BILL NUMBER: S7765

SPONSOR: SERRANO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law and
the environmental conservation law, in relation to the development and
posting of a senior trail guide that identifies walking and hiking
opportunities for active seniors within the state park system and along
public non-motorized multi-use trails within the state

 
PURPOSE GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of the bill is to create an easily accessible resource for
active seniors seeking appropriately graded walking and hiking routes on
state owned and managed lands.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends Section 3.09 of the Parks, Recreation, and
Historic Preservation Law to direct OPRHP to post on its website a
              

senior trail guide identifying walking and hiking opportunities for
seniors.

Section 2 of the bill amends Section 3-0301 of the Environmental Conser-
vation Law to direct the Department of Environmental Conservation to
post on its website a senior trail guide identifying walking and hiking
opportunities for seniors.

Section 3 of the bill establishes an effective date of 180 days after
the bill shall have become a law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State offers vast recreational opportunity for active seniors
to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The State should review its trail
inventory to curate a listing of walking and hiking routes appropriate
for senior fitness and enjoyment.

The number of Americans age 65 and over rose nearly 23% between 2011 and
2017 to 50.9 million, and is projected to expand another 44% to 73.1
million by 2030. This population growth is matched by rapidly escalating
healthcare costs but also scientific evidence demonstrating a positive
correlation between physical activity and a wide breadth of healthy
outcomes.

Active lifestyles, particularly among seniors, have shown tremendous
preventative value in reducing impacts of well-studied, societal
ailments like heart disease and diabetes, however a maintenance exercise
regimen can vastly improve quality of life in many other ways. Exercise
produces endorphins, which improve mood and promote healthy sleep
patterns; exercise increases cognitive function and helps stave off
dementia; and exercise increases balance, coordination and strength,
which helps avoid falls (and resulting rehabilitation).

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation recently
completed its Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP,
which similarly found New York's rising senior population, due largely
to longer life expectancy and the aging of the baby boomer generation,
will result in a 30% increase in the number of New York State residents
over the age of 65 by the year 2030. SCORP user surveys also found that
hiking was the most popular activity category among all respondents,
especially those age 65-85 (86.2%).  NYS already incentivizes senior
residents to visit our State Park holdings through the Golden Parks
Pass, which offers free weekday access to New York State residents age
62 or older.

DEC currently posts seasonal hiking recommendations as well as non-high
peak hiking opportunities in the Adirondacks, while OPRHP provides links
to federal, state and local hiking opportunities.  Massachusetts offers
a guide identifying heart healthy trails that each measure from one to
two miles in length and are of easy to moderate difficulty. Similarly,
AARP has identified senior hiking opportunities within the national park
system.

This bill will provide seniors with an easily accessible resource to
identify appropriate routes and locations within New York State for
exercise and enjoyment of our outdoor resources.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred and eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.