RURAL NYS Eco-Regions Open Space

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1 EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS Remember to review the options distributed in class posted on the home page They add points directly to your final average /extra_credit.html TERM PAPER TOPIC Proposal due by Fri., Nov. 1, 2013 You may this to me at WRITTEN PRESENTATION. The presentation must be concise, focused on the approved topic, and show the geography behind the theme by incorporating at least one of the five fundamental themes of geography. See home page for list of possible topics. Consult the HC Reading and Writing Center for citation and bibliographic formats. Finished product is due no later than Dec. 10, RURAL NYS Eco-Regions Open Space Forests Wildlife Prof. Anthony Grande AFG Open Space NYS is a national leader in the preservation of open space. In 1990 the Open Space Conservation Plan was authorized. In 1993, the Environment Protection Fund was established to buy private land. Open Space is defined by NYS as Land which is not intensely developed for residential, commercial, industrial or institutional use. Open Space can be public or private land. Open Space can be within an urban area. 4 Open Space Conservation Plan The 2009 NYS Open Space Conservation Plan may be accessed at: /l d / html It is updated as needed to address changing issues and concerns. See 2013 proposed revision: html?showprintstyles 5 Goals are periodically reassessed. Aim is to keep the Plan relevant. To protect water quality. To provide quality outdoor recreation. To protect and enhance scenic, historic and cultural resources that are part of NYS s heritage. To protect habitat for biodiversity, endangered species, and traditional pastimes. Goals To maintain resourcebased industries as farming, forestry, fishing and tourism. To preserve open space for the protection and enhancement of air quality. To use open space conservation as a tool to combat global climate change. To provide places for education and research. 6 1

2 Smart Growth html Planned growth that integrates economic development/job creation with quality of life by preserving natural and built environments: Thoughtful Land Use. DEC Web Site Web site of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) One of the largest of the ny.gov series with hundreds of links to environmental topics New York City s Department of Environmental Protection web site is Conservationist Magazine Published six times a year, Conservationist is a NYS-focused magazine that is packed with informative and entertaining articles, first-rate photography and stunning artwork. Articles cover a broad range of environmental and natural history related topics, including fishing, hiking, recreation, travel, hunting, and nature studies. Conservationist connects New Yorkers to nature! $12/year, $24 for 2 years. Subscription Form: Forests of NYS Of the NYS s open space, forested land constitutes 63% of the state, followed by agriculture with 25%. Read the Forest Cover and Uses handout on the course home page. 10 New York's Forests at a Glance Forest Vegetation Zones NYS land area: 30.2 million acres. NYS forest frea: mil acres (63% of total), c.1 acre per resident (2010 pop. is 19 mil) Publicly-owned forest land: c. 3.7 mil acres Privately-owned forest land: c.14.4 million acres; 76% of forest land; held by 687,000 land owners Number of tree species: more than 100 commercial and non-commercial Most common forest type: maple/beech/birch (53% of forest land area) Why isn t forest cover uniform? What factors determine the distribution of natural vegetation? The location of the forests of NYS are dependent on: -climate -soil -terrain -human disturbance -state law

3 Economic Importance of New York's Forests $300 mil in annual payments to private landowners by logging companies 488 mil. board feet of logs 2.1 mil. tons of pulpwood and wood chips 25% of NYS timber harvest is exported for processing Economic contribution of forest products /related manufacturing and services: $14 bil. Forest-related tourism: $1.9 billion 13 The forests of NYS are relatively young (post- Ice Age). Forest Cover Native Americans had a great impact on the forests: cutting trees for wood and clearing land for farming. (Second growth trees were used in longhouse construction.) Clearings allowed sunlight to reach the forest floor, setting in motion sequential vegetation cycles. Climax Vegetation: the best species for a set of physical characteristics. 14 Sequential Vegetation leading to Climax Vegetation NYS Forest Land Use Secondary Succession 15 Includes farmland, urban/suburban areas 16 Forests of NYS 90% covered in 1600 Forest Coverage (percent by year) 80% % in % % % % in %

4 U.S. Sources of Energy (as a percent of total use) s - height of logging industry 90% in s - decline in agriculture; farmlands s - American industrial revolution Forever Wild clause in the NYS Constitution; Catskill Park created 1920s - Decline in agriculture; farmlands s - Decline in agriculture; farmlands 1930s - Federal reforestation program s - Decline in agriculture; farmlands 1972, Environment Quality Bond Open Space Conservation Plan s - Decline in agriculture; farmlands 24 4

5 Forested Areas of NYS 2010 aerial survey estimates that 63% of NYS is forested. Hamilton 98% Warren and Essex 92% Franklin 82% Fulton 80% Ulster 78% Sullivan 76% Greene and Herkimer 75% (NYC is 3½% forested) 25 Commercial Use of Forests Fence Posts and Telephone Poles use tall, small diameter trees wood is chemically treated to prevent rot and control insects Maple Syrup Production NYS ranks within the top three states in annual production Major producing areas are the colder, snowier regions Firewood, Chips and Sawdust used as fuels used in landscaping 26 Commercial Use of Forests Adirondack Logging Camp Commercial Lumbering saw milling (logs, planks, boards) paper and pulp furniture flooring construction materials Christmas Tree Plantations located mainly in western NYS trees are harvested after 6-20 years constant recycling of acreage and planting of saplings 27 LINK TO SLIDE SHOWS: 28 State Land Classifications Public Lands Forest Preserve land established under Article XIV of the NYS Constitution: The lands of the state constituting the forest preserve shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. State Forests forested land outside of the forest preserve. Wildlife Management Areas habitat preservation; lands for the use of wildlife. Conservation Easements land that has restricted use to preserve its character; Open Space

6 Adirondack Park Largest state park in the lower 48 states ADIRONDACK PARK is a patchwork of public and private lands. It is a multiuse area from wilderness to private houses to industry. SMART GROWTH PLAN /49210.html BLUE LINE the line marking the external boundary of Adirondack park. 31 6