Between Rivers Unit Management Plan Final
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands & Forests Bureau of State Land Management BETWEEN RIVERS UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN FINAL Towns of Columbus, Guilford, New Berlin, North Norwich, Oxford, and Sherburne, Chenango County May, 2016 NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 7 Sub Office 2715 State Highway 80 Sherburne, NY 13460 607-674-4036 Governor ANDREW M. CUOMO Commissioner BASIL SEGGOS State Forester ROB DAVIES BETWEEN RIVERS UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN ADDRESSING NINE STATE FORESTS IN CHENANGO COUNTY: AMBLER BASSWOOD HUNTS POND LYON BROOK PINE RIDGE SKINNER HILL SOUTH HILL WHAUPAUNAUCAU WILEY BROOK Prepared By: Henry Dedrick, Senior Forester Andrew Goeller, Senior Forester, Team Leader Jason Schoellig, Senior Forester New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Lands & Forests Office 2715 State Highway 80 Sherburne, New York 13460 607-674-4036 Contributing Staff: Melba Arango, Administration Donna C. Baddeley, Administration (Retired) Thomas Bell, Wildlife Biologist Linda Collart, Mineral Resources Richard Chapin, Operations Supervisor James Prunoske, Forest Ranger (Retired) David Lemon, Fisheries Biologist iii Preface The Division of Lands & Forests within the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (the Department or DEC) is responsible for the management of certain public lands in New York State including all of the State Forests. These lands are grouped into planning units. A planning unit considers the State lands that share close geographic proximity and common natural resource characteristics. The written plan for a unit is called a Unit Management Plan (UMP or Plan). The Between Rivers UMP addresses nine State Forests in eastern Chenango County, New York. It is the policy of the Department to manage State lands for multiple-use* to serve the People of New York State. This UMP is the first step in implementing that policy. This Plan has been developed to address management activities on this Unit for the next 10 years, with a review and update due in five years. Some management recommendations may extend beyond the 10 year period. Factors such as budget constraints, wood product markets and forest health issues may necessitate deviations from the scheduled management activities. The management recommendations in this UMP will ensure the sustainability, biological improvement, and protection of the Unit’s ecosystems, as well as optimize the many benefits to the public that these State Forests provide. Article 9 of the New York State Environmental Law (ECL) authorizes the Department to provide for the management of lands acquired outside of the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. The Department is required to manage these lands for watershed protection, the production of timber and other forest products, recreational uses and kindred purposes. The Strategic Plan for State Forest Management (Strategic Plan) provides the overall direction and framework for meeting these legal mandates. The Between Rivers UMP conforms to the objectives, guidelines, and policies set forth in the Strategic Plan. The State Forests addressed in this UMP are an integral part of the larger landscape. Therefore, the effects of each proposed action will be considered from the larger landscape perspective. This UMP is also intended to serve as an educational resource. The Chenangadilla UMP was published in 1990. This UMP listed the management recommendations for State Reforestation Areas #s 8, 14, 31, 37, & 38 in Chenango County. The Between Fords UMP was published in 1993 and it addressed the management of State Reforestation Areas #s 3, 4, 7, & 29 in Chenango County. Both of these Plans were originally intended to be updated on a 10 year schedule, but these updates were never completed. The Between Rivers UMP will serve as the update for both of the aforementioned UMPs. The Between Rivers UMP contains management recommendations for all nine of the State Reforestation Areas originally addressed by the Chenangadilla and Between Fords UMPs. Consolidating of these UMPs should increase the efficiency relating to issuing updates. These nine State Forests are located in a similar geographic setting: on the uplands of eastern Chenango County and between the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers. Most of the original objectives outlined in the parent UMPs will be retained in the Between Rivers UMP. However, some new issues will be addressed in this Plan including those pertaining to natural gas exploration, access for persons with disabilities, Green Certification, and the relationship of deer management with forest management. * Highlighted (bold) terms are defined in the Glossary. 1 Table of Contents Preface............................................................................................................................................. 1 Forest Certification of State Forests ............................................................................................... 4 I. Historical Background Information ..................................................................................... 6 II. INFORMATION ON THE UNIT ............................................................................................ 11 III. Resource Demands on the Unit ...................................................................................... 49 A. Timber Resources ........................................................................................................50 B. Mineral Resources .......................................................................................................52 C. Biological Resources ...................................................................................................54 D. Recreational Resources ...............................................................................................55 IV. Management Constraints on the Unit ................................................................................. 56 A. Physi cal Constraints ....................................................................................................56 B. Administrative Constraints ..........................................................................................56 C. Societal Influences .......................................................................................................56 D. Department Rules, Regulations and Laws ...................................................................57 V. VISION STATEMENT ........................................................................................................ 57 VI. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................ 57 A. Land Management Goal ..............................................................................................57 B. Public Use and Recreation Goal .................................................................................80 C. Public Awareness Goal ...............................................................................................87 VII. Management Action Schedules .................................................................................. 88 A. Tables of Land Management Actions ..........................................................................88 VIII APPENDICIES .............................................................................................................. 153 APPENDIX. I Roads ..........................................................................................................154 APPENDIX II Watercourses ..............................................................................................158 APPENDIX III Wetlands ....................................................................................................160 APPENDIX IV Code Definitions .........................................................................................161 APPENDIX V Birds ............................................................................................................162 APPENDIX VI Reptiles & Amphibians ..............................................................................165 APPENDIX VII Mammals ..................................................................................................166 APPENDIX VIII Fish .........................................................................................................168 APPENDIX IX Deer Harvest Data ....................................................................................171 APPENDIX X Turkey Harvest Data...................................................................................172 2 APPENDIX XI Beaver & Coyote Harvest Data.................................................................173 APPENDIX XII Property Taxes .........................................................................................174 APPENDIX XIII Mineral Resource Procedures ...............................................................175 APPENDIX XIV. Camping Guidelines for Hunts Pond .....................................................176 APPENDIX XV. Department Laws, Rules, Regulations and Policies ...............................177 APPENDIX XVI. References ...............................................................................................177 APPENDIX XVII. Glossary ................................................................................................181 APPENDIX XVIII. Special Management Zones .................................................................189