In yesterday’s State of the State address, Governor Paterson described New York’s economic situation as “perilous.” His proposed budget for the 2009–10 fiscal year poses huge cuts across the board—no sector is safe, from the Department of Education to the MTA. But one of the largest cuts comes at the expense of treasured cultural institutions: the city’s zoos, parks and aquariums, which face a possible 55 percent cut in their funding—and a total elimination of funding in 2010. What does this mean for institutions like the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium? John Calvelli, executive vice-president for public affairs at the Wildlife Conservation Society (which works to preserve wildlife, and helps manage many of the city’s zoos), breaks it down for us.

What was the Wildlife Conservation Society’s reaction when the proposed budget cuts were released?
We were shocked and devastated, frankly. We had no advance notice that they were going to completely eliminate the program. We understand that there’s financial need, and that we need to be more fiscally prudent, but we were hoping the governor would use a scalpel, not an ax. How do you look at our cultural institutions and facilities like ours and say, “Okay, fine, we’re going to completely cut off your economic funding”?

Is there any way that you can appeal the proposed cuts?
This is where people can weigh in: Go to our website, wcs.org, and send letters and e-mails to Albany (send letters to David A. Paterson, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224, or call 518-474-8390). I think we have a chance here to get our voice heard; we’ve already gotten about 11,000 e-mails and letters. We understand that there are financial constraints, but don’t eliminate the funding for zoos and aquariums.

What’s the immediate plan if the budget cuts do pass in April?
Well, that’s what we’re working on right now. Unfortunately, all options are on the table. It’s services, it’s personnel…everything has to be looked at. We’re hoping that the governor and the legislature together realize the unintended consequences. People don’t realize the important role that these facilities play in their communities. It’s not just a place where people take their families for a wonderful experience; it’s an educational resource. On top of that, we’re also engines of economic development—the zoo and aquarium generate about $289 million in economic activity.

Have you considered raising the price of admission?
We’re in the middle of a difficult financial situation—how do you raise prices right now? We’re a state-chartered entity. In our charter, we’re mandated to be free one day a week. And on top of that, we also have a policy where New York City school groups come for free. Out of our 2 million visitors, about 700,000 to a million come for free. We think we should be open to the public, and we should be available to the communities we serve. It shouldn’t just be for the wealthy; it should be for everyone.

Is there a possibility that some of the animals would have to move to new homes?
Well, I’ll just say that all options are on the table.

The WCS has started an online petition to get signatures; what’s your goal for that?
Our goal would be to get 50,000 [signatures] before a decision is made. We’re doing pretty well, and the response and the feedback has been positive. We’re also using Facebook, and we have several pages—a WCS cause, and also a Save ZBGA cause—and between those two alone, we have about 2,600 people signed up.

What should readers do if they want to help out?
One way is by coming to the zoo and buying a ticket or going to our store; you can also go to wcs.org and sign and send a petition to Albany. Donations don’t hurt.

What’s the worst-case scenario, if funding is completely eliminated in 2010?
We have cuts coming from the city of New York, we are expecting less philanthropic support, our endowment is down, and now the state wants to completely eliminate us. I shudder to think what would happen—we’re trying to assess at this point what our options are. We don’t have any good answers, unfortunately.