Washington, DC -- In recognition of his 38 years in public office and commitment to preserving, improving, and drawing awareness to the Catskill Region, the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development will honor Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) on Saturday, July 21 and formally announce that the soon-to-be-opened Catskill Visitor Center in Mount Tremper will be named after the congressman.  The honor will be announced as part of the 43rd Annual Luncheon for the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development.  Hinchey, who has lived in the Catskills since he was a young boy, helped initiate the plans for the new Center and secured federal resources for its design.

"I am truly honored and touched that the Catskill Interpretative Center will be dedicated in my name and will bear testament to my deep love and appreciation for this region," Hinchey said.  "The opening of the Catskill Interpretive Center has been a dream of mine for more than two decades and it is very rewarding to know that with the funding I helped secure, we are finally about to begin the first stage of construction. This region is very rich in natural, historical and cultural resources and having a facility that will provide residents and tourists with information about these resources is critically important to our mission to protect and preserve our region. It is also critically important to promote the region as a first-class destination, keeping our local economies strong and our quality of life intact.  I am very pleased to have played a role in this project and truly honored that the Center will bear my name."

The Catskill Regional Interpretive Center is a project Hinchey initiated as part of an effort to provide an educational and tourism resource center for the Catskill State Park similar to the Adirondack Park Interpretive Centers. The Catskill Park covers over 700,000 acres and is the largest state or national park without a visitors center. Hinchey secured $380,000 in federal funds that were used for the design of the new center.

Two years ago, Hinchey unveiled and dedicated the new Catskill Interpretive Kiosk site. The kiosk is filled with 16 illustrative and informative display panels on Catskill natural history, culture, and recreational activities.  Located at a scenic roadside area, the kiosk offers an abundance of information for visitors to the Catskills as well as local residents. It is a microcosm of the displays planned for the Catskill Interpretive Center and was a first-step toward the realization of the long-anticipated education center.

Hinchey has represented the Hudson Valley for all of his 38 years in public office, including 14 years as Chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee in the New York State Assembly where he authored numerous laws enhancing and protecting the region's precious resources and landscapes. One such law established the Hudson River Greenway and another established the State Environmental Quality Review Act, an important tool that helps ensure that development in New York achieves the highest environmental standards. Hinchey built on that work after arriving in Congress by authoring the legislation that established the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. 

###