RJ
09-13-2006, 04:15 PM
Public Meeting Scheduled for September 26, 2006 in Beaver Falls, Lewis County
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced the release of a draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest and adjacent easement lands in the towns of Croghan, Diana, and Watson in Lewis County and the Town of Webb in Herkimer County. The Wild Forest Unit consists of 13,229 acres of State Forest Preserve lands and two Conservation Easements (Lassiter and Croghan Tracts) totaling 25,923 acres.
“We are continuing to make progress on completing unit management plans in the Adirondack Forest Preserve,” Commissioner Denise Sheehan said. “The release of the draft UMP for the Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest is yet another significant milestone in our efforts to improve public access and ensure the protection of the Adirondacks for future generations. As always, the public’s participation has been extremely valuable throughout the planning process to date, providing us with important information and recommendations incorporated into the draft UMP.”
A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday September 26th, at the Beaver River Central School in Beaver Falls. Staff will be available to discuss the draft plan with the public from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. A presentation on the draft UMP will be given by DEC staff at 7 p.m., followed immediately by a public comment period on the draft plan. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposals in the draft UMP. The DEC will also accept written comments on the draft UMP until October 13, 2006.
Beaver River Central School is located on Artz Road in the hamlet of Beaver Falls. To reach the school coming from the north, south or east, take State Route 812 to the village of Croghan, then State Route 126 north to the Artz Road in Beaver Falls. The school is located on the left. From the west take State Route 126 south from Carthage to the Artz Road in Beaver Falls. The facility is universally accessible.
The unit is bounded on the west by the Adirondack Park Blue Line, on the east by the Five Ponds and Pepperbox Wilderness Areas, on the north by the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest and on the south by the Beaver River, with the exception of a portion of the Croghan Tract easement, which extends south of the river.
The Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest Unit is located on the western edge of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Several of the unit’s ponds support a good brook trout fishery as does the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River. Good access to the area affords many recreational opportunities, including, hiking, hunting, trapping and fishing. Several snowmobile trails also pass through the area and link to a larger network of trails.
A partial list of recommended management actions in the draft UMP include:
• Improve recreational opportunities for people with mobility impairments, including the development of two accessible lean-to’s;
• Construct new parking areas and foot trails;
• Survey and boundary line marking to adequately identify public lands;
• Various measures to manage illegal public motor vehicle use including the installation of barriers;
• Relocate the Number One Camp snowmobile trail to avoid impacting wetlands;
• Closure and reclamation of an existing gravel mine on Forest Preserve property.
• Bring all public motor vehicle roads on easement lands into compliance with §2405 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law (V&TL). This action will result in the closure of 12 roads to the use of ATVs since there no areas or trails open to public ATV use adjacent to these roads, continuing to leave them posted open for public ATV use, while simultaneously being open for public passenger vehicle use, is in conflict with V&TL §2405. These roads will remain open for public passenger vehicle use; and
• Closure of eight roads or road segments on wild forest lands to public passenger vehicle use. Burning Creek Road and Spring Creek Road are being closed because beaver activity in the past several years would require the draining of large wetland areas and the destruction of that habitat. River Road will be closed to protect the integrity of the scenic river corridor for the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River.
Portions of the Creek Road, Wolf Creek Road West and Wolf creek Road East are being closed beyond existing campsites or parking areas. The road sections beyond these points are single lane and there are no opportunities for parking or turning around. Mullins Flow Road and Buck Pond Road will be converted into non-motorized accessible trails once lean-to’s are constructed at these locations to provide a more traditional camping experience.
A UMP must be completed before significant new recreational facilities, such as trails, camping sites, or parking areas can be constructed. The plan includes an analysis of the natural features of the area and the ability of the land to accommodate public use. The planning process is designed to cover all environmental considerations for the unit and forms the basis for all proposed management activities for a five-year time period.
UMPs are required by the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan for each unit of State land in the Adirondack Park. The plans integrate the goals and objectives of the Master Plan, related legislation, and resource and visitor-use information into a single document.
Governor George Pataki’s strategic plan to complete unit management plans for all State Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks is continuing. Governor Pataki’s initiative is the first comprehensive attempt to complete all outstanding management plans in both the Adirondack and Catskill parks to ensure that the public’s longstanding investment in the acquisition of public lands is maximized through careful planning and implementation of those plans. Coupled with allocation of funds to the stewardship of these lands from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund and the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act this will dramatically improve the State’s ability to manage these lands.
The draft UMP will be available for public review at DEC headquarters in Albany, DEC regional offices in Watertown and Ray Brook, and at the DEC’s Lowville, Herkimer and Potsdam regional suboffices. The plan will also be available for review at the town offices of Croghan, Diana, Watson and Webb. Copies are available in electronic format for distribution on Compact Disc from the DEC’s Lowville Office and may be requested by calling (315) 376-3521. A limited number of printed copies are available as well.
Public comments will be accepted until October 13, 2006, and may be sent to Keith Rivers, Senior Forester, New York State DEC,7327 State route 812, Lowville, NY 13367, or emailed to: r6ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us .
