Article Photos

The site of the proposed Pennsylvania Hunting and Fishing Museum in Forest County may be shifted to Warren County.

Several sources confirmed to the Times Observer on Thursday that discussions are underway which could result in the museum being located adjacent to the new Warren County Conservation District building on Hatch Run Road.

If the change in plans is approved by the museum's board of directors, the focus of the facility could be expanded from only hunting and fishing to include the heritage of the region as well as conservation.

The hunting and fishing museum was first proposed 14 years ago by then-State Rep. Jim Lynch. Tionesta businessman Jack Sherman has said he would donate an Allegheny River island he owns for the project.

Doug Carlson, president of the museum's board, said on Thursday that the project has failed to gain momentum due to insufficient fund-raising.

"We've been working on a new concept for months," Carlson said. "We've been talking to a variety of officials in Warren County about moving the entire project up there."

A possible site along the Rt. 6/62 four-lane in Starbrick was initially eyed, said Carlson, "but that wasn't big enough. It wouldn't accommodate what the museum is going to end up being."

Carlson said the Warren County Commissioners "are high on another place - a site that everybody knows. We believe it's going to be a good marriage."

Carlson said he is convinced that the shift to the Warren County site is the only way the museum concept will survive.

Development of the museum, he said, "had reached a tipping point. It was tipping the other way the past few months, but now it's tipping in favor of the project moving forward. Many people are interested in pulling together. It's kind of inspiring to me. This idea has the best chance. This is the solution in order for the idea not to fail."

The struggling economy as well as Forest County's small population base had resulted in contributions to the museum lagging to the point there was "a cash flow problem," said Carlson.

Until the talks began with Warren County officials, Carlson said, "We were looking at an exit strategy."

As far as he is concerned, Carlson said, the shift to Warren County "doesn't matter as long as the project moves forward. The main issue really is that this museum serve the purpose of protecting and promoting our hunting and fishing heritage."

Warren County Commissioner Terry Hawk confirmed on Thursday that "we've been talking to the hunting and fishing museum board."

Hawk credited attorney Timothy Bevevino, solicitor for the museum's board, with first raising the possibility of moving the project to Warren County.

Hawk said the county "is short on funding to finish the conservation district building on Hatch Run" and fund-raising efforts have been "difficult at best."

Hawk said Commissioner Chairman John Eggleston suggested that hunting and fishing museum representatives "might have a talk with the Warren County Conservation District about a joint venture."

The Warren County Historical Society and Warren County Vacation Bureau have also been brought into the discussion, said Hawk.

Hawk said the focus of the facility may be expanded to include conservation and the heritage of the region, including but not limited to hunting and fishing.

While stressing that the museum's board has not yet taken action on the proposal to move the facility to Warren County, Hawk said, "It's a perfect merge. The optimism is fantastic."

Eggleston stressed that the discussions are "very preliminary, but yes, there is now some hope we can locate what we're now calling a heritage museum in Warren County."

"I'm real excited about the educational component," said Eggleston . "We would have so many opportunities to educate people about the history of oil and gas, timbering, the Seneca Indian Nation, our history."

"The synergy of this whole thing is that the Conservation District has this parcel and building they're struggling to complete," said Eggleston.

"One of the problems in trying to get corporate involvement," said Eggleston, "is corporate sponsors won't make a commitment until you have something to show them. The advantage of this site is that there are two barns already there that have potential and a Conservation District building that is probably two-thirds done. We have something we can show them and the site lends itself to numerous activities, a wealth of opportunities, and there's room for expansion."

Eggleston said, "I don't think it's going to take an enormous amount of money to get this going. There is potential for getting things up and running and growing it as it is successful, not build it and hope it's successful."

Eggleston hopes the Tionesta site which Sherman offered for the museum is not abandoned.

"I'm hopeful this is a regional thing and there will be something on that site to tie in with what we have up here," said Eggleston.

While the boards of all the groups which would be involved still have to work out the details before committing to the new plan, Eggleston said, "I'm very excited about it personally and I think we are as a board of commissioners."

Warren County Commissioner John Bortz said, "Discussions are underway with numerous stakeholders which may be participating at the Conservation District building. The project appears to be evolving toward a more collaborative effort of several agencies that represent interests within our county."

Bortz said, "While it would be premature to discuss publicly the details of the matter at hand, it is safe to say that there is a current dialogue between the stakeholders and how their individual interests may be more efficiently achieved through a cooperative effort."

He said, "Much needs to be done in order to vet out the missions of those agencies and how they can be harmoniously met, but this is a good community effort that the county commissioners are cautiously optimistic about."

Heather Wilcox, director of the Warren County Conservation District, said on Thursday that she was not prepared to comment on the proposal.

Carlson recalled that when the state was looking for a site for a new state prison in the 1990s, rather than compete against Forest County, the Warren County Commissioners and planners fully supported Forest County's efforts to bring a prison to Marienville, believing the facility would benefit the entire region.

Carlson said that because of the involvement of Warren County, the composition of the museum's board of directors may eventually have to be changed.

"That's going to be part of the equation," said Carlson.

"We've been working on this for fourteen years since Jim Lynch had the idea," said Carlson. "Rather than let it die, we're working on this new concept and there is a lot of enthusiasm."