Sundown Wild Forest and Vernooy Kill State Forest Unit Management Plan
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SUNDOWN WILD FOREST And VERNOOY KILL STATE FOREST Unit Management Plan NYS DEC, REGION 3, DIVISION OF LANDS AND FORESTS 21 South Putt Corners Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561 [email protected] www.dec.ny.gov October 2019 This page intentionally left blank OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway, 14th Floor, Albany, New York 12233-1010 P: (518) 402-8545 IF: (518) 402-8541 www.dec.ny.gov MEMORANDUM TO: The Record FROM: Basil Seggos SUBJECT: Sundown Wild Forest and Vernooy Kill State Forest Unit Management Plan The Sundown Wild Forest and Vernooy Kill State Forest Unit Management Plan has been completed. The Plan is consistent with Environmental Conservation Law, and Department Rules, Regulations and Policies and is hereby approved and adopted. Basil Seggos Commissioner New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Date: _l_o__ A_~ /_14 __ ___ I I WYORK Department of ~ER%N1TY Environmental Conservation This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................xv I. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 A. Planning Area Overview .......................................................................................... 1 B. General History ....................................................................................................... 5 C. General Access ..................................................................................................... 15 II. Inventory, Use, and Capacity to Withstand Use ........................................................ 35 A. Natural Resources ................................................................................................. 35 B. Cultural and Historic Resources ............................................................................ 49 C. Unique Resources ................................................................................................. 51 D. Scenic Resources ................................................................................................. 52 E. Facilities ................................................................................................................ 53 F. Relationship Between Public and Private Land ..................................................... 54 G. Local Economic Impacts ....................................................................................... 54 H. Public Use ............................................................................................................. 57 I. Capacity of the Resource to Withstand Use ........................................................... 63 J. Partnerships & Agreements ................................................................................... 73 III. Management and Policy Overview ........................................................................... 77 A. Administration ........................................................................................................ 77 B. Past Management ................................................................................................. 79 C. Management Guidelines ....................................................................................... 83 IV. Management Recommendations, Goals, & Objectives ............................................ 91 A. Goals ..................................................................................................................... 91 B. Issues .................................................................................................................... 91 C. Bio-Physical Resources ........................................................................................ 92 D. Man-Made Facilities ............................................................................................ 102 E. Public Use and Access ........................................................................................ 123 Sundown Wild Forest and Vernooy Kill State Forest Unit Management Plan | i Contents F. Special Regulations ............................................................................................. 127 V. Sundown Wild Forest Projected Use and Management .......................................... 133 1. Kanape ................................................................................................................ 133 2. Mombaccus Mountain, Big Rosy Bone Knob, and Krumbille Plantation .............. 139 3. Vernooy Kill Falls ................................................................................................. 143 4. Bangle Hill to Spencer’s Ledge ............................................................................ 153 5. Sugarloaf Mountain/Sugarloaf Ridge/Lackawack Hill .......................................... 157 6. Denman Mountain/Red Hill/Wildcat Mountain/South Neversink/Camp Pine ........ 165 7. Peekamoose Valley ............................................................................................. 176 VI. Vernooy Kill State Forest Management and Projected Use ................................... 187 VII. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE AND BUDGET ................................................. 249 VIII.BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ................................................................. 261 Appendix A – State Environmental Quality Review Act ............................................... 267 Appendix B-General Environmental Impact Statement for State Forest Lands ........... 269 Appendix C – Glossary ................................................................................................ 271 Appendix D – Wildlife .................................................................................................. 275 Appendix E – Catskill Park State Land Master Plan Guidelines for Wild Forest .......... 285 Appendix F – NYS Forestry Best Management Practices Guidelines ......................... 287 Appendix G – Soils Series Descriptions ...................................................................... 297 Appendix H – Classification of Waters ........................................................................ 301 Appendix I – Discussion of Alternatives for Blue Hole Access .................................... 303 Appendix J – Blue Hole Day Use Permit System Responsiveness Summary ............. 307 Appendix K – Public Comment Responsiveness Summary to the UMP ..................... 313 ii | Sundown Wild Forest & Vernooy Kill State Forest Unit Management Plan Contents List of Maps Figure 1 Unit Overview Map ............................................................................................ v Figure 2. Unit Access Map ............................................................................................ 16 Figure 3. Kanape - Ashokan High Point Map .............................................................. 138 Figure 4. Mombaccus Mountain & Big Rosy Knob Map .............................................. 142 Figure 5. Vernooy Falls North Map.............................................................................. 151 Figure 7. Bangle Hill to Spener Ledge Map ................................................................. 156 Figure 8. Sugarloaf Mountain Map .............................................................................. 162 Figure 9. Sugarloaf Ridge Map ................................................................................... 163 Figure 10. Lackawack Hill Map ................................................................................... 164 Figure 11. Denman Mountain Map .............................................................................. 172 Figure 12. Red Hill Map ............................................................................................... 173 Figure 13. Wildcat Mountain Map ................................................................................ 174 Figure 14. Camp Pine Map ......................................................................................... 176 Figure 15. Vernooy Kill State Forest Soils Map ........................................................... 232 Figure 16. Vernooy Kill State Forest SMZ Map ........................................................... 233 Figure 17. Vernooy Kill State Forest Forest Management Map ................................... 234 Figure 18. Vernooy Kill State Forest Forest Stand Map .............................................. 235 List of Tables Table 1 Acreages of Properties within the Unit ............................................................... 2 Table 2. List of Wildland Fires from the Kanape Area ................................................... 12 Table 3. Summary of Utility Easements and Issues ...................................................... 33 Table 4. Peekamoose Mountain Quadrangle ................................................................ 46 Table 5. Rondout Resevoir Quadrangle ........................................................................ 47 Table 6. West Shokan Quadrangle ............................................................................... 47 Table 7. 2017 Property Taxes on State land paid per Town ......................................... 56 Table 8. Trailhead and Register Tally within