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced the release of a draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest and adjacent easement lands in the towns of Croghan, Diana, and Watson in Lewis County and the Town of Webb in Herkimer County. The Wild Forest Unit consists of 13,229 acres of State Forest Preserve lands and two Conservation Easements (Lassiter and Croghan Tracts) totaling 25,923 acres.
“We are continuing to make progress on completing unit management plans in the Adirondack Forest Preserve,” Commissioner Denise Sheehan said. “The release of the draft UMP for the Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest is yet another significant milestone in our efforts to improve public access and ensure the protection of the Adirondacks for future generations. As always, the public’s participation has been extremely valuable throughout the planning process to date, providing us with important information and recommendations incorporated into the draft UMP.”
A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday September 26th, at the Beaver River Central School in Beaver Falls. Staff will be available to discuss the draft plan with the public from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. A presentation on the draft UMP will be given by DEC staff at 7 p.m., followed immediately by a public comment period on the draft plan. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposals in the draft UMP. The DEC will also accept written comments on the draft UMP until October 13, 2006.
Beaver River Central School is located on Artz Road in the hamlet of Beaver Falls. To reach the school coming from the north, south or east, take State Route 812 to the village of Croghan, then State Route 126 north to the Artz Road in Beaver Falls. The school is located on the left. From the west take State Route 126 south from Carthage to the Artz Road in Beaver Falls. The facility is universally accessible.
The unit is bounded on the west by the Adirondack Park Blue Line, on the east by the Five Ponds and Pepperbox Wilderness Areas, on the north by the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest and on the south by the Beaver River, with the exception of a portion of the Croghan Tract easement, which extends south of the river.
The Watson’s East Triangle Wild Forest Unit is located on the western edge of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Several of the unit’s ponds support a good brook trout fishery as does the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River. Good access to the area affords many recreational opportunities, including, hiking, hunting, trapping and fishing. Several snowmobile trails also pass through the area and link to a larger network of trails.
A partial list of recommended management actions in the draft UMP include:
• Improve recreational opportunities for people with mobility impairments, including the development of two accessible lean-to’s;
• Construct new parking areas and foot trails;
• Survey and boundary line marking to adequately identify public lands;
• Various measures to manage illegal public motor vehicle use including the installation of barriers;
• Relocate the Number One Camp snowmobile trail to avoid impacting wetlands;
• Closure and reclamation of an existing gravel mine on Forest Preserve property.
• Bring all public motor vehicle roads on easement lands into compliance with §2405 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law (V&TL). This action will result in the closure of 12 roads to the use of ATVs since there no areas or trails open to public ATV use adjacent to these roads, continuing to leave them posted open for public ATV use, while simultaneously being open for public passenger vehicle use, is in conflict with V&TL §2405. These roads will remain open for public passenger vehicle use; and
• Closure of eight roads or road segments on wild forest lands to public passenger vehicle use. Burning Creek Road and Spring Creek Road are being closed because beaver activity in the past several years would require the draining of large wetland areas and the destruction of that habitat. River Road will be closed to protect the integrity of the scenic river corridor for the Middle Branch of the Oswegatchie River.
Portions of the Creek Road, Wolf Creek Road West and Wolf creek Road East are being closed beyond existing campsites or parking areas. The road sections beyond these points are single lane and there are no opportunities for parking or turning around. Mullins Flow Road and Buck Pond Road will be converted into non-motorized accessible trails once lean-to’s are constructed at these locations to provide a more traditional camping experience.
A UMP must be completed before significant new recreational facilities, such as trails, camping sites, or parking areas can be constructed. The plan includes an analysis of the natural features of the area and the ability of the land to accommodate public use. The planning process is designed to cover all environmental considerations for the unit and forms the basis for all proposed management activities for a five-year time period.
UMPs are required by the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan for each unit of State land in the Adirondack Park. The plans integrate the goals and objectives of the Master Plan, related legislation, and resource and visitor-use information into a single document.
Governor George Pataki’s strategic plan to complete unit management plans for all State Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks is continuing. Governor Pataki’s initiative is the first comprehensive attempt to complete all outstanding management plans in both the Adirondack and Catskill parks to ensure that the public’s longstanding investment in the acquisition of public lands is maximized through careful planning and implementation of those plans. Coupled with allocation of funds to the stewardship of these lands from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund and the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act this will dramatically improve the State’s ability to manage these lands.
The draft UMP will be available for public review at DEC headquarters in Albany, DEC regional offices in Watertown and Ray Brook, and at the DEC’s Lowville, Herkimer and Potsdam regional suboffices. The plan will also be available for review at the town offices of Croghan, Diana, Watson and Webb. Copies are available in electronic format for distribution on Compact Disc from the DEC’s Lowville Office and may be requested by calling (315) 376-3521. A limited number of printed copies are available as well.
Public comments will be accepted until October 13, 2006, and may be sent to Keith Rivers, Senior Forester, New York State DEC,7327 State route 812, Lowville, NY 13367, or emailed to: r6ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us .
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06-151