Stewardship Spreads

For six years now, college students have served as stewards along several public areas of Lake Ontario’s shoreline, educating visitors about the value of its beaches, dunes and wetlands. This past summer, the stewards program – managed by NYSG in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – expanded to cover public access NYSG’s Stewards Program Coordinator Mary Penney (far points along the Salmon River corridor through the fall fishing left) with dune and Salmon River stewards (back row, l to Signs and snowfencing, r) Alex Studdert, Kyle McCanney, Mike Riegler, John Koltz, season (see map below). like those pictured here Norman Jones, Ryan Collins (front row, l to r) Charlotte at Southwick Beach Gay, Theresa Eveans, Joe Stredny (kneeling) and Ashley At the start of this year’s season, NYSG hired Mary Penney State Park, help to Quarella. Photo courtesy of Mary Penney inform beach goers as its new Stewards Program Coordinator. Penney, a former about the fragility DEC River Steward, environmental educator and angler of dunes along Lake census technician, supervised this year’s 10 stewards. Ontario shoreline consists of roughly 9.8 miles of private Ontario’s eastern and 6.7 miles of public land. Reaching from the mouth of shoreline. Serving as goodwill ambassadors, the stewards helped the Salmon River north to the outlet of Black Pond, the area Photo by Paul C. Focazio promote environmentally-sound recreational use of areas includes seven properties that are open to the public for along the Salmon River and Lake Ontario. “They’re the outdoor recreation. These areas, most monitored by the dune first line of communication between the public and agency stewards, include: Deer Creek Marsh Wildlife Management partners,” says Penney. “Not only do the stewards have the Area (WMA), Sandy Island Beach State Park, Sandy Pond opportunity to educate lake and river users on responsible Beach Natural Area, Lakeview Marsh WMA, Southwick State use, but they also provide land managers with insight on Park, Black Pond WMA, and El Dorado Nature Preserve. One potential issues. They can talk about the importance of of this year’s six dune stewards, SUNY ESF junior Norman maintaining strong habitats not only for rare and endangered Jones, spent 30 hours a week in the vicinity of Black Pond, species, but for everyday backyard wildlife.” one of the lakeshore areas most in need of public respect.

New York’s 16.5 stretch of sand dunes, wetlands, “It was my job to ask people to follow the simple rules woodlands, ponds, and creeks along the Eastern Lake that apply to this fragile dune area,” he says. “A steward’s

Salmon River Access Points 2

A Rt 3 Bridge E Long Bridge I Compactor Pool/ M Pineville Q Lower Fly/ Trout Brook Orwell Brook (Handicap accessible) Route 2A (Drift boat launch) Altmar S (Drift boat launch) (Drift boat launch) 1 Jerry Look Rd 4 Library & Rec Park B Douglaston F Short Bridge N Trestle S To Redfield Salmon Run J Schoeller R Altmar N 2 Wart Road 5 Bridge (Tubbs Rd) Reservoir G Ball Park C K Sportsman’s N O Trestle N S Upper Fly Black Hole (Drift boat launch) 3 Rte 48 6 Rte 52 D Staircase H Maple Ave L Sportsman’s S P Ellis Cove

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Lehigh Rd Lehigh To To Albion Albion S 6 Alb ion presence on the beach is needed to deter violators 95 percent with flora and fauna. For these reasons, we of the time. Our goal, though, was to create that level of need to enjoy the River while at the same compliance all the time, even when stewards aren’t present. time protecting its health.” Through public education we prompt people to respect the environments that they use and enjoy and to help preserve Riegler cited seven key principles to support the dune areas as a unique area of northern New York.” a “Leave No Trace outdoor ethics code,” including leaving behind what you find, Sure, the dune stewards repaired snow fencing to preserve respecting wildlife, and minimizing campfire habitat along the lakeshore at Lakeview WHA, Sandy Pond impacts. Riegler and the other stewards Beach, and Deer Creek WHA. They also monitored visitor penned a series of articles to impact what usage, engaged others in beach and shoreline cleanups, they learned from their experiences this and walked many miles daily along Lake Ontario beaches in past summer and fall. Jefferson and Oswego counties. And river stewards assisted state fish, wildlife and forestry staff on a variety of important Here’s a sample of some of the facts you’ll find in this series, written by the stewards tasks as well as helped with tours and maintenance at the Theresa Evans, a dune Salmon River Fish Hatchery in Altmar. But, a number of the and printed in several local publications, including the steward and SUNY ESF stewards went above and beyond these responsibilities, Jefferson County Journal, Lure of the Lake, Oswego County freshman majoring in Environmental Studies, was leaving behind somewhat of a legacy for those who would fill Weeklies, and Watertown Times: involved in an invasive plant their shoes in future years. WVisitors to the Salmon River Falls in Altmar are standing control project that included the release of biological “The management of the Salmon River stewards program on 110 feet of rock that holds millions of years of geologic history. Abundant marine fossils and rare agents at various locations really shows the importance of the overall watershed,” says along the eastern Lake fossils such as Eurypterids (water scorpions) and Fran Verdoliva, NYSDEC Salmon River Program Coordinator. Ontario shore’s dune system. Trilobites (huge primordial water insects) can be found She’s pictured here amongst Salmon River Steward Mike Riegler, a 2006 SUNY ESF in our Oswego County bedrock. (Charlotte Gay, Salmon some purple loosestrife, a Natural Resource Management graduate, spread the word River Steward and a 2005 SUNY ESF graduate) very aggressive, non-native, on a “leave no trace” program, one in a series of informative water loving perennial with no natural predators in the U.S., steward sessions planned through the summer and fall WThe coastal and wetland habitats associated with Lake Ontario provide essential staging areas where where it was first introduced months. In preparation for his talk, Reigler wrote, “A recent in the 1800s. migrating birds can stop to rest, feed, and be sheltered NYSDEC angler survey indicated that more than 28,000 Photo courtesy of Mary Penney out-of-state anglers spent an average of $43 per day in the during long travels. Designated conservation sites and area. Socially, the Salmon River corridor also provides a venue sanctuaries, such as El Dorado Nature Preserve, Derby for the outdoor activities of camping, hiking, and hunting. Hill Bird Observatory, and the northern spit of Sandy Ecologically, the area is home to a diverse ecosystem filled Pond Beach, provide essential habitat for a variety of birds. (John Koltz, Dune Steward and a Cornell freshman majoring in Earth ... for more tips from the 2 Systems) dune and salmon river Q Lower Fly/ Trout Brook Orwell Brook Altmar S WAt least 55 birds along with a stewards, Q and As, 1 Jerry Look Rd 4 Library & Rec Park (Drift boat launch) To Redfield printable maps, and more. R Altmar N 2 Wart Road 5 Bridge (Tubbs Rd) Reservoir dozen each mammal, fish, reptile and S Upper Fly 3 Rte 48 6 Rte 52 amphibian species call Deer Creek’s marsh, cobble beach and surrounding waters their home. The area, known

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