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Many areas of the country wrestle with this issue. The problem lies in how to structure a policy that does not limit development, yet ensures public land or open space for citizen enjoyment into the future.
In Southwest NY this issue has never posed a problem. For years New York State has continued development of public land holdings to ensure access for recreational purposes. These land holdings are mostly rural land outside of populous areas. Within the more populated areas, it is up to each municipality to formulate their own plan. Because this area was developed in large part many years ago, planners at the time included provisions for municipal parks. These exist today, and every village has at least one park, and most have several along with the town governments having some as well. Couple this with County owned parks and public lands, and you end up with several thousand acres of land accessible to the public for a multitude of uses.
To explore these public areas, select Parks & Public Land from the step one drop down menu below. Then select your area of interest in step two, or simply show all to get a good idea of just how much public land is available for your enjoyment.
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