Three public hearings will be held to discuss a series of comprehensive, integrated management actions proposed for the Moose River Plains Wild Forest. Moose River Plains Wild Forest offers many year-round recreational opportunities including hiking, fishing, canoeing, skiing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, hunting and camping.
Proposals include: Creating the Moose River Plains Intensive Camping Area; expanding the West Canada Lake Wilderness; closing certain trails and roads in the wild forest to snowmobiling; creating a new community-connector snowmobile trail from Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road to Lower Sargent Pond, which will provide connections to Indian Lake, Inlet, Raquette Lake and Long Lake; creating the Beaver Lake Special Management Area; discontinuing public motor vehicle and snowmobile use on Indian Lake Road and the former Otter Brook truck trail.
The Intensive Use proposal would allow drive-in camping sites to remain along the Limekiln Lake-Cedar River Road at
levels not compatible with lands designated as “Wild Forest.” The wilderness proposal would change the classification of
some 15,000 acres from Wild Forest to “Wilderness,” the state’s most protective land classification.
In addition, the creation of the Beaver Lake Special Management Area will provide a unique opportunity for
float plane access into Beaver, Squaw and Indian lakes in a remote corner of the Wild Forest.
Public hearings will be held as follows: at Indian Lake Central School at 1 PM on August 16;
Inlet Town Hall at 6:30 PM on August 16; and DEC Headquarters in Albany on August 18 at 1 PM.
Copies of the documents are available on compact discs (CDs) at DEC offices in Albany, Ray Brook, and Lowville.
To request a copy, e-mail
r5ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us or call 518-473-9518.
CDs containing all of the documents are also available for public review at the town offices of Webb and Ohio
in Herkimer County and Arietta, Inlet, Long Lake, Lake Pleasant and Morehouse in Hamilton County.
Information, including SLMP Amendments/State Land Reclassification, may be viewed at the Environmental Notice Bulletin,
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/mrpwfdgeis.pdf .
The deadline for written comments is August 30, 2010.Addresses to submit written comments are available at
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/22571.html in the
Revised Draft Unit Management Plan for the Moose River Plains Wild Forest.
See also: NYSCC Press Releases on Moose River Plains. Click
here .
PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR SUMMER TURKEY SURVEYNew Yorkers are encouraged to participate in DEC’s Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey
during the month of August. The survey will help estimate the average number of wild turkey poults
(young of the year) per hen statewide and among major geographic regions of the state,
allowing DEC to gauge turkey populations. Survey participants will record the sex and age composition
of all flocks of wild turkeys observed during normal travel.
Completed surveys should be returned to DEC at the end of August.
Full information on the survey, including survey forms and instructions,
is available at
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/48732.html .
Pictures Sought for Hunting and Trapping Photo Gallery
DEC is inviting submission of photographs for inclusion in its new Hunting and Trapping Photo Gallery.
Photos of successful junior hunters (ages 12 – 15), youth trappers under age 16, and hunters who harvested
their first big or small game animal may be submitted to DEC by email or regular mail,
and should be of game legally taken in New York State.
The Gallery will feature big game, small game, turkey hunting and trapping photos.
More information on the Gallery, including instructions on how and where to submit photos,
can be found at
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/54055.html .