DEC Breaks Ground For Outdoor Pavilion Named After Maurice Hinchey

MOUNT TREMPER, NY — A new outdoor pavilion, named after Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey, will be built in Mount Tremper, Ulster County. The state Department of Environmental Conservation held a formal groundbreaking ceremony Monday. The new outdoor pavilion will provide the public with a picnicking location, venue for CIC educational programs, and a place for groups to meet and start their Catskill adventures.

The improvements are part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Adventure NY Initiative to connect more New Yorkers with nature. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

“DEC is committed to making the outdoors more accessible and enjoyable for all New Yorkers and this new, impressive outdoor pavilion will help make this a reality in the Catskills by helping visitors and locals make the most of their outdoor recreational experience,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “These improvements, through Governor Cuomo's Adventure NY initiative, are just a sample of the recreational upgrades that New York has underway to better serve everyone who wants to enjoy our state's great outdoors.”

Hinchey retired from the House of Representatives in 2013 after serving the mid-Hudson Valley for 20 years. His family announced he was diagnosed with a terminal neurological disease in June.

The Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center will serve as a gateway for outdoor enthusiasts to learn about the Catskill Park's vast opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. The center showcases the Catskills' natural resources and recreational opportunities by providing information about the 700,000-acre Catskill Park, New York City’s one million-acre Catskill/Delaware drinking watershed, and ways to recreate and enjoy these treasured natural resources.

The overall pavilion space is 1,762 square feet, including 234 square feet of enclosed storage space. The structure will be constructed with an exposed laminated arch beam with stone fascia on posts.

The enclosure walls are designed to complement to the existing CIC building. The pavilion will also include interior and exterior lighting and electrical convenience outlets.

The DEC expects the structure will be complete by spring 2018. Maeda Construction Inc. from Aatsburg, New York, has been selected to construct the pavilion at a cost of $282,828. Funding is provided by the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.

Under Governor Cuomo's Adventure NY Initiative, DEC is making strategic investments to expand access to healthy, active outdoor recreation, connect more New Yorkers and visitors to nature and the outdoors, protect natural resources, and boost local economies. This initiative will support the completion of more than 75 projects over the next three years, ranging from improvements to youth camps and environmental education centers to new boat launches, duck blinds, and hiking trails. Read more about Adventure NY.

For more information on the Catskill Forest Preserve, including park maps, guides and links to the CIC, visit DEC’s website.

Photo credit: U.S. House of Representatives.