UPDATE: New guidance excludes launches, marinas

UPDATE: New guidance excludes launches, marinas

(Publisher's note 4/16/20: Department of Environmental Conservation and State Parks statement has been added.)

NEW YORK STATE--New rules were released from the New York State Department of Economic Development, Thursday, April 9 further clarifying their first guidelines regarding recreation activities in the state.
"Parks and other open public spaces [are essential], except playgrounds and other areas of congregation where social distancing cannot be abided," the guidance says. Further, "golf courses are not essential...[the] use of boat launches and marinas for recreational vessels is not considered essential."
While private marinas with employees had been included under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "pause," meaning they are closed until at least April 29, state, municipal and otherwise unmanned launch requirements were less clear.
For example, the state boat launch between Waneta and Lamoka Lakes is always free and does not include any business activities related to parking, camping, etc. The boat launch, as of Tuesday morning, did not have any barricades or signage saying whether it can be used or not. There is a notice stapled to the information boards reminding about social distancing.
However on Keuka Lake, the town of Wayne boat launch has an orange construction fence and cones with a sign saying "road closed." The Village of Penn Yan boat launch has barricades with the state's language above stapled to it and highlighted.
The Observer reached out to the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation for clarification asking the following questions:
1. Can a person launch a boat for fishing or recreation at:
• Keuka Lake State Park
• Severne Point on Seneca Lake, or
• Waneta and Lamoka Lake boat launch?
2. If there are not any workers or employees typically at a boat launch (state-controlled/owned) should it be available to use?
3. Recreational, for-profit marinas would be effectively closed?
While the office of communications acknowledged the inquiry Monday morning they did not respond by the print edition press time, Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday evening, April 15, the following statement was issued by the DEC and State Parks, "To limit the community spread of COVID-19, use of all DEC, Canal Corp., and State Parks-owned boat launches is temporarily suspended for recreational boaters."

There are currently no press releases or further guidance on the DEC website.
The Facebook page, Friends of the Lamoka Waneta Lakes Association, has frequently discussed the issue since the guidance was issued last week. Various officials, including law enforcement, had said the DEC launch was open as long as there were no congregations of people and social distancing was followed.