Waterford — The pending transfer of Mark Darin, supervisor of Harkness Memorial State Park for the last two decades, is generating an outcry from the 700-member Friends of Harkness volunteer group who are lamenting the loss of their “highly esteemed 20-year partner.”

Darin will be moved from his position on Nov. 27 because of a provision in the union contract that allows more senior employees to “bump” someone with an equivalent position at a different park.

Dennis Schain, spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said Vincent Messino, supervisor of Penwood State Park in Bloomfield and Shenipsit State Forest in Stafford, has exercised his right to transfer to the Harkness job.

Darin in turn will become supervisor of Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.

“The Friends of Harkness did share their thoughts and we understand their concerns,” Schain said Thursday.

He declined to comment further. Darin also declined to comment.

Messino did not return messages requesting comment.

Robert Dixon of Waterford, president of the friends’ group, said the pending transfer will be a setback for Harkness, which has been restored and developed a lucrative wedding rental business thanks largely to the collaboration of Darin and the Friends group.

It is one of the most heavily visited state parks.

“We’re losing someone who’s been a great advocate for the park,” Dixon said. “I don’t know that there’s much we can do, but we’re hopeful something else will turn up.”

Eileen Grant of Madison, former president and now a trustee of the friends group, sent a letter this week to group members, state legislators and others expressing “great sadness and dismay” about the forced transfer.

“Rather than upper management having the ability to pair the ‘best’ or most suitable individual with a particular park, the union contract in effect allows individual union members … to direct the fate of the state park system by bumping at will every two years,” she wrote. “Personnel placement should be governed by what is most beneficial for the parks and the citizens who own and support them, not what is financially or personally advantageous for staff persons. Bumping breeds an undesired culture of selfishness that is an anathema to the volunteer friends’ network that now very substantively supports the park system.”

She also noted that Darin, in addition to effectively managing and working with the Friends to bring about the restoration of the historic mansion and gardens and care for the conservation areas at Harkness, has recently been put in charge of the nearby Seaside property as it becomes a new state park, and has already made improvements there.

She said she and other members contacted DEEP, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s office and other state officials “to make clear how important Mark has been to the park and how detrimental and destructive and utterly inappropriate this bumping provision is to a park system.”

“It’s not about the personality of the new person, it’s about how something is optimally managed,” she said Thursday.

First Selectman Dan Steward also lamented the transfer.

“Mark Darin has been a wonderful asset for Harkness and the facility,” he said. “Anytime we’ve had a problem there, he’s been the one to take care of it. We know he will help us. We will work with whoever gets in there, but it’s a shame someone of Mark’s stature is getting the short end of the stick.”

Glenn Terlecki, president of the Connecticut Police and Fire Union, said the bumping provision in the DEEP union contract took effect in 2009. Since then, seven union members have exercised their right to be moved to a different work location, he said.

DEEP park staff are members of the International Union of Police Associations Local 74 of the CPFU.

The unit includes 17 park supervisors and six vacant positions, 80 park maintainers, two fire control officers and three operation supervisors, he said.

The bumping provision, he said, “is contract language based on seniority.”

As long as the person has more years of service and is asking to move to an equivalent position, the request is granted. There is no mechanism for the affected employee to raise objections, he said.

He said union members “overwhelmingly” ratified the contract that includes the bumping provision.

Terlecki also took issue with Grant’s characterization of the bumping provision.

“Shift and work location bidding gives employees, based on seniority, the opportunity to work at a desired location they are both qualified and skilled to handle,” he said. “Each and every one of our park supervisors and maintainers loves what they do and performers their jobs to the best of their abilities.”

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy