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08/16/2016 12:00 AMOnly a few months ago, Governor Dannel Malloy, state representatives, local officials, and the Friends of Hammonasset (FOH) gathered together to officially open the new Meigs Point Nature Center. While the center was hailed as a great achievement by the state and FOH, the possible effects of state budget cuts have sparked serious concerns among FOH members.
The Nature Center opened just in time for the Memorial Day holiday on May 26 at Hammonasset Beach State Park. The new Nature Center, which broke ground last year and cost $3.5 million to construct, covers 4,000 square feet, and includes year-round environmental exhibit space, an observation deck, and hands-on experiences for visitors. FOH, a non-profit group, funded a portion of the project and developed the educational exhibits to the tune of nearly $500,000.
Despite the initial success of the new building, it became clear to members of FOH over the past few weeks that budget cuts within the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) will affect the Nature Center, according to FOH member Don Rankin. Initial reports to the FOH even suggested the center might close at the end of the summer, reports that have since been refuted.
“First of all, we are happy that the uncertainty as to whether or not it is going to close or remain open has apparently been removed,” he said. “Now it is clear the center is going to remain open, however the FOH remains concerned about the need for seasonal employees to support Russ [Ranger Russ Miller] and his programs.”
While it seems the center will remain open, operational hours are going to change, according to DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain.
“Our expectation is to have it open probably on a reduced schedule—it has been open six days a week all year long,” he said. “We don’t know if we can exactly do that given the budget situation, but we are working on looking at our resources and how we may be able to help.”
The DEEP General Fund for this fiscal year was reduced by approximately $10 million. To allow the DEEP to operate within the new budget, the department reduced parks spending by $1.8 million. Schain said due to the budget, the Nature Center is likely to be open fewer days and or fewer hours.
“The state and the FOH have made a big investment in the Nature Center and it is a great place for environmental education,” he said. “We want to continue to have it available, even with budget stresses we face.”
With providing offseason staffing now the biggest issue, Hammonasset Park Director Bill Mattioli said the park will have to look to volunteers to keep the Nature Center open.
“The idea now is to gather together as many volunteers as possible to at least have a presence in the building so the public could at least go in when they chose to,” he said. “The bottom line here is we are going to try to do the best we can to keep the doors open to the public as much and as often as we can.”
To try and keep the center staffed, Rankin said the FOH is doing its part to rally volunteers.
“We are assisting the Meigs Point Nature Center in recruiting volunteers,” he said. “They wouldn’t be volunteers for FOH, they would be volunteers for Meigs Point Nature Center, but because we are so tied to this project, we are assisting in any way we can.”
Mattioli said the impact of the budget reduction cannot be underestimated.
“Moving forward this is the part no one has the answer to: Was this a one year thing or is this the new normal?” he said.
Rankin said the FOH is aware of the many fiscal challenges the state is currently facing, but was disappointed in the breakdown in communication between the state and the FOH that led to the initial panic over the possible closure of the Nature Center.
“As a partner to the state of Connecticut, particularly the DEEP, that we received conflicting information—I was surprised that happened,” he said.
With many final decisions still up in the air, Rankin said FOH still has concerns after witnessing reductions due to budget cuts over the past few weeks including restrictions on Ranger Russ Miller’s external education programs and the lack of a Meigs Point Nature Center director.
“We have broader concerns about the maintenance of the park as well,” he said. “It is not just environmental education. We are concerned about the preservation of natural resources.”
The Meigs Point Nature Center is currently open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. According to Schain, the department will attempt to finalize the reduced schedule after Labor Day.