Forests
Map of New York State showing forested areas of 5
acres and larger
Note: For descriptions and maps of DEC-managed recreation lands see the Places to Go page.
New York state is 63 percent forested -- forests cover 18.9 million acres of our 30 million total acres. Much of this land is privately owned and managed for wood or pulp, and most of the land owned by the state is forested.
New York's forests are important economic resources -- according to Cornell University, the forest industry employs more than 60,000 people and directly contributes some $4.6 billion to the state's economy each year.
Forests also provide outstanding recreation for many thousands of New Yorkers and visitors. DEC cares for about four million acres of land including the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve, State Forests, Unique Areas and the State Nature and Historic Preserve.
Preserving and protecting our forests benefits local communities and industries, and the state as a whole. On this page you will find the programs DEC employs to manage state-owned forest lands, and to assist private landowners in managing their forests.
FIREWOOD ALERT - "DON'T MOVE FIREWOOD"
A REGULATION is in effect that prohibits the import of firewood into New York unless it has been heat treated to kill pests. The regulation also limits the transportation of untreated firewood to less than 50 miles from its source.
By transporting firewood, you could be spreading diseases and invasive insects that can quickly kill large numbers of trees. Help STOP THE SPREAD and obey the Firewood Regulation:
- It is best to leave all firewood at home - please do not bring it to campgrounds or parks.
- Get your firewood at the campground or from a local vendor - ask for a receipt or label that has the firewood's local source.
- If you choose to transport firewood within New York State:
- It must have a receipt or label that has the firewood's source and it must remain within 50 miles of that source.
- For firewood not purchased (i.e. cut from your own property) you must have a Self-Issued Certificate of Source (pdf, 100 KB), and it must be sourced within 50 miles of your destination.
- Only firewood labeled as meeting New York's heat treatment standards to kill pests (kiln-dried) may be transported into the state and further than 50 miles from the firewood's source.
- For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions for Firewood Regulation. For additional questions regarding this regulation, please call this toll-free number: 1-866-640-0652 or e-mail: firewood@gw.dec.state.ny.us
More about Forests:
- Celebrating New York's Forests - Photo Contest - an effort to increase awareness of and appreciation for all types of forests, urban and rural, large and small, public and privately owned, across the state
- Leaflets e-newsletter - Leaflets is a bi-monthly online newsletter that provides subscribers with updates on programs, activities and recreation opportunities associated with the Division of Lands and Forests.
- Year of Forests - An effort to raise awareness of the importance of forests to people.
- Stewardship of DEC Lands - The land managed by DEC on behalf of the people of NYS includes some of the most spectacular scenery in New York, and includes every major ecosystem type in the State, ranging from the salt marshes of Long Island to the alpine tundra of the Adirondack High Peaks.
- Forests and the Environment - Forests provide critical ecosystem services essential to human life and a high standard of living: clean water and air, forest products, fish and wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, recreational opportunity, carbon sequestration, open space, and energy independence.
- New York's Forest Preserve - These public lands include 2.7 million acres in the Adirondack Forest Preserve and 288,000 acres within the Catskill Forest Preserve.
- State Forests - Reforestation areas and multiple use lands outside the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.
- Conservation Easements - Conservation easements are used to protect a variety of important natural resources and landscape values, such as water quality, wildlife habitat, sensitive ecosystems, wetlands, riparian areas, scenic areas, agricultural land, working forests, and historic sites. Easements allow for continued private ownership and traditional management while limiting or eliminating future development and undesirable land uses on a property.
- Recreation Management Plans - (RMPs) are plans intended to assess the recreational resources present within a Conservation Easement, identify opportunities for recreational use and consider the ability of the resources and ecosystems to accommodate public use.
- Forest Health - The DEC Forest Health program is responsible for monitoring the ecological health and function of all of the forests of New York State. The highest priority is placed on early detection of and rapid response to high-impact invasive species that may threaten the health of our forests.
- Forest Fires - Information on wildfire in New York
- Forest Products Utilization and Marketing - The Forest Products Utilization and Marketing program deals with many aspects of the utilization, significance, understanding and promotion of New York's forest resources and forest industries.
- Private Forest Management - Foresters provide expert advice on wildlife habitat improvement, erosion control, tree planting, recreation enhancement, sugar bush management and silviculture
- Urban and Community Forestry - Urban and community forestry is the management of trees and forests within populated areas from small villages to large cities
- Forest Legacy Program - The FLP is a federal grant program that protects forest lands from conversion to non-forest uses.
- New York's State Forester - New York State Forester's role and information.
- Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy - This planning effort looks at all forests statewide: public and private, rural and urban.
- U.S. Forest Service Competitive Allocation Request for Proposals (CARP) - The U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Area, has issued a request for proposals for competitive funding to support priorities identified in the state's Forest Action Plan, also known as the Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy (FRAS).
