Rome Sand Plains Consolidated Management Plan

March 3, 2006

Electronic copies of this document are available at: www.dec.state.ny.us Rome Sand Plains Consolidated Management Plan Page 2

PREFACE

This document is a consolidated management plan for approximately 3,875 acres of public and conservancy owned land within a 16,000 acre Unique Natural Area in the city of Rome, Oneida County, known as the Rome Sand Plains (RSP). The RSP is an unusual area of mixed wetlands and upland pine barrens developed in fossil sand dunes. The RSP is one of only a handful of inland pine barrens in the nation. Its combination of high sand dunes and low peat bogs make it a truly unique natural feature. The habitat is characterized by mixed northern hardwood and pine barren forests opening abruptly into meadows, wetlands and peat bogs. Several rare vegetative community types are contained within the RSP which include rare and uncommon species such as the frosted elfin butterfly, the spotted turtle and the Red-shouldered Hawk. In addition, the RSP encompasses part of the historic Wood Creek, used by Native Americans and Early American settlers as a major waterway route linking the and the Great Lakes.

The lands for which this plan has been prepared are owned by four entities: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Oneida County, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Izaak Walton League (IWL). Private property is interspersed with these lands; however the plan does not apply to such private property. The purpose of the plan is to provide a guide for the coordinated management of lands among the property owners listed above. The plan has been prepared to meet the requirements of the NYSDEC’s unit management planning process, as well as the needs of the other landowners. It is also intended to serve as a component of the City of Rome comprehensive plan.

With respect to the specific requirements of the NYSDEC, who will use this document as its unit management plan, it is the policy of the Department to manage State lands for multiple benefits to serve the people of New York State. This unit management plan is the first step in carrying out that policy. The plan has been developed to address management activities on this unit for the next ten years, with a review due in five years. Some management recommendations may extend beyond the ten-year period. Factors such as budget constraints, wood product markets, and forest health problems may necessitate deviations from the scheduled management activities.

The overall vision for the RSP is to maintain and enhance its unique ecology, especially the pitch pine heath barrens ecosystem. This ecosystem is vulnerable from both natural and human induced forces. The plan therefore contains a variety of recommendations to protect the RSP from degradation. The plan further recommends that the current management Rome Sand Plains Consolidated Management Plan Page 3

structure, an ad hoc partnership consisting of the public and conservancy landowners and a cross-section of interest partners be maintained for the next five years. The success of this structure in achieving the goals of the plan should be monitored to determine if it is effective or if an alternative structure is necessary.

The other major management recommendations of this plan are as follows.

Land Management Recommendations

1. Acquire or protect sufficient lands to maintain the ecological viability of the RSP. Lands should only be acquired from willing sellers, and if they meet certain criteria set forth in detail in the plan. These values relate to ecology, consolidation, linkages, buffers, natural resource limitations and cultural or historical resources. 2. Limit roadside vegetation cutting except where necessary for health and safety or other management objectives. 3. Engage in regular roadside clean-up activities. 4. Clean up trash and