HSU museum gets some slack
A devoted group of volunteers and community members have bought Humboldt State University's Natural History Museum in Arcata just a little more time to hatch a plan for its future.
Facing a solid closure date of the end of the month, the group was able to convince the deans of HSU's College of Natural Resources and Sciences to grant them time for a last ditch effort to raise funds through next June and plan for even more daunting fundraising beyond that.
Dean James Howard and Associate Dean Steven Smith agreed on Wednesday to let the group come up with a plan by Aug. 28 to raise roughly $120,000 -- the university's costs through the end of the fiscal year.
”If we can convince them that we have good ideas, then that will convince them to give us 10 months,” said Karen Reiss, biology professor at College of the Redwoods.
If that huge hurdle can indeed be cleared, the group should have several months to come up with a strategy to raise a daunting $300,000 to $400,000 annually.
The museum was opened 20 years ago with donations from companies and foundations. Despite its popularity -- with at least 20,000 annual visitors -- last year, museum director Melissa Zielinski warned that the operation wasn't sustainable. On Aug. 7, HSU announced the museum would have to close its doors as part of deep cost-cutting measures -- some $12 million in cuts to the school -- due to the state budget calamity.
The closure appeared certain.
But parents, HSU and CR faculty and other community members rallied, and invited Howard and Smith to hear their concerns and learn what it would take for the university to give the museum some slack. Howard and Smith gave the group some guidelines, and agreed to look at a plan to determine if it's feasible. In part, they told the group that any future for the museum would have to address the strain on its staff, and allow for the building of a workspace on the property. On Friday, HSU spokesman Frank Whitlatch said that if a reasonable plan can be presented, it will buy the museum some flexibility. ”It's a little looser than that and a little more open to discussion,” Whitlatch said. Reiss was candid about the difficulties of finding $120,000 in donations in a struggling economy, let alone the $300,000 to $400,000 the museum would have to bring in annually. But she said that there is a dedication that runs deep in the community to keep the Natural History Museum running. For Zielinski, the movement to save the museum offers a ray of hope that wasn't there on Aug. 7. There's a possibility, at least, that a large donor could step forward, or that funding could be found in public agencies that have previously turned down requests for money, she said. But Zielinski also recognizes that HSU is under tremendous pressure to cut costs. ”I'm not giving up hope ... This is a pretty valuable institution,” Zielinski said. John Driscoll covers natural resources/industry. He can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com. IF YOU GO: What: Publicity, planning and fundraising meeting Where: HSU Natural History Museum 1315 G St. Arcata When: Aug. 17, 6 p.m.
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