each project listing in this dataset.; abstract: The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 214 state parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 335,000 acres, that are visited by 60 million people annually. The New York State Historic Preservation Office maintains the list of New York State s National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( Federal Regulation 36 CFR 60 ) the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. To be considered eligible, a building, district, structure or object must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the property s age, integrity, and significance. Please see metadata for additional information, including how to access the agency s Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) which provides access to the agency s database of historic records associated with each project listing in this dataset.

The National Park Service has long recognized freedom of speech, press, religion and public assembly. However, the courts have held that certain activities associated with exercising these rights may be reasonably regulated to protect park resources and the public's legitimate use of the park's resources.First Amendment activities may require a special use permit in advance of the activity and the park may regulate the time, place and manner of the activity in accordance with court and public law guidelines.The necessity of a permit to conduct First Amendment activities is determined by the group size.A small group is defined as “25 people or less.” A “small group” is not required to obtain a First Amendment Permit if they are located within a park designated First Amendment site (see link to map below) and have no more than leaflets, booklets and/or hand held signs. A permit is required for any small group that:wants to hold a demonstration or distribute and/or sell printed matter somewhere outside a designated First Amendment area.wants to use equipment (i.e. tables, banners, platforms, etc.) even if it is within a designated area.is merely an extension of another group already availing itself of the 25 person maximum.wants to guarantee they will have priority for the use of a location, including the designated First Amendment areas.A large group is defined as “more than 25 people” and is required to obtain a First Amendment Permit even if they are utilizing a park designated First Amendment site.Specific examples of activities that fall under First Amendment rules include the following:Distribution of printed matterPolitical speechesReligious servicesPublic assembliesCollecting signatures for petitionsAll requests for similar activities are treated equally. As long as permit criteria and requirements are met, no group wishing to assemble lawfully will be discriminated against or denied the right of assembly.

Analysis of ‘State Park Trails’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/0e809ef6-c7bb-4f9c-8a3f-357c7f6222fa on 12 February 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

This dataset is a shapefile of the mapped trails in NYS Parks.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

Analysis of ‘State Park Facility Points’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/d58f4d2e-395f-4c7c-895b-2a4cd1e1ded2 on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. This dataset is a shapefile of the mapped trails in NYS Parks.

Abstract

The Afrobarometer project assesses attitudes and public opinion on democracy, markets, and civil society in several sub-Saharan African.This dataset was compiled from the studies in Round 2 of the Afrobarometer, conducted from 2002-2004 in 16 countries, including Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Geographic coverage

The Round 2 Afrobarometer surveys have national coverage for the following countries: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Cabo Verde, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

The sample universe for Afrobarometer surveys includes all citizens of voting age within the country. In other words, we exclude anyone who is not a citizen and anyone who has not attained this age (usually 18 years) on the day of the survey. Also excluded are areas determined to be either inaccessible or not relevant to the study, such as those experiencing armed conflict or natural disasters, as well as national parks and game reserves. As a matter of practice, we have also excluded people living in institutionalized settings, such as students in dormitories and persons in prisons or nursing homes.

What to do about areas experiencing political unrest? On the one hand we want to include them because they are politically important. On the other hand, we want to avoid stretching out the fieldwork over many months while we wait for the situation to settle down. It was agreed at the 2002 Cape Town Planning Workshop that it is difficult to come up with a general rule that will fit all imaginable circumstances. We will therefore make judgments on a case-by-case basis on whether or not to proceed with fieldwork or to exclude or substitute areas of conflict. National Partners are requested to consult Core Partners on any major delays, exclusions or substitutions of this sort.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Afrobarometer uses national probability samples designed to meet the following criteria. Samples are designed to generate a sample that is a representative cross-section of all citizens of voting age in a given country. The goal is to give every adult citizen an equal and known chance of being selected for an interview. They achieve this by:

• using random selection methods at every stage of sampling; • sampling at all stages with probability proportionate to population size wherever possible to ensure that larger (i.e., more populated) geographic units have a proportionally greater probability of being chosen into the sample.

The sampling universe normally includes all citizens age 18 and older. As a standard practice, we exclude people living in institutionalized settings, such as students in dormitories, patients in hospitals, and persons in prisons or nursing homes. Occasionally, we must also exclude people living in areas determined to be inaccessible due to conflict or insecurity. Any such exclusion is noted in the technical information report (TIR) that accompanies each data set.

Sample size and design Samples usually include either 1,200 or 2,400 cases. A randomly selected sample of n=1200 cases allows inferences to national adult populations with a margin of sampling error of no more than +/-2.8% with a confidence level of 95 percent. With a sample size of n=2400, the margin of error decreases to +/-2.0% at 95 percent confidence level.

The sample design is a clustered, stratified, multi-stage, area probability sample. Specifically, we first stratify the sample according to the main sub-national unit of government (state, province, region, etc.) and by urban or rural location.

