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Governor
Cuomo Announces $18 Million Energy and
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Nature
Education Center at Jones Beach State Park
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New Four-Season Facility Will Promote
Energy
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Conservation and Sustainability
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Albany,
NY – November 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo announces a new $18 million Energy and Nature Education
Center will be built at Jones Beach State Park. Ina public-private partnership
with PSEG Long Island, the Long Island Power Authority, New York Power
Authority and private donors, the Office
of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will construct an interactive
facility to encourage visitors of all ages to become good stewards of the
environment and smart energy consumers. State Parks will also designate
the park’s West End a Park Preservation Area to enhance protection of its
significant maritime coastal habitat.
“The
addition of the Energy and Nature Center highlights New York’s progress
in revitalizing historic Jones Beach State Park and our commitment to providing
the very best recreation and tourism opportunities to both residents and
visitors,” Governor Cuomo said. “This investment will continue to boost
tourism across the region, while preserving our environment and encouraging
visitors to support our State’s outdoor resources.”
The
new, net-zero Center will be designed to produce as much electricity as
it consumes and convey its efficiency to visitors with real-time data displays,
setting an example of sustainable and resilient design. Through a variety
of hands-on exhibits and programs, visitors to the Center will gain an
understanding of Long Island’s various ecosystems and learn how to use
energy wisely, conserve water and create a more resilient and sustainable
future. Featured exhibits will highlight how electricity is generated and
distributed; how renewable power resources connect to the grid and the
home; and how consumers can manage energy more efficiently to lower our
carbon footprint.
The
Energy and Nature Education Center will also provide modern space to expand
and enhance the park’s environmental education programs, including classroom
space to instruct consumers in passive and renewable energy techniques.
Project
renderings of the new Energy and Nature Education Center are available
here.
State
Parks will also designate 218.5 acres of the Jones Beach State Park’s West
End as a Park Preservation Area. Park Preservation Areas recognize park
lands that possess outstanding ecological values, including plant and animal
life, that are unique or rare in the state. Designation as a Park Preservation
Area fosters a high level of stewardship by maintaining the ecological
integrity of the preservation area through the management of all unique,
rare, threatened, or endangered species of flora and fauna; limiting development
to appropriate passive recreation such as hiking, fishing and birding;
and encouraging scientific research, study and public environmental education.
The designation makes the Park’s West End one of only 16 Park Preserves
or Park Preservation Areas in the state park system. Exhibits and programs
at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center will teach visitors what a
Park Preservation Area is and how the designation benefits the park and
its plant and animal life.
State
Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said, “With over six million visitors Jones
Beach each year, the Energy and Nature Center will provide an incredible
opportunity to help people become better stewards of Long Island by better
understanding the connections between energy and the environment. I am
tremendously grateful to Governor Cuomo and our partners at PSEG Long Island,
LIPA and NYPA for helping create this one-of-a-kind facility that will
serve the educational needs of one of New York’s most distinctive state
parks.”
Dan
Eichhorn, President and CEO of PSEG Long Island, said, “We’re a strong
believer in giving back to our communities. We are especially pleased to
support this innovative project by bringing interactive educational programs
to Long Island’s youth, while preserving a beloved natural habitat.”
LIPA
CEO Thomas Falcone said, “The Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center will
be a premier Long Island destination to learn more about the exciting world
of energy. Families and schools can explore fun and interactive workshops
and classes while businesses and consumers can get a first-hand look at
new technologies and ways to save energy. LIPA is proud to be part of this
project and I applaud Governor Cuomo for his continued investment into
Long Island’s education and energy future.”
NYPA
President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones said, “The Jones Beach Energy and Nature
Center will be a valuable educational resource that shares the lessons
of Long Island’s natural environment with visitors looking to further their
appreciation of the outdoors. This effort is part of our long-term partnership
with State Parks where we will lead by example in promoting the use of
solar power and other technologies to make New York State’s park system
cleaner and greener and achieve a zero carbon footprint.”
Senator
John E. Brooks said, “Investing in Long Island and ensuring our communities
sustainably grow and prosper for generations is one of my top priorities.
I thank Governor Cuomo for his work establishing the Jones Beach Energy
and Nature Center. I look forward to working with Governor Cuomo and my
Senate Democratic Majority colleagues to ensure we provide Long Island
communities with the state aid, support, and tax relief they deserve.”
Senator
Todd Kaminsky said, “Our parks are an invaluable source of recreation,
beauty and enjoyment to millions of residents and tourists each year. With
this new Energy and Nature Education Center, we are encouraging even more
visitors to experience all Jones Beach has to offer, while setting an example
for sustainable design. I thank Governor Cuomo for his continued investments
in Jones Beach and all of Long Island.”
Senator
Kemp Hannon said, “The Energy and Nature Education Center will be an incredible
addition to the Jones Beach State Park, which is the crown jewel of State
Parks on Long Island. Not only will this new center attract visitors from
across the nation, it will bring interactive educational programs to our
residents, encouraging and more sustainable New York for all. I thank Governor
Cuomo for his commitment to improving our Parks throughout all of New York.”
Assembly
Member David G. McDonough said, “Jones Beach State Park is an ideal destination
for residents and tourists. The addition of the new Energy and Nature Education
Center will encourage these many visitors to the park to become better
stewards of the land and discover new ways to save energy. I thank Governor
Cuomo for this innovative addition to our park, and look forward to seeing
the effects of these environmentally sustainable changes.”
Assembly
Member Christine Pellegrino said, “With the addition of the Jones Beach
Energy and Nature Education Center, we are putting dollars into what we
value most on the South Shore of Long Island: our environment, our clean
water, and our education. This center will not only promote increased tourism
to Jones Beach, its sustainable, net-zero design and educational programs
on the benefits of renewable energy will set an example for all who visit
or live here. As a life-long Long Islander and member of the Assembly Committees
on Energy and Environmental Conservation, I am grateful for the State Parks’
leadership on preserving natural habitats and revitalizing Historic Jones
Beach State Park.”
Jones
Beach currently serves approximately 10,000 visitors at its outdated nature
center at West End 1. The new Energy and Nature Education Center will be
built at West End 2, replacing an existing building on site. Nature Center
programs will be moved to the new facility. State Parks will present information
on the project to the public as design proceeds.
This
project continues the State’s revitalization of historic Jones Beach State
Park, which is part of the Governor’s
NY Parks 2020 Plan, a multi-year commitment of $900 million in private
and public funding for State Parks from 2011 to 2020. Since 2011, State
Parks has completed more than $50 million in projects to restore Jones
Beach State Park’s historic grandeur, attract new visitors and create new
recreational facilities as part of a multi-year revitalization initiative.
Projects completed include the new Boardwalk Café, rehabilitation
of the West Bathhouse and Field 6 Bathhouse, restoration of the historic
park mosaics, new playgrounds at the West Games Area and Zach’s Bay, new
gateway signage and boardwalk upgrades.
The
New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees
more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses,
boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually.
A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in
park and visitor spending, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs and over $2.8
billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation
areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit
www.parks.ny.gov,
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