Adirondack Base Camp header image

Entries Tagged as 'dec'

AsRA and DEC Seek Volunteers for Tree Planting

April 24th, 2012 · No Comments · Adirondack News

Plant Trees Along the Ausable River and its Tributaries
on Sunday, April 29

NYSDEC LogoVolunteers are sought to plant trees along river and stream corridors in the Ausable River Watershed on Sunday, April 29, the Ausable River Association (AsRA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced.

The trees will be planted at sites in the Towns of Jay and Keene and the Village of Au Sable Forks to stabilize eroded stream and river banks damaged by last year’s flooding, protect property from future flood damage and improve wildlife habitat. Sites include River Side Park and the water line construction site in Au Sable Forks, the Wells Memorial Library and Brookside Motor Inn in Upper Jay, and others from Keene Valley to Au Sable Forks. Volunteers will join AsRA, DEC, Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and Essex County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff in planting trees.

Volunteers are asked to meet at the Grand Union parking lot along NYS Route 9-N in Au Sable Forks at 12:00, noon, on April 29. After receiving quick instructions from organizers, volunteers will form teams and disperse to sites with organizer staff. Volunteers should be prepared to provide their own transportation or carpool with other team members, though some sites are within walking distance.

The tree planting will take place rain or shine, so volunteers should dress properly for weather conditions. Sturdy hiking shoes or boots will be needed. Volunteers should also bring: work gloves, a shovel (if you have one); drinking water; and snacks (if desired). Light refreshments will be provided in the afternoon to planting teams.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about tree planting techniques, proper species placement according to habitat, and long-term care. Volunteers can participate for whatever amount of time in the afternoon they desire, though planting will conclude by 5 pm or when all trees have been planted, if sooner.

The trees are supplied by the DEC Saratoga Tree Nursery through the Lake Champlain Basin “Trees for Tributaries” program. The program is a partnership between DEC and the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The goals of the program are to restore and protect the stream corridors that connect to Lake Champlain. AsRA and Essex County SWCD, as part of the Champlain Watershed Improvement Coalition of New York, receive support from the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative through USDA-NRCS for this year’s riparian buffer planting projects.

Ausable River AssociationIf you have questions, please visit www.ausableriver.org or contact the Ausable River Association at 873-3752 or info@ausableriver.org.

Tags: ···

DEC Modifies Forest Conservation Easement to Allow Leasing of 220 Camps and State Acquisition of 2,900 Acres of Forest Land

March 30th, 2012 · No Comments · Adirondack News

Leasing of Former Champion Lands in Adirondacks
by Heartwood Forestland Fund to Continue

Deal Adds 2,146 Acres to the State Forest Preserve
and Creates 651-Acre State Forest

NYSDEC LogoLeasing of recreational camps on the former Champion lands in Franklin, Herkimer, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties will be allowed under an agreement reached this week with the state and Heartwood Forestland Fund III, LP, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. As part of the agreement, Heartwood Forestland, the owner of a conservation easement on the former Champion lands, will transfer 2,797 acres of valuable wildlife habitat in the Deer River corridor to the state.

“Today’s agreement recognizes the importance hunt clubs play in the day-to-day management of these lands and in ensuring the long-standing traditions of hunting, fishing, camping and hiking will continue,” said Commissioner Martens. “DEC and Heartwood Forestland worked cooperatively with area stakeholders to ensure these camps can continue to be an important destination for hunters and their families in this remote area of the Park. DEC continues its efforts to create and maintain important recreational opportunities on state lands and lands subject to conservation easements.”

Under the new terms of the agreement, Heartwood Forestland will retain the right to permanently lease no more than 220 camp sites located on the 110,000 acres of forest lands on which the state acquired a working forest easement in 1999. In return, the company will transfer the 2,797 acres of land to the state in two parcels adjacent to the state’s existing Deer River holdings.

A 2,146-acre parcel within the Adirondack Park will be added to the State Forest Preserve as part of the recently classified Deer River Primitive Area, and a 651-acre parcel outside the Park will become a new State Forest. These parcels will provide access to a previously-inaccessible, detached Forest Preserve property and will be open to the public for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other outdoor recreation.

Under the terms of the 1999 agreement with Champion, the leased camps on the easement property acquired by Heartwood Forestland were to be removed by 2014. DEC and Heartwood Forestland worked with many other stakeholders to explore options to keep the tradition of camp leasing viable in this area. The new agreement will provide Heartwood Forestland with the discretion to permit the camps to remain on one-acre parcels after 2014. The entire 139,000-acre property will be open to public hunting, except for the one-acre camp parcels.

“This is great news for the north country,” said Robert Snider, Town of Clifton Town Supervisor. “The tradition of hunting and hunting camps is an important part of our heritage.”

Charles H. Collins, Managing Director, the Forestland Group, LLC which manages Heartwood Forestland said, “We are pleased this project is now complete as it aligns the Champion easement with the other conservation easements in the Adirondack Park. This amendment will demonstrate that traditional, regional uses of this ownership can be combined with our fundamental goals of sustained natural resource management and access to these lands for the general public. This project will benefit the natural resources of the Adirondack Park, the communities and residents who live in and around the Park, and the Park’s many visitors both from within New York state and around the country. The cooperative effort involved in this project is a testament to its value to the North Country. We look forward to a continued close working relationship with all of our conservation partners.”

