Ausable Preserve aims to be a hub for environmental education, conservation
By Zachary Matson
The Ausable River Association is planning a number of changes, including a move to a new headquarters in Jay and a name change.
It has submitted a plan to build an office and educational space along 1,000 feet of river frontage in the town, a project still years from completion.
Calling the 9-acre property the Ausable Preserve, the nonprofit plans to create a place “to share our passion for science that restores streams, protects clean water, nourishes biodiversity, and builds resilience for communities,” according to an application filed with the Adirondack Park Agency in March.
AsRA is seeking a permit for a new public use at donated land classified for rural use on John Fountain Road near the Jay Covered Bridge and Jay business district.
The application outlines plans for a 3,272-square-foot main office and lab connected to a 3,000-square-foot outdoor educational pavilion and storage room. The design calls for a solar array and to limit energy use and impact on the area. Parking for 12 cars and two buses is proposed.
In 2021, Craig and Bettyann Hadden, of Pennsylvania, donated the property to AsRA to support educational efforts. Rising from the river to the road and offering views of the Jay Mountain Range and wilderness area, the site includes an extensive portion of floodplain that fills up with ice during the winter.
AsRA Executive Director Kelley Tucker said the place will serve as headquarters and as an interactive classroom open to the public.
An education pavilion and trails would be open to visitors and the location along the river would enable the association to share information on how rivers, floodplains and restoration projects work.
The land provides opportunities for more formal and sustained public outreach, Tucker said.
“We have never had a home,” Tucker said during a recent visit to the property. “It’s an opportunity to create an immersive experience.”
The application estimates construction to start in July 2025 and to finish in September 2026, but Tucker said that may be sooner than reality. She said she wanted to work out details with the park agency before fundraising for the project. Tucker said she hopes the project is built and operational by 2030.
The Jay site will also provide the nonprofit a living laboratory to test and refine its river restoration strategies. The association plans to expand the riverfront tree buffer and engage the public in projects to restore the site. A long-term Ausable River plan that outlines sections of the river that can benefit from restoration work includes the section adjacent to the proposed headquarters.
“We are interested in taking care of the site,” Tucker said.
The association currently rents space in Wilmington. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and marking more than a decade of growth from a small local river association to an 11-person operation with a reach beyond the Ausable watershed, administering state and federal grants and helping to manage large lake monitoring programs.
The group also plans to change its name to the Ausable Freshwater Center to indicate its broader goals. The paperwork to formalize the new name is working its way through the government.
Jay Town Supervisor Matt Stanley said he welcomes the planned project, noting that the community has worked with AsRA on river restoration projects that have helped mitigate flood risks and improved wildlife habitat. He said he didn’t expect local resistance to the project. He appreciated both the tourism potential and educational programming.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for both the river association and the town,” Stanley said.
Top photo: Ausable River Association Executive Director Kelley Tucker visiting the site of the organization’s planned office and education center in Jay.
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Ok… So environmental group claiming to want to educate the public and help environment. So, you break ground on unused land and use up boat load of building materials, create more runoff….etc etc. Hypocrisy. How about repurposing existing structures and maybe adding on if necessary. If you are environmental group for helping environment….. Act like it.
ARE there “existing structures” on the land that was donated to them? Sometimes educating the public involves new infrastructure designed for that purpose.
I dont get it either. If they dont already, at some point they will also get taxpayer money to pay their salaries and keep the solar lights on. Very environmentally friendly and nonprofit like.
Yes – the donated property could be much better used for a giant lawn and McMansion surrounded by posted signs. The ARA can work out of a tent for their research, cleanups, and stream improvements. What will the McMansion family do for the watershed??
Sorry to hear that you think houses should be built on the property. To me it should remain as is. There’s plenty of empty buildings and offices the ARA can reuse / recycle.
We have far more than enough structures in the Adirondacks. We don’t need any new ones. Think rehab.
Well, the center isn’t built yet. It used to be we could depend on the APA to scrutinize development. But comments here seem to indicate that environmental non-profits are particularly unwelcome here. Add a development, build a residence, enlarge a marina, no complaints. Kinda seems like it is more WHO is building and not WHAT is being built that is the primary concern. Reeks of political tribalism mixed with a healthy dose of hypocrisy. Perhaps the ARA would ultimately be better off moving to a more welcoming watershed.