The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry may take over operations at the Adirondack Park Agency’s Visitor Interpretive Center in Newcomb, N.Y., according to an article in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise Jan. 29.

There are no definite plans yet, but officials at ESF are discussing possible strategies to keep the state-run center open and fully functioning, said Stephen Erman, special assistant for economic affairs at the Adirondack Park Agency. The town of Newcomb may also collaborate with ESF to take care of operations.

‘We find any interest from the college to be very interesting,’ Erman said.

The closure of the center, along with the Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smiths, N.Y., was announced in Gov. David Peterson’s budget, released Jan. 19.

After the closures were announced, the Paul Smiths center set up a task force to determine the best use for the centers, Erman said. He said he hopes ESF will follow a similar path and make progress on plans to help the Newcomb center.

The center doesn’t charge an entry fee and doesn’t generate any revenue, which adds to the difficulty of running the center without state help, Erman said.

‘It’s really early,’ he said. ‘It’s very much up in the air, and we hope in the months ahead that there will be a discussion about how to best use the center.’

Officials at ESF could not be reached for comment.

The main purpose of the facility is to explain the Adirondack Park and its resources to residents and visitors. The center, which sees 27,000 visitors a year, offers tours and a trail system where visitors can walk with naturalists who explain the forest and its wildlife, Erman said.

The center has catered to school groups of all ages, teaching students about the importance of nature through guided trail tours and indoor presentations, he said.

‘When you expose people to that early in life, it helps them understand the importance of the stewardship of the land,’ he said. ‘There’s an intangible benefit that comes from people learning about the land they live on and the land they visit.’

The Newcomb center is located within the Huntington Wildlife Forest, on land leased from ESF. The college hopes to utilize the center without raising expenses by combining it with the work already being done by students and faculty in the Adirondacks. Erman said he hopes ESF will take advantage of all benefits the center has to offer, he said.

‘There are terrific assets,’ he said. ‘The trail systems are wonderful and the buildings have potential.’

jlsiart@syr.edu

Published on February 3, 2010 at 12:00 pm