DEC Seeks Input on Plan to Improve Access and Recreational Opportunities on State Forests in Eastern St. Lawrence County

Public Meeting Scheduled for December 8; Comments Will Be Considered in the Development of the Unit Management Plan

Public comment is being sought in the development of a unit management plan (UMP) that is now being prepared for the 18,440-acre St. Lawrence Foothills unit, including 13 state forests and one conservation easement parcel, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. The lands under this plan are located in the St. Lawrence County towns of Colton, Hopkinton, Parishville, Pierrepont, Potsdam and Russell.

The plan will address access, recreation and timber management on 16,440 acres in the Whiskey Flats State Forest, Taylor Creek State Forest, Catherineville State Forest, Degrasse State Forest, Orebed Creek State Forest, Glenmeal State Forest, High Flats State Forest, Downerville State Forest, West Parishville State Forest, Snow Bowl State Forest, Silver Hill State Forest, Crary Mills State Forest, and Whippoorwill Corners State Forest. The plan will also address public recreation management on 1,725-acre conservation easement tract.

A public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8 in the cafeteria of the Colton-Pierrepont Central High School, 4921 NY-56, Colton, NY. The school is wheelchair accessible. Please provide any requests for specific accommodation in advance to DEC at 315-265-3090.

During the first hour of the session, the public will have the opportunity to meet individually with DEC staff in an informal setting. This will be followed by a presentation about the unit and conclude with a chance to make comments and propose ideas about the UMP in front of the group regarding the management of this unit. Public comments from this meeting will assist DEC in the development of the UMP.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide information to attendees about the Unit, discuss its past history and use, current ecology and current public uses such as forest management practices and recreational uses, and to exchange ideas with the public. DEC is seeking the public's input in helping to establish short and long-range goals and objectives for management of these lands within the St. Lawrence Foothills Unit.

Public input gathered at this meeting, along with feedback received by other means including data collected during forest inventories, data and information from past management activities and recreational use data will be used to develop the St. Lawrence Foothills UMP. The UMP will guide management actions for the Unit to help achieve the goals of providing healthy, sustainable and biologically diverse forest ecosystems.

Any person or group who would like to provide input or comments on the future management of this unit or have questions about the unit or the planning process can contact Forester Tony Sparacino by mail at NYSDEC, 6739 US Highway 11, Potsdam, NY, 13676; by e-mail at R6.ump@dec.ny.gov; or by telephone at 315-265-3090.