National Conservation Training Center

The National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) is the training center of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, between Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Sharpsburg, Maryland.

Aerial Image of the NCTC facility

The NCTC serves as the physical and virtual “home” of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where the history and heritage of the Fish and Wildlife Service are preserved and shared. It also provides training and professional development tailored to support service employees and conservation partners in accomplishing the agency’s mission. The NCTC forms partnerships with various parties to help solve the conservation challenges facing natural resources.[1]

Location

The National Conservation Training Center is located near the Washington DC metropolitan beltway[1] in Jefferson County, West Virginia.

Description

The center is a self-contained, walkable campus comprising 17 buildings on a 533-acre (216 ha) property. The instructional classrooms, commons, and housing are situated within the rural setting of both forest and grasslands.[1]

The buildings are connected to each other by over 5 miles (8.0 km) of asphalt trails. There are separate buildings for instruction, dining, and lodging. For inclement weather, umbrella bins are available to migrate between buildings. The campus is on a 533-acre (216 ha) property. The instructional classrooms, commons, and housing are situated within the rural setting of both forest and grasslands. The architectural design integrates buildings and walkways with the landscape in order to escape the pressures of a metropolitan environment. Outdoor patios, walkways, and break areas are situated to easily view the Mid-Atlantic area wildlife throughout the four seasons. Birds, white-tailed deer, fox, and other critters are frequently seen skittering up nearby trees or moving along a grassland culvert.[1]

The instructional buildings make up the central portion of the property, known as the core campus. The core campus includes the guest front desk check in-out, auditorium, classrooms, computer and biology laboratories, and staff offices.[1]

A bridge built at the height of a bird’s-eye view connects the core instructional area to the commons dining hall, social lounge, a full-size gymnasium, workout room, and overnight guest housing units.[1]

The NCTC's facilities can sustainably support over 300 staff, 200+ overnight guests, and day guests with its central plant, maintenance shops, water treatment facility, and waste management plant.[1]

References
  1. "National Conservation Training Center". NCTC - About Us. July 31, 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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