Environment DEC
From the November 2004 issue
DEC Issues Draft Unit Management Plan for Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty announced the release of a draft unit management plan (UMP) for the Split Rock Wild Forest. The unit consists of 3,700 acres near Lake Champlain in the towns of Essex and Westport, both in Essex County. The planning unit consists of several geographically linked areas within a ten-mile radius of each other: Split Rock Mountain, including the Lake Champlain Palisades; Webb Royce Swamp; the Westport Boat Launch Site, and the Whallonsburg Fishing Access Site.
Split Rock Wild Forest
offers plenty of recreational
opportunities, including
mountain biking
The Split Rock Wild Forest offers numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing and hunting in the warmer months, and cross-country skiing, ice climbing, trapping and snowmobiling in the winter months.
Public Meeting
A public meeting will be held at 6 PM on December 7, 2004, at the Westport Central School. It will offer the public an opportunity to learn more about the proposed management actions detailed in the draft UMP and provide an opportunity for public comment. DEC also will accept written comments from the public until January 10, 2005.
Unit Management Plans
A UMP must be completed before significant new recreational facilities, such as trails, lean-tos, or parking areas, can be constructed. The plan includes an analysis of the natural features of the area and the ability of the land to accommodate public use. The planning process is designed to cover all environmental considerations for the unit and forms the basis for all proposed management activities for a five-year time period.
Cross-country skiing is a
popular winter activity
in the forest
UMPs are required by the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan for each unit of state land in the Adirondack Park. These plans integrate the goals and objectives of the Master Plan, related legislation, and resource and visitor-use information into a single document. Other UMPs that have been adopted in the Adirondack Park include those for the Black River Wild Forest, Bog River Flow Complex, Dix Mountain Wilderness, Five Ponds Wilderness, Giant Mountain Wilderness, High Peaks Wilderness, Pepperbox Wilderness, Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Pigeon Lake Wilderness, and Santanoni Historic Area.
In September 1999, Governor Pataki announced a strategic plan to complete UMPs for all forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks. His initiative is the first comprehensive attempt to complete all outstanding management plans in both parks to ensure that the public's longstanding investment in the acquisition of public lands is maximized through careful planning and implementation of those plans. UMPs, coupled with the allocation of unprecedented resources being devoted to the stewardship of these lands from the Environmental Protection Fund and the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, dramatically improve the state's ability to manage these lands for public recreation.
Plan Review and Comments
The draft UMP is available for public review at DEC headquarters in Albany, DEC regional offices in Watertown and Ray Brook, and at DEC's Northville, Warrensburg, Herkimer, Lowville, and Potsdam regional suboffices. It also will be available for review at the town offices of Essex and Westport, and a limited number of printed copies will be available from the DEC Warrensburg suboffice as well. The plan is available in a CD format as well from the DEC Ray Brook Office.
Again, the deadline for written public comments on the draft UMP is January 10, 2005. Please email comments, or send them via regular mail to: Stewart Brown, Senior Forester, NYSDEC, P.O. Box 220, Warrensburg, NY, 12885.
