01 Apr ROOST Applauds NYS Budget
CONTACT:
Kim Rielly
Director of Communications
kim@roostadk.com
Lake Placid, adirondacks, usa — The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) applauds Governor Cuomo and the state legislature on a an on-time New York state budget that means great news for communities and tourism in the Adirondacks.
Budget highlights that directly affect the 6 million acre park include broadband funding, an increase in I Love New York Matching Funds, a renewed commitment to the Market New York program, and the new Upstate Revitalization Fund, and an increase of $15 million in the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) above last year.
The budget includes an increase in funding for the I Love New York Matching Funds program, which provides cooperative allocations for the state’s designated tourism regions. “We extend special thanks and recognition to Senator Little for her support of increased funding for Matching Funds,” said James McKenna, president of ROOST. “ROOST now represents three of the Adirondack region’s eight counties, and this funding increase will really boost the cooperative marketing initiatives that our organization and our partners at the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council can implement, such as gotourny.com startup website directed to motorcycle enthusiasts.”
Governor Cuomo’s new Upstate Revitalization Fund, in which seven Regional Economic Development Council regions will compete for three $500 million allocations, was also included in the budget. “We’re especially excited about the potential that the Upstate Revitalization Fund offers for our region,” said McKenna. “Many of the North Country region’s communities have been working for months on tourism development plans, and they we are now well-positioned to compete as a region and take advantage of these much-needed resources. Combined with the fifth year of the Regional Economic Development Council’s programming, this gives us the ability to customize the state’s economic development programs to increase the number of jobs and improve the quality of life in the Adirondacks.”
Broadband is essential to Adirondack communities as they seek to gain a competitive position in the travel marketplace. “The funding match allocated for broadband projects is extremely important. The rural communities in Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties need to provide what is now considered a basic amenity for visitors,” McKenna said.
McKenna cited the big increase in Smart Growth planning grants as having an impact throughout North Country region and the Adirondacks, and he said that increasing the EPF will help protect the important resources of the Adirondacks. “Revitalization of our hamlets is of utmost importance,” McKenna said. “From smart growth planning to invasive species control, these programs are of great importance in the ongoing protection of the product that attracts the traveling public — our pristine mountains and lakes.”
“The Governor’s ongoing commitment to tourism and appreciation of its economic significance is a great boon to the North Country,” said McKenna.“From the renewed interest shown with initiatives like the Governor’s Adirondack Challenges to providing funding for both promotion and development, this budget will spur even more momentum toward economic prosperity through tourism in the Adirondacks.”
ROOST is a 501(c)6 nonprofit corporation, and the accredited destination marketing organization responsible for promoting Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties, the villages of Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, and the towns of Harrietstown and Piercefield in the Adirondacks to the traveling public. They operate offices in Lake Placid, Crown Point, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. For more information, visit their corporate website at www.roostadk.com.
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