National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy
About Us The National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy (Harbor Conservancy) is the primary nonprofit partner of the National Parks of New York Harbor (NPNH)—a division of the National Park Service that stewards 10 national parks with 22 destinations in the NY/NJ Metropolitan Area. Our shared goals are natural and cultural resource protection, improving access to parks, enhancing the visitor experience and expanding park funding through philanthropy and earned revenue. To date, we have raised or generated over $15 million for park programs and major projects. We support interpretive experiences at our Manhattan historic sites as well as free recreation programs in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Currently, our two main initiatives are The Federal Hall Project and America's Largest Urban Campground. The Federal Hall Project The Federal Hall Project is a public-private partnership, between the Harbor Conservancy and NPNH, to restore and interpret one of America's most important historic sites in the heart of New York City's Financial District. The building, an 1842 Greek Revival Custom House, commemorates the site where the first American Congress met and where the first President, George Washington was inaugurated when New York City was the nation's first capital. The vision of the partnership, from 2015 to 2020, is to restore the landmark; to reveal its little-known history, through transformative interpretation; and to develop philanthropy and earned revenue initiatives, to sustain the site for generations to come. To date we have invested $3.6 million in projects at Federal Hall, with new restoration and interpretation efforts scheduled or underway, including a programmatic vision with Ralph Appelbaum Associates. In 2015, Federal Hall was designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express—initiating a nationwide public engagement effort and a project to restore the iconic Wall Street steps. America's Largest Urban Campground America's Largest Urban Campground is a long-term initiative to give residents and visitors the opportunity to camp and recreate all across Gateway National Recreation Area. Beginning at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, our efforts focus on expanding existing camping opportunities and developing supporting recreation trails and activities. Today, at Gateway NRA, we support a range of free recreation programs.
