The late-in-the-game cuts to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has hit Rockland hard, because, well, we are blessed with a lot of state parkland.

Today, Laura Incalcaterra reports on the local impact of state park cuts here.

Because the biggest (spending) season for state parks — summer and fall — are over, the cuts ordered by Gov. Paterson stick out much more because most of the budget’s already been spent. There’s been plenty of complaining, says Eileen Larrabee of the state parks agency, which she sees as a good sign, in a way. “We love that people love our parks,” she told me this afternoon. “We love our parks.”

The local impact of cuts include snow closures on Seven Lakes Drive that will mean western Rocklanders who use the road as a direct link to the Sloatburg area to Stony Point will have to go the long way. Cutting down on winter snowplowing also means parking lot closures at Nyack State Beach (the Hook) where there’s no on-street parking. So walkers have to walk much farther for their Hudson-side stroll.

At Rockland Lake, parking lots are closed to save on plowing, with only Lot 1 at the north entrance open. The bathrooms closed early, too, and seasonal staff were let go early because of the budget cuts.

But, porta-potties are being brought in for the Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, the launch of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. Yup, we’re celebrating 400 years on the Hudson with a big party that uses porta-potties, while nice (heated) bathrooms are locked up for the season.

Oh, well, what’s a broke state to do? Larrabee says the parks agency is open to ideas from local communities. “On the upside, it’s encouraging to hear the important role that parks play in … communities,” said Larrabee, trying to sound optimistic.

BTW, the Knickerbocker Ice Festival should be scupturific. Check this out; and make sure you look at the gallery. It looks like a lot family fun. Just uh, go before you go.