The state Department of Environmental Conservation to host public information session on habitat management plan for Tioughnioga Wildlife Management Area in the towns of Cazenovia, Georgetown and Nelson
The DEC will host a public information session to provide information and answer questions about a recently completed habitat management plan for the Tioughnioga Wildlife Management Area located in the towns of Cazenovia, Georgetown and Nelson in Madison County.
The session will take place Wednesday, April 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at SUNY Morrisville’s Bicknell Hall, Room 203, located on Route 20 in Morrisville. DEC staff will be available for questions from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with a formal presentation following.
“Habitat management plans on our Wildlife Management Areas guide our science-based conservation and protection efforts to benefit wildlife and facilitate wildlife-dependent recreation,” said DEC Regional Director Matt Marko. “This plan will ensure this area continues to provide high-quality habitat to a diverse array of wildlife species and I applaud the work of our DEC staff in developing this plan.”
Active habitat management to benefit wildlife populations is fundamental to wildlife management and is an important component of New York’s efforts to improve natural resource stewardship. DEC launched the Young Forest Initiative in 2015. The initiative was the catalyst for starting an in-depth planning process for wildlife habitat management projects. Habitat management plans are being developed for all WMAs and other DEC properties, including select Multiple Use and Unique Areas. These plans guide land use management for a 10-year time period, after which time DEC will assess implementation progress and modify the plans as needed.
DEC’s Young Forest Initiative aims to establish a minimum of 10 percent of the forested acreage on WMAs as young forest over the next 10 years, and to manage for young forests in perpetuity. Young forests are an important part of the forest landscape, but they have declined over the past 50 years along with the wildlife that depend on this habitat type. While DEC has been managing forests on WMAs to improve wildlife habitat for many years, with this initiative DEC is increasing its efforts and raising awareness about this type of habitat management.
In addition to incorporating aspects of the Young Forest Initiative, the habitat management plan incorporates recommendations from various sources, including unit management plans, existing WMA habitat management guidelines, best management practices, the New York Natural Heritage Program’s WMA biodiversity inventory reports, and bird conservation area guidelines.
DEC will continue active management on Tioughnioga WMA to benefit wildlife abundance and diversity, promote best management practices for targeted wildlife and habitats, and provide opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, such as hunting and bird watching.
The meeting will include a presentation about Tioughnioga WMA, with specific activities and locations for the management actions planned for the WMA, a brief overview of the Young Forest Initiative and a question and answer period.
The habitat management plan for Tioughnioga WMA can be found on DEC’s website athttp://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/69633.html.
Blah blah blah blah, more talk about nothing, when is the DEC going to address the coyote problem and the growing fisher issues. There are so many more things They could put there time and efforts into. They talk today and act years later. More crap out of Albany