Strategic Plan for State Forest Management – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Strategic Plan for State Forest Management – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

The plan has been edited based on public input and is now considered final, and will be used to guide the management of all State Forests and for the development of State Forest unit management plans. A responsiveness document has been incorporated as an appendix to the plan, and includes DEC’s responses to the many comments received. Revision of the plan is scheduled to occur every 10 years.

Documents

Complete Plan (PDF) (14.4 MB)
This is a large file and may take a long time to download.

Cover — Chapter 1 (PDF) (5.5 MB)
Chapter 2 — Chapter 4 (PDF) (4.3 MB)
Chapters 5 — 7 and Appendices (PDF) (4.2 MB)

Executive Summary (PDF) (3 MB)
A brief 11 page overview of the plan.

SPSFM Additional Resources

The following additional resources have been referenced in the strategic plan and are listed according to Chapter and Section of reference.

Chapter 1 – New York State Forests

Management Planning Overview

Statewide Map of Units and UMP Completion Schedule (PDF, 203 K)
A statewide schedule, organized by year of first draft completion, and map delineating the new UMP boundaries

Chapter 2 – Ecosystem Management

Landscape Assessment

TNC Ecoregions – full size map (PDF, 1.09 MB)
Map of The Nature Conservancy Ecoregions and State Forest ecoregional distribution

Active Forest Management

Forest Matrix Blocks and Connectivity – full size map (PDF, 872 K)
Map of matrix blocks and “least cost path” LCP corridors showing potential State Forest contributions to habitat connectivity across New York’s landscape

Program Policy: Retention on State Forests (PDF, 139 K)
Policy for retention of forest habitat structure and biodiversity on State Forests during forest management activities

Program Policy: Clearcutting on State Forests (PDF, 142 K)
Policy for clearcutting or conducting other regeneration cuttings on State Forests

Chapter 3 – Resource Protection

Soil and Water Protection

Rules for Establishment of Special Management Zones on State Forests (PDF, 58 K)
Establishes the Bureau of State Land Management’s buffer guidelines to protect water resources and ecological features

Rutting Guidelines for Timber Harvests and TRPs (PDF, 49 K)
Guidelines to minimize surface impacts during harvesting and TRP activity

At-Risk Species and Communities

List of SGCN that Rely on Forested Habitat (PDF, 132 K)
A list created for the SPSFM, noting forest-dependent Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) by ecoregion, as identified in the NYS Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Chapter 4 – Real Property and Infrastructure

Infrastructure

DEC Unpaved Forest Road Handbook (PDF, 618 K)
Establishes standards for the establishment and maintenance of public forest access roads and haul roads on State Forests

Chapter 5 – Public/Permitted Use

Mineral Resources

Current Oil and Gas Leases on State Forests (PDF, 29 K)
Listing of current leases by DEC region

Management of Mineral Resources (PDF, 92 K)
Memorandum of Understanding between Mineral Resources and Lands & Forests, along with collected law and regulations pertaining to minerals management

DRAFT Guidelines for Pipeline Construction on DEC Administered State Lands (PDF, 41 K)
Guidelines for construction of oil and natural gas pipelines

Guidelines for Seismic Testing on DEC Administered State Land (PDF, 23 K)
Guidelines for the use of seismic exploration to discover natural gas reserves and optimally site the drill location

What is Carbon Capture and Sequestration? (PDF, 2.12 MB)
Pamphlet explaining the technology

Chapter 6 – Forest Management and Health

Plantation Management

Program Policy: Plantation Management on State Forests (PDF, 68 K)
Policy providing guidance and procedures for managing plantations on State Forests

Forest Health

Invasive Plant Control Methods (PDF, 174 K)
Suggested methods for controlling select invasive plant species on State Forests