State Parks Standing Committee to meet for project approval

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Niagara River Greenway Fund Standing Committee will hold a meeting at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, to vote on funding for projects being proposed to the Standing Committee by State Parks. The meeting will be held at the New York Power Authority's Power Vista classroom, located on the grounds of the Niagara Power Project, 5777 Lewiston Road, Lewiston. The meeting is open to the general public.

The projects that are on the agenda include approving funding for transportation and revitalization projects at Niagara Falls State Park. They were voted consistent at a meeting of the Niagara River Greenway on July 17, 2012. In addition, there will be a presentation on the work performed by the Niagara Gorge Crew, a project funded through this committee.

The State Parks Standing Committee receives funds from NYPA as part of a settlement agreement related to the 50-year license received by NYPA for the Niagara Power Project in 2007. In addition to the State Parks Standing Committee, three other standing committees were created to disperse funds received in other settlement agreements with NYPA. The other committees are: Greenway Ecological Standing Committee, Host Community Greenway Fund Standing Committee and the Erie County Greenway Fund Standing Committee.

 The Niagara River Greenway Commission is a public benefit corporation established by Chapter 460 of the laws of 2004, and charged with the planning and development of a greenway of interconnected parks, river access points and waterfront trails along the Niagara River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario at the site of the historic Fort Niagara.

To learn more about the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, visit www.nysparks.state.ny.us.

To learn more information about the Greenway Commission, visit www.niagaragreenway.org.

For more information about NYPA and the relicensing of the Niagara Power Project, visit http://niagara.nypa.gov.