SWD President (and weekend tour guide) Dennis Money said, “The people on the tours were fascinated by their glimpse behind the fence. We are very gratified by the success of the tours and the enthusiasm of the people who took them.”

Comments from the questionnaires distributed to those on the 2012 tours were very positive and confirmed SWD’s belief that the public really values the opportunity to see the white deer and the military artifacts that remain within the secured areas of the former Depot.

No tours in 2013

SWD has approached the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), which owns the former Depot and controls access to it, about the possibility of tours in 2013. The IDA staff responded, as they have before, that access to the Depot for tours is not possible, pointing to a policy of “no longer pursuing short-term uses…”

Although SWD has noted that our tours lay the ground work for productive long-term use of the now vacant property, the IDA’s staff response noted, “The policy of our board has not changed, and the staff resources to coordinate and administrate this kind of use is just not available.” In spite of this, SWD will continue to work with the IDA and its staff to find ways to protect the wildlife and preserve the military history of the former Depot.
The “Q” area also appears to be unavailable for tours in the future because of requirements for the secure storage facilities operated there by the Finger Lakes Technologies Group. SWD is grateful to FLTG for allowing our tour program to enter their facilities in 2012.

“Q” Secrets Revealed in 2012

The 2012 tours visited only the “Q” area, which is located at the northern end of the former Depot. The “Q” was the most secure area of the Depot and reputedly stored nuclear weapons. The “Q” at the Seneca Army Depot has always intrigued the public and was one of less than two dozen ever built around the world by the US government.
Visitors saw the high-security, electrified three-layer fence that surrounds the “Q”, the highly fortified Military Police headquarters, and even stopped to tour one of the underground igloos that reputedly held the Army’s largest cache of strategic nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

A tour guide dressed as an MP from the 1970s explained security procedures and showed the visitors inside the igloo. Security in the area is still maintained to provide protection for the storage facilities maintained by Finger Lakes Technologies Group, which leases the area from the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency.

Deer and Other Wildlife on Every Tour

In addition to the many military structures and facilities in the “Q”, visitors also saw abundant wildlife. Deer greeted every tour and most, if not all buses got a close up look at the Depot’s most famous residents, the famed Seneca White Deer. Tour buses stopped frequently to allow passengers to photograph the wildlife.

Tour guide Carl Patrick notes, “Although the deer were not the main focus of the tours, many visitors seemed to enjoy seeing them as much as the military history that surrounded them. We saw some of the white ones very close to the buses.”

2013 Art Hall Environmental Stewardship Scholarship winner Michelle Voorheis.

The first Arthur Hall Environmental Stewardship Scholarship has been awarded to Finger Lakes Community College student Michelle Voorheis.  Michelle is a senior in the Conservation program at FLCC and will be graduating in May.  She was selected for the $1000 award because of her love of conservation and her dedication to educating the public about the value of wildlife and habitat.  The FLCC scholarship committee selects each scholarship recipient.  Michelle is a resident of Seneca County.

The scholarship is co-sponsored by Seneca White Deer Inc. and Seneca Meadows Landfill and is awarded to a Seneca County resident attending FLCC as a student and majoring in either the Conservation or Environmental Science curriculums. Michelle Voorheis stated, “This award is more than an honor – It is a privilege to be able to do things many people do not have the opportunity to do, and this award is a large part of that.”

Dennis Money, President of Seneca White Deer Inc. said, “We are very proud to partner with Seneca Meadows in awarding this scholarship to Ms. Voorheis. Michelle is a very deserving recipient. After Mark Benjamin of Seneca Meadows and I met with her, it was very apparent she is dedicated to becoming an environmental steward. We appreciate having the ability to work with FLCC for the first scholarship award.”

Seneca White Deer Inc. and Seneca Meadows named the scholarship after the late Arthur Hall of Waterloo. Mr. Hall was one of the founders of Seneca White Deer Inc., past President of the Seneca County Federation of Sportsmen, and a driving force in Seneca County for conservation and environmental stewardship.

River Park Grille

Print a copy of the special coupon and present it in person to your server at the River Park Grille or Scoops Ice Cream, between the hours of noon and 8 PM on any Tuesday in February and 20% of the proceeds from your order will go to Seneca White Deer, Inc.

“We will also apply this promotion on to-go orders,” said Justin Hausner, River Park Grille’s owner, who has been an avid supporter of the Seneca White Deer conservation efforts and hopes his patrons will join with him in this noble cause.

The River Park Grille is located on Routes 5 and 20, just east of the village of Waterloo.

SenecaWhiteDeerFlyer final

Roc the Day is a 24-hour “day of giving” organized by the United Way to encourage donations to local non-profits.  Every hour throughout ROC the Day, one donor  will be chosen to receive an additional $500 added to their gift for the not-for-profit of their choice. Last year, more than $567,000 was raised for local organizations in the nine-county Greater Rochester region.

Our supporters will be able to donate to Seneca White Deer, Inc. starting at 12 a.m. on December 12. Until then, don’t forget to spread the word—email, social media, word of mouth and sky writing are all great options

If you would prefer to give directly to SWD, our Annual Appeal letter will go out to our members soon.  Remember that donations to SWD are fully tax deductable.  To see the annual appeal letter, click here (link to annual appeal letter).

Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States began to prepare to enter World War II. When the army decided to build a depot in Seneca County in 1941, dozens of families were given only days to vacate the homes they loved and land they had farmed for generations. The depot provided vital jobs for residents, but it also continued to cause controversy even after it was established–all while providing critical support for the army through the Persian Gulf War. Since the base closed in 2000, the community has grappled with what to do with the property, including protecting the area population of white deer. Join local historians Carolyn Zogg and Walter Gable as they tell the story of the Seneca Army Depot and the lives it has affected.

