News and Events for Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga and Tompkins Counties (Region 7)
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 12/01/2021 03:57 PM EST |
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News and Events for Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga and Tompkins Counties (Region 7) |
In This Issue:
The State Launches New 'Take Your Shot for an Outdoor Adventure' Vaccine Incentive Sweepstakes for Hunters, Anglers, and Outdoor Enthusiasts
Five entrants will be randomly selected to receive the grand prize and the opportunity to choose one of the following deluxe packages valued at approximately $2,000:
Twenty-five entrants will be randomly selected to receive second tier prizes and the choice of one of the following packages, valued at approximately $1,000:
The first 2,000 people to receive their first vaccination between December 1 through December 31, 2021 and enter the sweepstakes by Dec. 31, 2021, will receive a tree seedling from DEC's Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Tree Nursery in Saratoga, and their choice of either a $25 gift card for a free night of camping at a DEC campground, or a $25 gift card to a major sporting goods retailer. In addition, the 2,000 sweepstakes entrants will receive a one-year subscription to DEC's Conservationist magazine, which is currently celebrating its 75th year in publication. Information about how to enter the sweepstakes is available on DEC's website. All eligible, vaccinated entrants must adhere to all applicable requirements to receive a hunting or fishing license in New York State, including completion of required Hunter Education courses and other rules. For more information, visit DEC's Hunting Licenses and Fishing Licenses webpages. The State Announces Agreement to Protect Pristine Cayuga Lake Waterfront Property
DEC and the Finger Lakes Land Trust will create a public wildlife management area on the lakeshore portion of the property. Bell Station is recognized as a priority project in New York State's Open Space Plan and designated as future public access conservation land in the Town of Lansing Comprehensive Plan. The property sale does not require further review or approval by the Public Service Commission. Cayuga Lake is a critical resource for drinking water, tourism, and recreation in the region. Preserving Bell Station will help protect critical habitat for plants and wildlife, and greatly enhance public recreation opportunities by providing direct shoreline access to the east side of Cayuga Lake, which is 90 percent privately-owned. The lake supports incredible sport fisheries, including largemouth bass, chain pickerel, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, sunfish, gar, and bowfin. It is intended that the easternmost portion of the property will be utilized for the production of renewable solar energy. Read more in the news release. Regional Good NewsA Day in the Field with DEC’s Forestry Staff
The group was able to identify a tulip tree, also known as tulip poplar or yellow poplar, which isn’t common to the area, except where planted, because Central New York (CNY) is at the northern edge of its natural range. Due to the effects of climate change, some scientists believe tulip trees and other trees that are typically found farther south will perform well in CNY, and eventually survive even better than trees native to the area, such as sugar maple. The next stop was a hemlock-hardwood stand with many old-growth characteristics, which probably has never been logged. With the imminent threat to hemlocks from the invasive insect hemlock woolly adelgid, the class imagined how the area would look if all those trees died and how that would affect the stream corridor right below them, in terms of loss of shade, increased erosion, and declining water quality. For the last stop, the group visited a hardwood timber sale that was cut in 2011-2013, where single- and group- tree selection were used to mimic some of the traits of old-growth forests. Here, the class could observe the effects of beech bark disease (BBD). When beech trees with BBD are weakened, they send up lots of shoots from their base or even their roots, until eventually the original tree dies, and the forest is left with a dense thicket of young beech that prevents other tree species from growing. Despite efforts to control the beech at the site, there were only a few spots where the group observed other species just starting to emerge. Some other highlights of the trip included: Visiting a hemlock tree that was previously cored and aged back to 1690. This approximately 330-year-old tree was located in heavy shade for 70 years, where it barely grew, until a space opened next to it, likely from the death of a nearby big tree or two. You can view additional photos on the New Vision Environmental Science Careers page on Facebook. Volunteers Complete Trail Improvements at Jenksville State Forest
The trail maintenance group was organized by the ADK Mountain Club, which helps support management of state lands through a current volunteer stewardship agreement (VSA) with DEC. DEC relies on VSA groups to help expand and improve our services to the public, including maintenance of recreational trails on state land, and sincerely appreciates volunteers’ time and efforts. If you or a group would like to help preserve, maintain, and enhance New York's natural beauty, enter into a VSA! Visit DEC’s website for more information. You’re Uninvited: Stopping the Spread of Invasive Species
Recently, DEC and public media stations WSKG and WXXI hosted a panel discussion around selected stories from Uninvited with staff from DEC, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, and Westfield Production Company. The full documentary can be viewed on DEC’s YouTube channel.
Forest Ranger HighlightsChenango County, Town of Guilford Underage Party: On Oct. 29, Forest Rangers Burkholder, Oldroyd, and Lt. Jackson responded to underaged subjects holding a party on South Hill State Forest. Rangers encountered several teenagers with a large bonfire and alcoholic beverages. Rangers made the teenagers clean the site by removing two truckloads of waste pallets and some trash. Before the party was dispersed, tickets were issued for violations of underage possession of alcohol, depositing trash on State land, and operating motor vehicles off-road. Brownfield Cleanup ProgramOnondaga County DEC invites the public to comment on applications for Brownfield Cleanup Program sites located at the following addresses: 156 Solar St., Syracuse 1714 North Salina St., Syracuse 100 Buckley Rd., Liverpool |
New York State has 
A land purchase agreement has been reached between the Finger Lakes Land Trust and New York State Electric & Gas Corp. for the 470-Acre Bell Station, the largest privately-owned undeveloped lake shoreline in the Finger Lakes. Governor Hochul in September announced that NYSEG had canceled the auction of land known as Bell Station with 3,400 feet of pristine shoreline on the east side of Cayuga Lake in Tompkins County, and that three state agencies would facilitate permanent protection of this parcel and maximize public access.
On a late morning in October, Region 7 Forestry Technicians Julie Buss and Tina Elliott met with students from the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES 
On a warm Friday in early November, the Binghamton Chapter of the Adirondack (ADK) Mountain Club, Triple Cities Hiking Club, Central New York Horse Club, and DEC Forestry Technicians Tina Elliott and Julie Buss met at 
Uninvited is the DEC-sponsored documentary about the significant threat invasive species pose to New York’s biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as public health and the State’s economy. DEC contracted with Westfield Production Company to produce the documentary, with funding from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund.
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