Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Mon., May 22, $2 million in funding for projects to improve and expand state park hiking trails, including the Harlem Valley Rail and the Taconic Region State Parks. The rail trail will receive $300,000 from the state to resurface an older section of the bike route that runs through Dutchess and Columbia counties. The $40,000 Taconic parks award is earmarked for the creation of interpretive panels at multiple locations in the region. Rockefeller State Park Preserve and Hudson Highlands State Park also received funding for trail rehabilitation. Cuomo is creating the Empire State Trail, the largest state multi-use trail in the nation, according to a statement released by his office. The state's 2017-18 budget included $200 million to develop 350 miles of new trail to create the statewide pathway for hiking and biking.