Nine chapters trace the history of the Depot up to the present. Early chapters of that history include why this Seneca County site was chosen, the uprooting of over one hundred farm families and the intensive rushed construction activity in 1941. Subsequent chapters include the nature of Depot work during World War II, the storage of “special weapons” and the 1983 anti-nuclear weapons demonstrations, and current operations at the former depot. In addition to these history chapters, twelve different individuals give their personal insights into operations of the Depot at various times in its history.

Copies are available from Seneca County historical societies, the Stomping Grounds store on Exchange Street in Geneva, NY or on Amazon.com. List price of the book is $21.99.

Our 2012 Fall Tours are now FULL!

Thanks to everyone for their support and hopefully we can do more tours in the future.

Seneca White Deer, Inc. (SWD) and its partner, Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. (FLTG) have announced that, as of Labor Day, buses are already 70% full.  The public military history tours of the famed “Q” area of the former Seneca Army Depot are scheduled for the first three weekends in October.

“Folks need to send in their registrations as soon as possible to be sure and secure a seat on one of the tours,” urged Dennis Money, SWD president.  “We have had to turn people away in the past, so please be sure and register early for the day and time you prefer.”

Money reminds potential tour participants that these tours will visit only the area known as the “Q”, which is located at the northern end of the former Depot. The “Q” was the most secure area of the Depot and reputedly stored nuclear weapons.  The “Q” also housed a large contingent of Military Police. Tour partner FLTG currently leases the area, which is known as FLTG Park.

REGISTER NOW!

Contact President Dennis Money at (585) 394-1287 for more information about these opportunities.

Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc.

Seneca County Chamber of Commerce

White Buck Sponsors

This could be your organization!

White Doe Sponsor

Young Explosives Corporation

Young Explosives Corporation

One White Fawn Sponsor

Canandaigua National Bank & Trus

Canandaigua National Bank & Trust

UPDATE:

Our 2012 Fall Tours are now FULL!

Thanks to everyone for their support and hopefully we can do more tours in the future.

____

These tours will visit only the area known as the “Q”, which is located at the northern end of the former Depot. The “Q” was the most secure area of the Depot and reputedly stored nuclear weapons.  The “Q” at the Seneca Army Depot has always intrigued the general public and was one of less than two dozen ever built around the world by the US government. The “Q” also housed a large contingent of Military Police (MPs) and used a triple layer, high-voltage electrified fence to maintain its integrity.

The tours will last more than one hour and provide plenty of opportunities to photograph formerly secret buildings, the military police compound and the ammo igloos. Actors will portray MPs of past decades and explain their duties to protect the secret weapons housed inside the igloos found in the Q area.

“We are proud to partner with Seneca White Deer to educate the public about the history of the former Depot.  I have spent many summers at Seneca Lake and I know the importance of protecting this rich history,” says FLTG President and CEO, Paul Griswold.  Finger Lakes Technologies Group Inc., is a subsidiary of the Ontario & Trumansburg Telephone Companies (OTTC) and a Cisco premier certified partner.

Another highlight of the tour will be the opportunity to enter one of the now abandoned storage igloos and see artifacts associated with the Depot. MPs will greet each bus and provide even more information regarding the rich history of the Depot.

“The 2012 tours are a continuation of the tremendously successful tours that we conducted in 2006 and 2009. While the main theme of these tours will be the military history of the Depot and the “Q”, visitors should expect to see deer, mostly brown, but maybe a few white deer, hawks, pheasants and possibly some coyotes” states Dennis Money, President of SWD.

The tours will take place on Saturdays and Sundays, October 6 & 7, 13 & 14 and 20 & 21.  Buses will depart each hour from the Varick Volunteer Fire Department, located on NYS Rt. 96A from 8 AM to 4PM. The facility is easy to find, and signs will also be strategically located to help people find their way.  Directions can be found on the back of the registration form.

Registration information is available here or by calling Young’s Travel Service at 315-568-4112.  Adult tickets are $15, seniors (61 and over) $12, and children ages 12 and younger are $8.  Carry on babies are free.

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM NOW:

Fall Reg 2012

All tours buses are comfortable with large windows and seats.  The registration form provides for a first and second choice of tour days and times.  There are no refunds unless the tour is cancelled due to weather, so everyone needs attend at their chosen date and time and to not to forget to bring your cameras!  All previous tours have been sold out, so don’t delay registering.

“We really have to thank FLTG for their generosity and community interest in opening their facility gates to the public. These tours,” Money states, “are another opportunity to brand Seneca County as a leader in tourism and environmental stewardship.”

About Finger Lakes Technologies Group Inc.

Finger Lakes Technologies Group Inc. www.fltg.com provides state-of-the-art voice, data and Internet solutions to business customers across New York State. The company is certified in all Cisco solutions, and it has built its own 850mile, fiber-optic network to serve the Finger Lakes region.

A subsidiary of Ontario and Trumansburg Telephone Companies, FLTG brings to its customers a more-than-100-year history in telecommunications. Headquartered in Victor, N.Y., FLTG and its parent companies employ more than 95 people combined and have offices in Phelps, Trumansburg and Buffalo.

Instead of one large gallery, we have created one filled with pictures of the white deer and other wildlife on the former Depot.

The other gallery has pictures of military buildings, installations and historical photos of the Depot.  We have selected the best of our pictures in both categories.

Take a look at the new entries and spread the word to your friends and other fans of the white deer and the Seneca Army Depot.  Special thanks to our contributing photographers!