Brian Houseal, of the Adirondack Council, stated, “This revised Champion lands conservation easement will ensure the protection of this important working forest as an economic asset for the Adirondack region, as well as preserve over 2,100 acres as Forever Wild Forest Preserve for future generations of New Yorkers.”

New York State Conservation Council’s Access and Land Use Specialist, Walt Paul, said, “It’s a great day and I’m sure a relief for families with camps on the former Champion Lands to finally have some resolution to this situation after 12 years of hard work by many, many people. The sporting community recognizes and truly appreciates the hard work and persistence on the part of DEC staff to bring this to closure. What became evident during the discussion and seemed to be a turning point is the realization that sportsmen and women and their families have been good stewards of these lands for many years and that the contributions they make to our regional economies are significant and very important.”

The Agreement was publically noticed in the November 4, 2009 Environmental Notice Bulletin and included a 48-day public comment period. The Agreement was also approved by the Adirondack Park Agency after a public comment period, the Offices of the Attorney General and the State Comptroller. A full Environmental Impact Statement and Responsiveness Summary was also prepared for the agreement, which is available for viewing on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/59344.html.

Tags: ······

DEC Issues Guidance to Discourage Black Bear Encounters

March 22nd, 2012 · 1 Comment · Adirondack News

NYSDEC LogoWith the onset of warmer weather, New York’s black bear population will be on the move. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today issued guidance on how to prevent nuisance bear encounters.

Black bears will take advantage of almost any readily available food source, including bird feeders and garbage. To prevent encounters between bears and humans, people should never intentionally feed bears and should take every precaution to discourage bears from seeking out food sources in neighborhoods and other residential areas.

Typically, black bears are timid and will avoid all contact with humans. However, bears will become a nuisance and can cause significant damage if they believe they can obtain an easy meal from bird feeders, garbage cans, dumpsters, barbeque grills, tents, vehicles, out-buildings or houses.

It is not only illegal to intentionally feed bears, it is also illegal to inadvertently feed them. Specifically, after written notice from DEC, the incidental or indirect feeding of bears through food attractants such as garbage, pet food or bird seed is illegal. DEC has the authority to require the removal of these and other food attractants when bears become problematic.

Bear in GrassIt is in the best interest of both bears and people for bears to get their food solely from wild sources. Once a bear learns to associate certain structures with food, it can become a serious nuisance to people and a threat to itself. Bears that lose their natural fear of humans are much more likely to be illegally shot, hit by an automobile or destroyed under a DEC nuisance permit. Some studies suggest that when a bear is fed (either directly or indirectly), its life expectancy is cut by as much as 50 percent.

Once a bear becomes a problem, DEC is often asked to relocate the bear. Contrary to popular belief, bear relocations are rarely effective at solving the problem. Bears are extremely mobile and have excellent homing abilities. Relocated bears often return to their original capture site or may continue their bad habits at a new location. If the circumstances that led to the original problem are not corrected, other bears will quickly be attracted to the site and the bear/human conflicts will persist.

In addition to being ineffective, bear relocations are extremely time consuming and often dangerous. The heavy door on the bear traps, although not dangerous to bears, presents a potential danger to curious humans and pets. The simplest way to avoid a nuisance encounter is to remove all food sources. Removing the food source will remove the bear.

Because virtually all nuisance bear problems are the result of hungry bears being attracted to human food, pet food, bird food or garbage, these problems can be minimized by taking these simple precautions:

  • Never feed bears. It is illegal.
  • If you believe that bears are being fed, please report it to DEC.
  • Stop feeding birds as soon as the snow melts. Birds do not need supplemental food in the summer, when natural foods are most abundant. Clean up all seed fragments and shells left over from winter feeding as the smell will attract bears.
  • Dispose of garbage as frequently as possible and store in a secure building prior to disposal.
  • If garbage is picked up at the curb, put the garbage out just before the scheduled pickup or place it in a roadside bear-resistant container. Do not put garbage out the night before pick-up at the curb.
  • Clean garbage cans frequently with ammonia.
  • Do not burn garbage, it’s illegal and it attracts bears.
  • Do not add meat scraps, bones or melon rinds to your compost pile.
  • Clean up barbecue grills before night fall, and after they cool down store them inside.
  • Feed pets indoors and store pet food indoors. If pets must be fed outdoors, take in all uneaten food and dishes before dark.
  • Turn off kitchen exhaust fans that vent to the outside whenever possible.
  • When camping, keep food out of sight and secured in the trunk of a hard topped, locked vehicle if one is available. If a vehicle is not available, hang food and garbage from a tree at least eight feet off the ground. Keep picnic tables, utensils, fireplaces and the surrounding areas clean.

To learn more about black bears, look for DEC’s DVD Living with New York Black Bears at your public library or visit DEC’s website: Black Bear

Everyone is asked to respect bears as wild animals — from a distance. For more information about bears in your area, contact the nearest regional DEC office. For a list of regional offices, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/558.html on the DEC website.

Tags: ···