News Release:
NY's First-Time Camper Program Brings The State's 5 Million Acres of Public Land To Light
Outside Magazine reports on the First-Time Camper program, which the NYSDEC (New York Department of Environmental Conservation) has decided to bring back this year following the success of a limited trial in 2017. It's a program to get families who’ve never camped before into the outdoors, for free, under the supervision of a “camping ambassador”. In addition to all the sky scrapers, New York has five million acres of public land, including the largest state park in the nation—the 9,375-square-mile Adirondack Park. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation is responsible for 313,000 direct jobs in New York—nearly double the number of people who work in the state’s financial sector. Outdoor rec in the state is also responsible for $41.8 billion in consumer spending annually, and $3.6 billion in state and local taxes.
Wes Siler, writer for Outside Online, relates in his article: "Participants [in the First-Time Camper program] will get a campsite, all the necessary camping gear, and even firewood. The camping ambassador will be on-hand to show them how to use it and help them with activities like fishing and hikes. With so many public land in New York state available, it's ashamed that "only 52 percent of New York residents participate in outdoor activities," according to OIA. Last year, the NYSDEC program got 150 people camping in New York for the first time. In a survey following, 100 percent of the campers stated that they were very satisfied with the experience, and 90 percent stated they were extremely likely to go camping again.
For the full article by Wes Siler from Outside, click here.