Area stratification reduces the likelihood that distinctive ethnic or language groups are left out of the sample. Afrobarometer occasionally purposely oversamples certain populations that are politically significant within a country to ensure that the size of the sub-sample is large enough to be analysed. Any oversamples is noted in the TIR.

Sample stages Samples are drawn in either four or five stages:

Stage 1: In rural areas only, the first stage is to draw secondary sampling units (SSUs). SSUs are not used in urban areas, and in some countries they are not used in rural areas. See the TIR that accompanies each data set for specific details on the sample in any given country. Stage 2: We randomly select primary sampling units (PSU). Stage 3: We then randomly select sampling start points. Stage 4: Interviewers then randomly select households. Stage 5: Within the household, the interviewer randomly selects an individual respondent. Each interviewer alternates in each household between interviewing a man and interviewing a woman to ensure gender balance in the sample.

To keep the costs and logistics of fieldwork within manageable limits, eight interviews are clustered within each selected PSU.

Data weights For some national surveys, data are weighted to correct for over or under-sampling or for household size. "Withinwt" should be turned on for all national -level descriptive statistics in countries that contain this weighting variable. It is included as the last variable in the data set, with details described in the codebook. For merged data sets, "Combinwt" should be turned on for cross-national comparisons of descriptive statistics. Note: this weighting variable standardizes each national sample as if it were equal in size.

Further information on sampling protocols, including full details of the methodologies used for each stage of sample selection, can be found at https://afrobarometer.org/surveys-and-methods/sampling-principles

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Certain questions in the questionnaires for the Afrobarometer 2 survey addressed country-specific issues, but many of the same questions were asked across surveys. Citizens of the 16 countries were asked questions about their economic and social situations, and their opinions were elicited on recent political and economic changes within their country.

