Forests, Plants & Land Conservation News

This Month's Topics:

• Community Forest Management Plan Implementation and Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities Grants Now Open: Info Session on 11/15
• Smart Growth Grants in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks Now Open: Info Session on 11/14
• Share the Woods: Both Hunters and Hikers Recreate on Public Lands
• Trail Supporter Patches: Variety of Patches for Sale
• Final Unit Management Plan for Tug Hill East Unit
• More Than $1.35 Million in Grants to Land Trusts to Secure Forest Conservation Easements
• Urban and Community Forestry Corner
  • Upcoming Events
  • Funding Opportunity
  • Tree City, Tree Campus, and Tree Line USA: December 1 Application Deadline Approaching
  • Annual Arbor Day Poster Contest: Submissions Accepted through December 31
  • Community Highlight

Community Forest Management Plan Implementation and Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities Grants Now Open: Info Session on 11/15

DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) program will hold a virtual information session on November 15, 2023 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. about the unique grant opportunity funded by the federal Inflation Reduction Act. $12.9 million is now available for the following projects:

• $10 million: Community Forest Management Plan Implementation in Disadvantaged Communities; and
• $2.9 million: Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities.

More info about these grants: Funding for this grant opportunity is made available through the state allocation from the USDA Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act. The USDA Forest Service is allocating this funding to support projects in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide. The Urban and Community Forestry Program authorizes funding for a broad range of activities, such as urban wood utilization, urban food forests, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development.

Pictured: Woman walking in urban park in autumn.

Smart Growth Grants in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks Now Open: Info Session on 11/14

Information Session for Adirondack Park and Catskill Park Community Smart Growth Grants, Round 7 (Virtual) — Tuesday, November 14, 2023 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

For more information visit the DEC website and view the Request for Applications (PDF).

Share the Woods: Both Hunters and Hikers Recreate on Public Lands

Tips for both hikers and hunters afield this fall:

1. Tell someone where you’re going and when you’re planning to return. If your plans change, notify them.
2. Dress for the weather; account for both location and elevation changes.
3. Become familiar with the trail you plan on hiking or the area you plan on hunting.
4. Wear bright clothing; blaze orange or blaze pink. Bright colors allow others to see you more easily and from farther away.
5. Make sure you pack your bag with the 10 Essentials, especially, a light source, map, and first aid kit.

For more tips on sharing the woods this fall, check out the recent video by DEC and read the 10/31 press release.

Hikers should be aware that they may meet hunters bearing firearms or archery equipment while hiking on trails. Hunters are fellow outdoor recreationists and hunting is permitted on Forest Preserve and Conservation Easement lands. Hunting accidents involving non-hunters are extremely rare.

If you decide to adventure with your pet, make sure to keep them on a leash. Loose pets can cause problems with other recreators and can get into trouble with wild animals. Also, to make pets more identifiable in the woods, give them a brightly colored collar, leash or other covering.

DEC maintains hiking trails and permits hunting in many areas of forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, as well as in state forests, wildlife management areas, and unique areas. Find a place near you by visiting our website, checking out DECinfo Locator, or downloading the NY Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App. Many trails are also accessible to people with disabilities.

Pictured: Hiker and dog wearing blaze orange vests.

Trail Supporter Patches: Variety of Patches for Sale

For those who are patch collecting enthusiasts, would like to support trails on State lands, or are looking for the perfect gift for an outdoor lover— we have the perfect thing for you! A variety of trail-riffic patches are now for sale as a single patch or sets. All funds go towards the maintenance of non-motorized trails on State lands such as the Finger Lakes Trail, the Long Path, the Northville-Placid Trail, and many more.

The patches listed below are for sale through December 31, or while supplies last. Order by December 10 to get them in time for the holidays!

• Legacy Patch (single patch, $5) — this is the fanciest patch that highlights some of New York State’s most gorgeous trail-side features including mountains, lakes, and forests.
• Throwback Patch Set (set of 2 patches, $10) — this design is modeled after the classic trail marker found throughout New York’s State lands.
• Activity Patch Set (set of 5 patches, $25) — this design features the international symbols for hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and camping.

More information and for patch ordering instructions.

Pictured: Top- Legacy Patch with mountain, forest, and water scenery. Middle patches- Throwback Patch Set with red and yellow patches with trail marker design. Bottom-Activity Patch Set with horseback rider on green background, bicycle on red background, tent on yellow background, cross-country skier on blue background, and hikers on brown background.

Final Unit Management Plan for Tug Hill East Unit

DEC recently finalized the Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Tug Hill East Unit (PDF). The UMP covers a total of 22,886 acres of public land in seven State Forests, one Unique Area, and 13 Detached Forest Preserve parcels in the Lewis County towns of Lewis, Martinsburg, Osceola, Turin, and West Turin, the Oneida County town of Ava, and the Oswego County town of Redfield.

The final UMP incorporates increased opportunities for outdoor recreation, including seven new designated drive-up campsites, two walk-in primitive campsites, and a network of trails for the Motorized Access Program for Persons with Disabilities (MAPPWD). The plan also outlines a schedule for sustainable forest management while continuing to protect wildlife habitat and wetlands in the face of climate change.

