LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Mount Greylock State Reservation finally has a new full-time supervisor: Travis Clairmont is taking the helm this month.

Becky Barnes, trails coordinator for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, told the Greylock Advisory Council last week that the Lanesborough native has taken the position.

"I grew up right down the street so I have been here my whole life and I know this mountain very well …and it will be great to work on it," Clairmont told the council.

The park has been without a supervisor for more than a year after former supervisor Alec Gillman left the position. Because of state budgetary issues, the position was never filled.

The council has been lobbying the state for some time now and efforts seem to have finally paid off.

Barnes said Clairmont has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and studied fishery and wildlife conservation. She added that he has worked for DCR for nine seasons.

"He has great broad experience here with DCR and has many talents and skills and we are pleased to have him here with us," she said.

Clairmont said he took off to Alaska upon graduation from college in 2005 and worked for a fishery, However, decided he needed a change of pace.

"I lived in the woods by myself and counted fish for four years, saw grizzly bears and feared for my life from moose," he said. "So after seeing zero people for a long time, I found it was not for me so I came back here ... and hoped an opportunity like this would come along."

Barnes said Clairmont was chosen out of a pool of 30 applicants and has diverse interests such as hiking, snowshoeing, fishing and hunting.

Barnes said even though she is thankful to have a full-time supervisor on the mountain again, staffing still isn't what it used to be.

"We are now operating pretty much on seasonal staff ... currently, I am the only year-round person on Mount Greylock until Travis comes on Nov. 12," she said. "Seven years ago, we had six year-round people. We have great seasonal help now, but we are missing consistency. It is not ideal." 

Council member Joseph Rogge agreed.

"It seems like every year we are sending letters asking please don't cut and right now we are in a situation where it could sure be a lot better," he said.