Hunters and others who use the Sterling Nature Center will have input into the center's future though four visioning sessions being held by Cayuga County, the county's parks commission learned Tuesday.

"These sessions will be part of getting input; then we will decide what to do," said Cayuga County Parks and Trails director Gary Duckett. "These sessions will hopefully generate ideas, hopefully things the (parks commission) hasn't thought of."

All issues concerning the center are up for discussion, but Duckett expects most of the comments will surround hunting. The county had allowed hunting on some land in the nature center and on an additional 1,400 acres that is being sold to farmer Lamar Witmer. Duckett thinks the sale will be finalized soon, which leaves him having to come up with another way to divide hunting and non-hunting land.

"It was purchased as a multi-use property," Duckett said. "We want people to use the land, and that is a use."

Duckett understands the hunters concerns about having less land available to them and having the land they can use clearly marked. "In fairness to the hunters, hopefully we can come up with an agreement that can satisfy everyone," he said.

In other news:

• Duckett told the commission he will present a resolution to the Public Works Committee to use funds donated in 1999 for trees, benches and trash cans along the River Walk Trail from Emerson Park to Auburn High School. He said the money had not been used yet because the trail had not been developed to the point where it warranted such improvements. The trail will go along the Owasco Outlet.

"It's a good start for people," Duckett said.

• The Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District received about $6,000 in funding for the Take Flight Goose Management plan this summer at Emerson Park. Border collies are brought into the park to chase away geese, which contribute to the fecal coliform problem that closed the park's beach last summer.