Forests, Plants, and Land Conservation News

This Month's Topics:

• New Resource for Landowners with Forests
• DEC Releases Draft Access and Public Use Plan for Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area
• DEC Releases Final Recreation Management Plan for Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement
• DEC Summer Environmental Education Camp Registration Opens March 6, 2022
• Save the Date: First Day Hikes 2022!
• Urban and Community Forestry Corner
  • Enter the Arbor Day Poster Contest by December 31st
  • Community Spotlight - City of Olean
  • Community Tree Survey
  • Tree City USA Applications Due December 31
  • Grant Opportunities
  • What We're Watching

New Resource for Landowners with Forests

Are you a landowner who is interested in managing your forest? DEC’s new Benefit Your Land with a Plan (PDF) booklet can provide insight into the many benefits that your land can offer. The guide also gives guidance on finding a forester who can help you establish a stewardship plan for your forest. Stewardship plans are documents that guide the actions a landowner should take in order to maintain a healthy forest that can be enjoyed now and by future generations. Check out the guide (PDF) and other resources for private landowners on our website.  

DEC Releases Draft Access and Public Use Plan for Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area

DEC invites the public to provide comments on the newly-completed Draft Utica Marsh WMA Access and Public Use Plan (PDF) until December 22, 2021. Send comments to NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife, Region 6, 225 North Main Street, Herkimer, NY, 13350 or by email with the subject line “Utica Marsh WMA draft Access and Public Use Plan.”

Utica Marsh WMA contains 193 acres of mostly wetlands in eastern Oneida County just north of the city of Utica. The primary activity on the WMA is wildlife-dependent recreation—trapping, fishing, and wildlife observation. There is a viewing tower which provides the public with a bird's eye view of wildlife. It is also a destination for hiking and bike riding, although these activities are considered secondary—they are not necessarily wildlife-dependent, but they are generally compatible with the goals and purposes of the WMA.

DEC Releases Final Recreation Management Plan for Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement

DEC recently released the recreation management plan (RMP) for the Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement in Herkimer County. The Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement encompasses approximately 511 acres southwest of Old Forge in the town of Webb and is primarily accessed from State Route 28 and Minnehaha Road.

DEC and the property owner, the Northeastern Loggers' Association, collaborated on the RMP which will increase opportunities for recreation in Herkimer County, including:

• A new nearly one-mile-long multiple use hiking, mountain biking, and skiing recreational trail;
• A new 0.7-mile-long snowmobile trail also open to hiking and mountain biking;
• Designation of an existing logging road and snowmobile trail for ATV use by people with mobility impairments who have a Motorized Access Program for People with Disabilities permit;
• Construction of two accessible parking spaces and a new informational kiosk; and
• Construction of a three-car parking lot at the trailhead for one of the new trails off Minnehaha Road.

Visit our website for information about the Flatrock Mountain Conservation Easement, nearby DEC-managed lands, and the RMP.

DEC Summer Environmental Education Camp Registration Opens in March

Online registration for DEC's 2022 Summer Camps program will open Sunday, March 6, 2022, at 1 p.m. The Summer Camps program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17 at four residential camps: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County), Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County), Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County), and Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County).

To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, DEC is implementing enhanced Centers for Disease Control, New York State Department of Health, and American Camp Association guidelines with current and comprehensive guidance, along with lessons learned from other camps in 2021. DEC's goal is to ensure that protective measures and changes will not compromise the sense of adventure, fun, and camp spirit that brings campers back year after year. Guidance will be updated as the summer approaches and new information becomes available.

New For 2022: Capacity at each camp will be reduced and individual campers will be limited to one week of camp. If spots at camps remain available after May 27, campers will have the opportunity to sign up for multiple weeks.

For more information, email EducationCamps@dec.ny.gov, check out "NYS DEC Summer Camps" on Facebook, or write to DEC Camps, 3rd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-5256.

Save the Date: First Day Hikes 2022

First Day Hikes 2022 will be held on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at locations throughout NY. Kick off 2022 by participating in one of many hikes being held at public spaces across the state. Stay tuned to DEC's website, Facebook, or email for more information coming soon. 

Urban and Community Forestry Corner

Enter the Arbor Day Poster Contest by December 31st

Photography and artwork submissions for the annual Arbor Day Artwork Poster Contest are due December 31. View rules and submission information on DEC's website.

Community Spotlight - City of Olean

The City of Olean has been one of New York's longest running Tree City USA communities. The city’s forestry program began in 1986 and included a dedicated budget, an active tree board, a memorial tree planting program, and the creation of a detailed tree inventory. That year also saw the city’s first Tree City USA designation – a title that they have held continuously since then.

The past 35 years have brought continued maintenance and improvement of Olean’s urban forest. Most recently, the city was awarded a grant from DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry program to complete a full update of their inventory including 5,357 trees and planting sites. The information from this project is being used to craft a community forestry management plan that will lay out a path of growth and progress into the future for the city’s residents. Olean is even exploring the possibility of establishing their own municipal nursery to source future planting stock. Such ideas are proof of the dedication involved with their program. Olean is certainly a community with no shortage of dedication and a lasting respect for the many values that a thriving urban forest can produce.

Community Tree Survey

If you work with a municipality keep an eye on your inbox for an email about your public tree program from Rebecca Hargrave, PhD student with University of Massachusetts Amherst. DEC's Urban and Community Forestry Program and the New York State Urban Forestry Council have partnered with the University of Massachusetts Amherst to investigate the status and needs of municipal street tree and urban forest management programs. The survey results will be used to inform urban forestry support programs across the state.

The online survey will be emailed to the official or employee responsible for street trees, or to the mayor, supervisor, or clerk. If your community does not receive an email, contact Rebecca Hargrave at jhargrave@umass.edu.

Tree City USA Applications Due December 31st

The Tree City USA application portal is open. Communities can submit their application by December 31 to become a Tree City USA.  

DEC's Urban and Community Forestry team is taking a moment to reflect on our programming, and we want to get the opinions of Tree City, Campus, and Line members about what type of celebration would be most productive and accessible to our friends and colleagues around the state. Check your inboxes for a feedback survey about the Tree City USA recognition luncheon for 2022, or contact urbanforestry@dec.ny.gov to be sent a link to the survey.

Grant Opportunities

Quick Start Grants Available from the NYS Urban Forestry Council - Are you interested in becoming a Tree City USA? The Council offers a Quick Start grant of up to $1,000 for communities that are not yet a Tree City USA but are working to become one starting with an inaugural tree planting celebration. Applications are due February 10, 2022. Learn more and apply for a Quick Start grant on the Council's website.

Urban Waters/Five Star Grant Program Applications Open - The Five star and Urban Waters Restoration grant is accepting applications until January 25, 2022. This grant seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations and focuses on improving water quality and water sheds. Green infrastructure and community tree canopy enhancement are included in this grant programs projects. For this funding round only, there is an additional $1,000,000 available from a private funder to support urban green infrastructure that focuses on urban forests and tree planting, especially in underserved communities. For the complete request for proposals, visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's website.

What We're Watching

This short video from the New York State Urban Forestry Council provides an overview of their programming efforts and partners.