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Monday, February 25, 2008
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Help keep a historical icon of Seneca County that has been in public hands for nearly
70 years out of the hands of private enterprise
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 Those familiar with Central New York may
be familiar with the Seneca Army Depot. Those outside this region may not be aware
of the unique value that the 11,000 acre parcel formally known as the Seneca Army
Depot and located in the town of Romulus in Seneca County possesses. Once clouted
as the largest storage facility of nuclear weapons in the United States, the depot
was shut down in 2000 as the cold war was officially over and military cutbacks
eliminated maintaining the facility from the budget. That hurt Seneca County as
the closing of the depot along with the Williard Psychiatric Center accumulated
to the loss of 1,700 jobs.
Encompassed by a 24-mile fence that was erected in 1941, the area contains the largest
herd of white deer in North America. Often incorrectly referred to as albino deer,
they are actually whitetails that contain a recessive gene that makes them white.
Hunting within the facility has always been permitted for military personnel but
for many years white deer were not allowed to be harvested. This certainly increased
the white deer herd. There are both brown and white deer within the Conservation
Area and the number of deer within the fence is estimated to be around 600.
While the Depot is now owned by the
Seneca County Industrial Development Authority (SCDIA), the United States
Army still controls hunting and wildlife management within the Conservation Area
and will do so until 2012 when the Army estimates that their clean-up of the facility
will be completed. The Army only allows military personnel and former civilian employees
of the depot to hunt deer each season. In 2012 when the clean up is completed, Wildlife
management will be handed over to whoever is granted the license of reuser of the
facility. Wildlife management may not even exist at that time depending on who is
granted the reuser. SCIDA has already taken steps to revive the depot as a booming
economic area. Most notably, the depot is now home of Five Points Correctional Facility
as well as a handful of other organizations and businesses.
The SCDIA will make a determination at some point in time as to who the resuser
of the land will be. Here are the players:
- Seneca White Deer, Inc. (SWD) -
www.senecawhitedeer.org
A non-profit organization that wants to keep the depot out of private enterprise.
They want to build a conservation park, maintain the fence, and keep the white deer
herd there. They also plan to utilize the depot as a tourism attraction for Seneca
County. They want to maintain the fence to preserve the white deer herd and have
the deer managed by the State through a controlled lottery hunt for deer. SWD also
plans to conduct public wildlife tours of the facility and did a few tours in 2006.
Plans for future tours are on hold at this point. In addition, Seneca White Deer
wants to make sure that the Seneca Army Depot remains of historical value in the
area.
- The Sessler Wrecking Company of Waterloo, New York. A private firm that wants to
lease 2300 acres of the depot and make it a pay-to-hunt facility.
- Empire Green Biofuels, Inc. who want to purchase 4500 acres of the facility for
an Ethanol plant. Empire Green will work closely with SCDIA in building the facility
and growing the economic value of Seneca County.
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The New York Department of Environmental Conservation who has recently gotten involved
as the plans for the former depot start to become more narrow and the expiration
date that wildlife management conducted by the United State Military nears.
It is unlikely that the State will take the area over but they may have a big influence
as to who gets the resuer license. Their recent involvement could benefit SWD significantly.
It is unclear at this time as to what extent Empire Green will work to preserve
the white deer herd should they be granted the reuse permit for the former depot.
Seneca White Deer and Empire have entered in to a Memorandum of Understanding to
allow SWD to conduct wildlife tours at the facility but that memorandum is now on
hold as it appears the decision is about to go through much political and legal
rangling. The recent involvement of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation
will likely set that decision back and may reduce the chances that the reuse license
falls in to the hands of Empire.
Sessler has put their pay-to-hunt plans on hold amongst much public opposition to
their pay-to-hunt proposal.
Seneca White Deer has benefited from the public opposition to Sessler and the recent
renewed interest in the property by the DEC. It would appear that Seneca White Deer
is winning the battle right now but without more public support they could succumb
to private enterprise. The Seneca Army Depot has always been a tax funded eye catcher
for anyone driving down 96A in Romulus. Many keep their eyes peeled for the sighting
of a white deer while many are aware of this historical value of the Seneca Army
Depot. Anglers may be familiar with another piece of once owned Federal land in
the area that is now in the hands of the State - Sampson State Park, a naval and
air force training facility during World War II and the Korean War. When you launch
your boat there you may have seen the iron bar building that was once the brig.
A lot of history in this area that is dear to the hearts of many New Yorkers.
Do you support Seneca White Deer, Inc. and it's efforts to preserve the Seneca Army
Depot including a public lottery each year, open to all, to hunt white deer on the
facility? You can post your comments below but here is what you can do to help.
From Dennis Money, Chairman,
Seneca White Deer, Inc.
Please send your letters to the following officials of the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation. Request that the NYSDEC purchase the remaining lands
at the Seneca Army Depot under the state Open Space Plan so all the people of New
York State can enjoy the natural resources, learn about the military history and
enjoy passive recreation activities.
Remember: The Seneca Depot lands were purchased and maintained by public money for
six decades. The Depot lands belong to the public, not to private, for profit groups
who will lock the public out and use the natural resources of the Depot to significantly
improve their economic well being.
Thanks for your support!
Commissioner Peter Grannis
NYSDEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-1011
518-402-8545
Paul D’Amato, Regional Director
NYSDEC
6274 Avon-Lima Road
Avon NY 14414-9515
585-226-2466
Email: pjdamato@gw.dec.state.ny.us
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