Project Title: Construct Energy-Efficient Headquarters Visitor Building (FFS #R5BA)

State: New York

Project Description: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received $9.775 million in Recovery Act funding to construct a new administrative and visitor center at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, N.Y. The new facility will serve as the headquarters for the nine national wildlife refuges located on Long Island, which protect some of the last remaining natural areas in the greater New York City metropolitan area.

The proposed design for the 12,000-square-foot building includes a visitor center and office space for the refuge complex and agency partners. The visitor center will include interpretive displays and interactive exhibits, and an environmental education classroom and other services. It will meet Service building design standards as well as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification criteria for sustainability and energy-efficiency (www.usgbc.org).

The Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex’s current office at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge is in a former hunting lodge built in 1905. The tiny building provides insufficient space for current staff and inadequate facilities to host refuge visitors. It is plagued with safety and health hazards. To accommodate refuge staff, two houses on the refuge have been converted into office space; both of these buildings will revert back to refuge housing once the new facility is completed.

In the fall of 2006, the Service completed a 15-year comprehensive conservation plan for the refuge complex. Local governments, conservation organizations, and other interested members of the public were involved in the process, which identified the need for the new administrative and visitor facility, among other management goals.

The national wildlife refuges on Long Island are located within an hour drive of more than 7.5 million people. They provide important habitat for migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and other wildlife. From rare grasslands to maritime tidal areas, the habitats are rich and diverse. In addition to the headquarters at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, other units include Amagansett, Conscience Point, Lido Beach, Morton, Oyster Bay, Sayville, Seatuck, and Target Rock national wildlife refuges.

Photos:

The existing facility is insufficient to support current staff and refuge visitors

Extensive roof damage at the existing facility

News Release: Design Contract Awarded for New Administrative and Visitor Facility at Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex 

Originally posted 07/27/2009
Updated 08/10/2009