Data Download: The Secured Areas 2024 dataset is also available as an ESRI polygon geodatabase dataset.The secured areas dataset shows public and private lands that are permanently secured against conversion to development, GAP 1-3, through fee ownership, easements, or permanent conservation restrictions. It also includes a set of more temporary easement and GAP 4 open space lands not permanently secured for nature conservation. TNC compiled these data from state, federal, and private sources and assigned a GAP Status and other standard attribute fields to the best of our ability. The Secured Areas dataset is a TNC product created primarily for estimating current extent and status of secured lands with a conservation focus, GAP 1-3. The non GAP 1-3 lands are less comprehensively mapped given the lack of their inclusion in some primary source datasets, but they are included as available in our source datasets. Any updates, corrections, or discrepancies with respect to official versions of source federal, state, or local protected areas databases should be viewed as provisional until such time as such changes have been reviewed and accepted by the official data stewards for those other protected areas databases.GAP STATUS GAP status is a classification developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to reflect the intent of the landowner or easement holder. GAP 1 and 2 are commonly thought of as “protected” for nature", while GAP 3 are “multiple-use” lands. Other temporary conservation easement lands and/or protected open space without a conservation value or intent are assigned GAP 4. (Citation: Crist, P.J., B. Thompson, T. C. Edwards, C. G. Homer, S. D. Bassett. 1998. Mapping and Categorizing Land Stewardship. A Handbook for Conducting Gap Analysis.) In addition to GAP 1-3 lands, in our TNC secured areas product we classified six additional classes of open space lands (permanent agricultural easements, temporary conservation easements, temporary agricultural easements, urban parks, state board lands, other GAP 4 lands). The following definitions guided our assignment of lands into the following nine classes:TNC CLASS CODE (fields TNCCLASS, TNCCLASS_D)1 = GAP 1: Permanently Secured for Nature and Natural Processes. Managed for biodiversity with all natural processes, little to no human intervention. Primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for biodiversity, nature protection, natural diversity, and natural processes. Land and water managed through natural processes including disturbances with little or no human intervention.Examples: wilderness area, some national parks2 = GAP 2 = Permanently Secured for Nature with Management: Managed for biodiversity, with hands on management or interventions. Primary intention of the owner or easement holder is for biodiversity conservation, nature protection, and natural diversity. Land and water managed for natural biodiversity conservation, but may include some hands on manipulation or suppression of disturbance and natural processes. Examples: national wildlife refuges, areas of critical environmental concern, inventoried roadless areas, some natural areas and preserves3 = GAP 3: Permanently Secured for Multiple Uses, including nature: Primary intention of the owner or easement holder for multiple uses. Strong focus on recreational use, game species production, timber production, grazing and other uses in additional to these lands providing some biodiversity value. May include extractive uses of a broad, low-intensity type (e.g. some logging. grazing) or of a localized intense type (e.g. mining, military artillery testing area, public access beach area within large natural state park). Examples: recreation focused protected areas such as state parks, state recreation areas, wildlife management areas, gamelands, state and national forests, local conservation lands with primary focus on recreational use.38 = State Board Lands and State Trust Lands: Lands in western and some southern states that are owned by the state and prevented from being developed, but which are managed to produce long term sustained revenue for the state’s educational system. These lands were separated from other protected multiple use lands in GAP 3. Most of these lands are subject to timber extraction and management for profitable forest product production. Some also have agricultural use and revenue generated from grazing and/or agricultural production leasing. These lands are not specifically managed for biodiversity values, and some are occasionally sold in periodic auctions by the state for revenue generation. Note this type of land is most commonly assigned GAP 3 in the PAD-US GAP classification.39 = Permanent Agricultural Easements: Conservation land where the primary intent is the preservation of farmland. Land is in a permanent agricultural easement or an easement to maintain grass cover. The land will not be converted to a built or paved development. Example: vegetable farm with permanent easement to prevent development. Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.4 = GAP 4: Areas with no known mandate for permanent biodiversity protection. Municipal lands and other protected open space (e.g. town commons, historic parks) where the intention in management and the use of the open space is not for permanent biodiversity values. It was beyond our capacity to comprehensively compile these GAP 4 lands, and as such, they are included only where source data made it feasible to easily incorporate them. 5 = Temporary Natural Easements: Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.6 = Temporary Agricultural Easements: Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.9 = Urban Parks: While unlikely to have biodiversity value, urban parks provide important places for recreation and open space for people. We went through and identified parks whose name is recreation based (i.e. Playground, Community garden, Golf, fields, baseball, soccer, Mini, school, elementary, Triangle, Pool, Aquatic, Sports, Pool, Athletic, Pocket, Splash, Skate, Dog, Cemetery, Boat). Note this type of land would be assigned GAP 4 in the PAD-US GAP classification.OWNERSHIP DEFINITIONSThe type of owner or interest holder for each polygon was assigned to a set of simple reporting categories as follows (see fields = Fee_Own_T and InterstH_T )TVA -Tennessee Valley Authority, BLM -Bureau of Land Management, , BOR- Bureau of Reclamation, FWS - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, UFS - Forest Service, DOD - Department of Defense, ACE - Army Corps of Engineers , DOE - Department of Energy, NPS - National Park Service, NRC - Natural Resources Conservation Service, FED – Federal Other, TRB - American Indian Lands, SPR - State Park and Recreation , SDC - State Department of Conservation, SLB - State Land Board , SFW - State Fish and Wildlife, SNR - State Department of Natural Resources, STL -State Department of Land, STA - Other or Unknown State Land, REG - Regional Agency Land, LOC – Local Government (City, County), NGO - Non-Governmental Organization, PVT- Private, JNT - Joint , OTH- Other , UNK - UnknownPROTECTION TYPE DEFINITIONS: (see field PRO_TYPE_D)DesignationEasementEasement and DesignationFeeFee and DesignationFee and EasementFee, Easement, and DesignationDATA SOURCES: The 2024 CONUS Secured Areas dataset was compiled by TNC from multiple sources. These include state, federal, and other non-profit and land trust data. The primarily datasets are listed below. 1. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2022. Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 3.0: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q9LQ4B.) Downloaded 1/10/2024 Note this dataset was used as the primary source outside of the Northeast 13 states. For the Northeast states, please see more detailed source information below.2. National Conservation Easement Database (NCED) https://www.conservationeasement.us/ Downloaded 1/12/2024. Note this dataset was used outside the Northeast 13 states. For Northeast states, please see more detailed source information below. 3. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Easements. 2024. Downloaded 1/12/2024 https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/4. Conservation Science Partners, Inc. 2024. Wild and Scenic River corridor areas. Dataset compiled by Conservation Science Partners, Inc. for American Rivers as of 2/14/2024 (per. Communication Lise Comte , Conservation Science Partners, Inc. 2/14/2024)5. The Nature Conservancy. 2024. TNC Lands. Downloaded 3/1/2024.6. The Nature Conservancy Center for Resilient Conservation Science. 2021. Military Lands of the Southeast United States. Extracted from Secured areas spatial database (CONUS) 2021. https://tnc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e033e6bf6069459592903a04797b8b07.7. The Nature Conservancy Center for Resilient Conservation Science. 2022. Northeast States Secured Areas. https://tnc.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fb80d71d5aa74a91a25e55b6f1810574

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) oversees more than 250 state parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres, that are visited by 74 million people annually. These facilities contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life of local communities and directly support New York’s tourism industry. Parks also provide a place for families and children to be active and exercise, promoting healthy lifestyles. The agency is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the state park system as well as advancing a statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation operates marinas and boat launching sites across the state. For more information about boating in New York State parks, visit http://nysparks.com/recreation/boating/