New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Planning Unit Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation…

Chronological.

A Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) is prepared periodically by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), with support from the National Park Service and Land and Water Conservation Fund, and is designed to provide statewide policy direction for recreation and preservation in state parks and historic sites, as well as an overall guideline for recreation resource preservation, planning, and development. The Plan, developed jointly between OPRHP and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), provides an analysis of the State's resources, identifies policies and strategies to conserve open space and provides a list of priority open space projects to guide future acquisitions.

The plan is also the State's principal assessment and policy statement to the executive and legislative branches of state government, other units of government, recreation and preservation interest groups, and the general public. Planners, researchers, administrators, legislators, educators, special interest groups, the general public and private sector entrepreneurs utilize the SCORP document as a basic information source particularly for recreational issues, policies, priorities and for supply and demand forecast data. It is also critical in outlining the ongoing planning process.

Plans include an analysis of the supply and demand for recreation throughout the state; a description of the major statewide programs and initiatives that impact recreation, open space and cultural resources; discussion of OPRHP's and DEC's park planning and capital processes and stewardship; information regarding the statewide outdoor recreation policies and supporting action strategies, the implementation process, funding sources and partnerships; and an assessment of the environmental impacts which may be associated with the implementation of the Plan.

The plan assesses existing and future recreation demands, evaluates the current recreational opportunities and estimates needs. It provides a forum for the public and recreation providers to express their needs and concerns. This information translates into major natural, cultural and recreation resource initiatives, action strategies and actions. The purpose of the plan is also to maximize costs spent on recreation and ensure that natural resources are properly conserved and managed. As a result, this dynamic system is constantly changing and needs, policies, programs, and initiatives have to be revisited.

Records in this series include copies of the SCORP report, as well as various background materials used in its preparation, including environmental impact statements, surveys, public comments, and reports. The environmental impact statements are copies of records generated by other participants in the planning process and are used by the unit only for reference. The surveys and reports, generated by the Office of Parks and Recreation, provide both an inventory of services offered by the agency for public use as well as an assessment of the public's preferences for services and level of participation in park-related activities throughout the state. These are statistical analyses that are ultimately used in the SCORP and thus are broadly duplicated in that report. There is no supporting documentation in the series from before 1994, rather only plans.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.