For birders who would like to protect the Danby and Caroline State Forest areas, this is an important meeting to attend. The documentation says that there are currently no gas or oil leases, but that they will be considered in the future. Also in section one of the downloads is piece relevant to this list (pasted below about nesting bird species).
Please consider attending. Your reports of these species could help protect our forest land. Thanks, Eric "Action 1.3.4: Protect active nesting sites for raptors listed as Threatened, Endangered orSpecial Concern. Many raptors in New York are listed as species of special concern. Within the Unit, these include: Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk and Redshouldered Hawk. Each species has specific habitat requirements when nesting. Birds may occupy territory seasonally, or return to the same location yearly. During breeding season, usually between April and July, human activity near nests may disrupt breeding or cause the adult birds to abandon their young. DEC Bureau of Wildlife staff will be consulted and management activities will be adapted to minimize disturbance to birds that are known to be nesting on the Unit. Adaptive management strategies and actions will be developed and applied on a case by case basis. These strategies may place restrictions on timber harvesting and gas exploration activities and could include: setbacks, no-cut or no disturbance zones, or seasonal restrictions. For recreational uses, actions may include trail closures or rerouting of trails. When specific management strategies for individual species are developed, they will be incorporated into the management plan." PLEASE SAVE THE DATE (REVISED) DEC SEEKS PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT RAPID WATERS UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN (UMP) WHEN: Thursday, April 14, 2011, from 6:30 pm. to 8:45 pm. (NEW DATE) WHERE: Candor High School Auditorium, located at 1 Academy Street, Candor. Directions to the Candor High School are available at the following link:http://www.candor.org/contacts/directions.htm WHAT: To invite and accept public feedback on the Draft Rapid Waters UMP. The draft plan is posted on the DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/72384.html A limited number of copies of the plan are available on compact disk (CD). Please contact the DEC Cortland Lands and Forests office at (607) 753-3095 ext. 217 to request a copy. The meeting will begin as an open house at 6:30 pm., providing time for the public to informally discuss the draft plan and the planning process with DEC forest management staff. Beginning at 7:05 pm., DEC forest management staff will present highlights of the draft plan. The presentation will be followed by a public comment session from 7:30 to 8:45 pm. The auditorium is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know of any other specific accommodations you may require by Thursday, April 7th. Those unable to attend the meeting are invited to submit comments to the DEC by mail to: NYSDEC, Division of Lands and Forests, Attn: John Clancy, 1285 Fisher Avenue, Cortland, New York, 13045-1090, or by email to: [email protected]. Written comments will be accepted until May 14, 2011. The Rapid Waters Unit covers 12,600 acres of State Forest land. It includes the Danby State Forest which is in the towns of Candor, Danby and Spencer, along with the Shindagin Hollow State Forest which is in the towns of Caroline and Candor. The Rapid Waters Management Unit is located about 8 miles southeast of the city of Ithaca, 20 miles southwest of Cortland, and about 25 miles northwest of the Triple Cities of Endicott, Binghamton and Johnson City. WHY: The Rapid Waters Draft Unit Management Plan was developed to address both short and long term land management needs, values and opportunities. The draft plan provides a framework to address the past, present and future conservation of forest ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and recreational trails. It also addresses issues related to exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources within the unit’s State Forests. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Rapid Waters Meeting Notice.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document
