SHANDAKEN WILD FOREST Draft Unit Management Plan NYSDEC, REGION 3, DIVISION OF LANDS AND FORESTS 21 South Putt Corners Rd, New Paltz, NY 12561
[email protected] www.dec.ny.gov August 2020 This page intentionally left blank Preface The draft revision to the 2005 Shandaken Wild Forest Unit Management Plan has been developed pursuant to, and is consistent with, relevant provisions of the New York State Constitution, the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), the Executive Law, the Catskill State Park State Land Master Plan (CPSLMP), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“Department”) rules and regulations, Department policies and procedures and the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The State lands that are the subject of this draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) are Forest Preserve lands protected by Article XIV, Section1 of the New York State Constitution. This Constitutional provision, which became effective on January 1,1885 provides in relevant part: “The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the Forest Preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed.” ECL§3-030 (1)(d) and 9-0105(1) provides the Department with jurisdiction to manage Forest Preserve lands. The Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (Master Plan) places State land within the Catskill State Park into the following classifications: Wilderness, Wild Forest, Primitive Bicycle Corridor, Intensive Use and State Administrative and sets forth management guidelines for the lands falling within each major classification.