Marsh, as seen March 20 from a bridge over Shingle Mill Falls at the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

The 2021-22 state budget includes funding for the Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smith’s College and the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb, run by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

The budget’s Environmental Protection Fund allocates a total of $300,000 to the centers: $120,000 for SUNY ESF and $180,000 for Paul Smith’s College.

Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, announced the news Thursday, saying he had advocated for a funding increase.

“These centers not only offer information about the natural history of the Adirondack region, but also provide a safe and educational activity for visitors to the region, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year,” Jones said in a press release. “I’ve long fought for additional funding for these centers, and I’m happy to see that they weren’t left behind in this year’s budget.”