Agency Continues to Enhance Capacity for Healthy Ecosystem Restoration, Climate Change Management 

Prescribed Burns and Burn Plans Implemented at Capital Region and Long Island State Parks Restore Habitats, Reduce Wildfire Risk 

Tree Planting Program Advances Governor’s Goal to Plant 25 Million Trees by 2025 

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) today announced successes and significant beneficial impact of environmental stewardship efforts in 2025. The agency continues to grow its capacity to undertake large and complex on-the-ground resilience and adaptation initiatives focused on ecosystem health rehabilitation and climate change management around New York State. In addition to planting and protecting thousands of trees this year, State Parks oversaw forest restoration work on over 800 acres of land and surveyed more than 10,000 acres for infestation. 

“State Parks is proud to be implementing best-in-class solutions for the challenging environmental issues we face, whether they pertain to invasive species or combating climate change,” said State Parks Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. “Our stewardship team works tirelessly to care for over 360,000 acres of diverse forests and wildlife habitats to protect invaluable natural resources for all New Yorkers, now and long into the future.” 

State Parks’ environmental stewardship bureau focuses on vital climate resiliency, biodiversity conservation, coastal ecosystem restoration, shoreline resiliency, forest restoration, invasive species management, rare species conservation and wetland restoration. Underscoring Governor Hochul’s leadership, the agency’s tree-planting program is one of many around the state that contribute to her goal of planting 25 million trees statewide by 2033. Announced in the 2024 State of the State address, the multi-agency initiative recognizes the importance of trees and forests for the environment, climate mitigation, and community health. So far 361,734 trees have been planted around the state, and New York’s tree-planting efforts continue to be invigorated in service of the goal.  

State Parks planted approximately 4,000 native plants across 40 sites, including 4,033 trees as of this fall. The agency oversaw restoration work on over 800 acres of land in 2025 which included 112 acres burned using prescribed fire at Big Bend Preserve in Moreau Lake State Park, in partnership with Albany Pine Bush and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). State Parks’ environmental stewardship team is also actively managing 427 acres at Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks addressing impacts from Southern Pine Beetle (an invasive species), restoring globally imperiled habitats, and improving public safety and forest health in partnership with DEC.   

To combat invasive species that can cause serious biological, economic and human health-related impacts to the areas in which they are introduced, State Parks’ environmental stewardship team surveyed more than 10,000 acres of parkland and managed infestations on approximately 5,000 acres in 117 state parks and historic sites in 2025, including protecting more than 7,750 individual Hemlock trees across 960 acres from hemlock woolly adelgid and 3,200 acres of oak forest from a spongy moth outbreak. 

In a project that saw positive outcomes for both visitors and the environment, 17,000 acres at Harriman State Park were opened for the first time in the park’s history to recreational deer hunting this year. Focused on addressing the loss of forest biodiversity and the lack of tree regeneration due to long-term over-browsing by deer, these efforts promote successional growth and forest resilience across a large landscape. Healthy forests will sequester more carbon, regulate water flow and reduce flood risk, and be more resilient to invasive species, wildfire, drought and other stressors exacerbated by climate change. The project also successfully provided a new recreational activity in an area of the park that serves as the only public hunting opportunity in Rockland County. 

State Parks currently has 64 active mid- to large-scale projects underway using State and/or federal funding, including over 50 projects that actively protect New York State heritage elements. In 2025, over $15 million in external grants or funds was secured to undertake their work. 

In 2025, 4,000 volunteers at 145 sites participated in the agency’s annual I Love My Park Day, which takes place the first Saturday in May. This includes State Parks, DEC and local municipality sites.  

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, and welcomes over 88 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.