Eel Weir Closure Surprises

Oswegatchie Town Supervisor Alfred "Bud" Nichols says closing Eel Weir State Park will do little to address the state budget shortfall, but the loss of the popular camping area will hurt his community's economy.

"I couldn't believe it was on the list. It's not that big of a park. How much can the state really be saving by closing it," he asked.

According to a spokesperson for the New York state Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, the total savings of closing the park would amount to approximately $36,000. Mr. Nichols said that while $36,000 is a minuscule amount for the state, Eel Wier brings in tax revenue for the town of Oswegatchie and stimulates local businesses during the summer months.

According to Mr. Nichols, many local businesses count on patrons of the park to increase revenues.

"There are a lot of people who come to this park in the summer. Where are they going to go? They'll go to a park in Canada or somewhere else. That means our local businesses aren't going to get the sales from hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages from campers," he said.

Aside from bringing in money from tourists who come from other area's of the state, Mr. Nichols said many local residents utilize the park as a low cost getaway.

"It's used by a lot of locals as an affordable vacation area. Different organizations utilize the pavilion for birthdays, company picnics and family reunions," he said.

Mr. Nichols said the state may still leave the park open to the public for daily use, but he is unsure how it will work. He said the town may see what is involved in operating the park and see what the town would need to do to keep the park functioning, should the state close the park.

"Right now, we are waiting to see what's going to happen. We don't know how much maintenance it takes to keep up the park. We may look it over closer to see what there is to be done, but there has been no talk of it yet," he said. "We keep hearing different figures from the governor's office on what is going to close and what isn't. He keeps bringing all these plans up. We never know what is going to happen next."

The Oswegatchie Town Board will meet Monday at 7 p.m. at the town hall.