Schiffer told board members that the lodge, which appeared to be in fairly good condition, has become a major effort. When the wooden flooring was pulled up for replaning and finishing, it was discovered that the floor joists were not really tied in to the structure of the house at all. The joist had been notched and placed on a stacked stone "foundation" and at several points soil was only inches from the joist.

Schiffer compared the lodge to the movie "Money Pit" and said had the property been owned by a private individual she doubted whether or not they would have spent the money to restore the lodge.

She showed several photographs, which indicated that the stonework provided very little support to the structure. In addition, when looking for jacking points to provide additional support it was discovered there were no header structures over two large windows in the font area of the lodge. Schiffer said that rewiring and replumbing contracts had been delayed while the building was stabilized over the past winter. "It has been a huge, huge project," said Schiffer.

She pointed out that some of the old lighting fixtures, such as the chandeliers, would be rewired and reinstalled.

Schiffer showed floor plans indicating how the space would be used when the project has been completed. She stressed that the lodge as well as the addition would be restored to retain the original appearance as much as possible.

The upper pond has been drained to allow work on the dam and to allow construction of a walking trail all around the pond to provide better access.

A birding trail has also been completed across the wetland areas.

There has been a study for developing a trail complex in the property that will be tied in to other NFS trails in the service area.

"The interest in Glen Alton is just huge," said Schiffer. "At least once a week I get a call from people who want to participate in doing things at Glen Alton." She mentioned the workdays that have already been held with volunteers from the area working on the property.