For more information, read the October 11 press release.

More Than $1.35 Million in Grants to Land Trusts to Secure Forest Conservation Easements

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos recently announced more than $1.35 million in grants to six land trusts to help protect local forests that are key to achieving the state's objectives to protect open space and reduce the emissions that cause climate change. Grant funding will be used to acquire new easements to help keep forests as forests, safeguarding the ecosystem services they provide that include stormwater mitigation, temperature regulation, carbon sequestration, and climate resiliency. The grants, managed by DEC in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, were made available through the Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts (FCELT) Grant Program. Funded projects include:

• Adirondack Land Trust, Warren County: $350,000 to purchase a conservation easement that will protect 500 acres of forest, improve recreational opportunities and protect wildlife habitat in the Hudson River corridor, goals established in the New York State Open Space Plan.
• Saratoga PLAN, Saratoga County: $301,497 to purchase a conservation easement on a 435-acre forested property located in the towns of Greenfield and Wilton. The property is a key project in the PLAN's initiative to protect the 40,000 Palmertown Range that is critical for the movement of wildlife, provides climate resilient habitat, and recreational opportunities.
• Western New York Land Conservancy, Cattaraugus County: $227,474 to purchase Perrysburg Headwater Forest conservation easement consisting of approximately 152 acres of forested area within the headwaters of the Allegheny River. The land is also a part of the Western New York Wildway, an initiative to protect and connect the region's largest and most climate resilient forests to benefit people and wildlife.
• Dutchess Land Conservancy, Dutchess County: $189,605 to purchase a conservation easement on the 71-acre Johnston Forest property. The property is in a critical forested corridor that connects the northern and southern Appalachians, offers great value for habitat connection, has been classified as "Important Foraging Area for Rare Bat" by the New York Natural Heritage Program Protection, and will help ensure that important water sources remain safe and clean.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, Lewis County: $181,150 to purchase the Campell Conservation Easement that will protect 375 acres of forest and wetlands within the core of the Tug Hill Plateau forest. The easement will protect a beech-maple mesic forest, a marsh headwater stream, and a spruce-fir swamp, along with significant wetlands.
• Mohawk-Hudson Land Conservancy, Montgomery County: $104,609 to purchase a conservation easement in the town of Esperance that will protect 102 acres of mostly forested land. The land offers breeding habitat for several birds listed as "species of greatest conservation need," and is located within a "pinch point" of climate resiliency and wildlife movement that connects the Adirondacks with the Catskills.

Funding for this grant program was provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund. For more information about the FCELT grants, read the October 12 press release or visit the Grant Partnerships with the Land Trust Alliance webpage.

Urban and Community Forestry Corner

Upcoming Events

Overview of Disadvantaged Community Tools for Urban Forestry in NY (Webinar) – November 29, 2023, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. EST
Join us for a short overview of the three tools used to determine disadvantaged community status in urban forestry in New York and for Inflation Reduction Active (IRA) funding opportunities. We’ll discuss the tools, New York’s Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), Potential Environmental Justice Areas (PEJA), and the federal Community Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST); give a brief overview of the differences between the tools; and then show how to access and use these tools to evaluate your community. Registration is required for this free event; register now.

Underrated tree species in NY (Webinar) – January 18, 2024, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Join us for a lunch time webinar with Dr. Don Leopold of SUNY ESF who will share his top 10 underrated tree species in NY—species that aren't commonly planted but do well and bring diversity to urban forests and should be considered. Registration is required for this free event; register now.

Funding Opportunity

New $12.9 Million Urban and Community Forestry Grant & 11/15 Info Session
DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program (UCF) is accepting applications through January 31, 2024 for the following:

• UCF4 Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) Implementation in disadvantaged communities ($10 million); and
• UCF5 Ash Tree Management in disadvantaged communities ($2.9 million).

All projects must take place in disadvantaged communities as defined in the request for applications (RFA). Visit the DEC UCF Grants webpage for the RFA, recorded information sessions, and a list of local DEC urban foresters who can provide applicants with technical assistance. This unprecedented funding opportunity was provided from the USDA Forest Service through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act.

Upcoming Info Session: Wednesday, November 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Learn more about this grant opportunity and application requirements. Register for the information session.

For more information, read the October 13 and October 30 press releases.

Pictured: People planting urban trees, courtesy of the USDA Forest Service.

Tree City, Tree Campus, and Tree Line USA: December 1 Application Deadline Approaching

Applications are due no later than December 1, 2023. Your local DEC urban forester is available to support your tree programs and to assist with your application. Visit the DEC website for contact information and details on these Arbor Day Foundation recognition programs.

Annual Arbor Day Poster Contest: Submissions Accepted through December 31

Contest Guidelines:

• Photos must be taken in New York and artwork must depict a NYS location.
• Participants are limited to one single submission.
• All submissions must be received by December 31, 2023.

Read the full guidelines of the contest and submit your artwork.

The winning poster in 2010 was this autumn scene captured by Stewart Sacklow of Cleverdale, NY. Could your artwork be the next Arbor Day Poster?

Community Highlight

Pictured: Person cutting down hazard tree in a chainsaw training course.