List of New York wild forests

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A small island in Lower Saranac Lake, part of Saranac Lakes Wild Forest. Small Island in Lower Saranac Lake.jpg
A small island in Lower Saranac Lake, part of Saranac Lakes Wild Forest.

Lands designated as "wild forest" in New York are managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of the Forest Preserve.

Contents

Management

Wild forests are intended to retain an essentially wild and natural character, however management facilitates a greater amount of recreational use than areas designated by the state as wilderness, which feature an increased sense of remoteness and solitude. [1] Most are located within the boundaries of Adirondack Park or Catskill Park.

List of New York wild forests

ForestCounty or counties [2] ParkAreaNotes
Aldrich Pond Herkimer, St. Lawrence Adirondack26,702 acres (108.06 km2) [3]
Balsam Lake Mountain Ulster Catskill13,500 acres (55 km2) [4]
Black River Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida Adirondack121,506 acres (491.72 km2) [5]
Blue Mountain Essex, Hamilton Adirondack37,800 acres (153 km2) [6]
Bluestone Ulster Catskill2,895 acres (11.72 km2) [4]
Champlain Islands Clinton, Essex Adirondack4 acres (0.016 km2) [7] Includes four small islands (Garden Island, Cole Island, Sheepshead Island, and Signal Buoy Island) in Lake Champlain. [7]
Colgate Lake Greene Catskill1,500 acres (6.1 km2) [4]
Cranberry Lake St. Lawrence Adirondack24,111 acres (97.57 km2) [8]
Crystal Lake Sullivan 497 acres (2.01 km2) [4]
Debar Mountain Franklin Adirondack83,405 acres (337.53 km2) [9]
Delaware Delaware Catskill27,800 acres (113 km2) [4] Created in 2008 through re-classification of Cherry Ridge-Campbell Mountain Wild Forest and Middle Mountain Wild Forest. [10]
Dry Brook Ridge Delaware, Ulster Catskill8,900 acres (36 km2) [4]
Elm Ridge Greene Catskill1,355 acres (5.48 km2) [4]
Ferris Lake Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer Adirondack147,454 acres (596.73 km2) [11]
Fulton Chain Herkimer Adirondack15,140 acres (61.3 km2) [12]
Grass River St. Lawrence Adirondack1,274 acres (5.16 km2) [13]
Halcott Mountain Greene Catskill4,760 acres (19.3 km2) [4]
Hammond Pond Essex Adirondack45,558 acres (184.37 km2) [14]
Horseshoe Lake Franklin, St. Lawrence Adirondack21,336 acres (86.34 km2) [15]
Independence River Herkimer, Lewis Adirondack76,574 acres (309.88 km2) [16]
Jessup River Hamilton Adirondack47,350 acres (191.6 km2) [17]
Kaaterskill Ulster Catskill8,550 acres (34.6 km2) [4]
Lake George Warren, Washington Adirondack71,133 acres (287.87 km2) [18]
Moose River Plains Hamilton, Herkimer Adirondack64,322 acres (260.30 km2) [19]
Overlook Mountain Ulster Catskill590 acres (2.4 km2) [4]
Phoenica Ulster Catskill7,315 acres (29.60 km2) [4]
Raquette River St. Lawrence Adirondack3,057 acres (12.37 km2) [20]
Rusk Mountain Greene Catskill3,900 acres (16 km2) [4]
Saranac Lakes Essex, Franklin Adirondack79,000 acres (320 km2) [21]
Sargent Ponds Hamilton Adirondack49,768 acres (201.40 km2) [9]
Shaker Mountain Fulton, Hamilton Adirondack40,500 acres (164 km2) [22]
Shandaken Ulster, Greene Catskill5,376 acres (21.76 km2) [4]
Split Rock Mountain Essex Adirondack3,383 acres (13.69 km2) [23]
Sundown Sullivan, Ulster Catskill30,500 acres (123 km2) [4]
Taylor Pond Clinton, Essex, Franklin Adirondack45,637 acres (184.69 km2) [24]
Vanderwhacker Mountain Essex, Warren, Hamilton Adirondack91,854 acres (371.72 km2) [25]
Watson East Triangle Herkimer, Lewis Adirondack13,417 acres (54.30 km2) [26] Also known as Watson's East Triangle Wild Forest. [26]
White Hill St. Lawrence Adirondack9,932 acres (40.19 km2) [27]
Wilcox Lake Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren Adirondack124,643 acres (504.41 km2) [28]
Willowemoc Sullivan, Ulster Catskill15,900 acres (64 km2) [4]
Wilmington Essex, Clinton Adirondack16,938 acres (68.55 km2) [29]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catskill Park</span> Nature preserve in southeastern New York, U.S.

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Bowman Lake State Park is a 653-acre (2.64 km2) state park located in Chenango County, New York. The park is located in the Town of McDonough, north of the community of East McDonough.

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Hunts Pond State Park is a former state park in Chenango County, New York, United States. The former park is located in the town of New Berlin, west of Route 8 and southwest of the village of New Berlin. It has been managed since 2011 as part of Hunts Pond State Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Island Beach State Park</span> New York State park

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Department of Environmental Conservation</span> New Yorks state-level environmental regulator

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East Kill, a 16-mile-long (26 km) tributary of Schoharie Creek, flows across the town of Jewett, New York, United States, from its source on Stoppel Point. Ultimately its waters reach the Hudson River via the Mohawk. Since it drains into the Schoharie upstream of Schoharie Reservoir, it is part of the New York City water supply system. East Kill drains the southern slopes of the Blackhead Mountains, which include Thomas Cole Mountain, Black Dome, and Blackhead Mountain, the fourth-, third-, and fifth-highest peaks in the Catskills, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxbow Lake (New York)</span> Lake in Hamilton County, New York

Oxbow Lake is a 312-acre (1.26 km2) naturally occurring lake located in the towns of Lake Pleasant and Arietta in Hamilton County, New York within the Adirondack Park. The lake is nearly two miles-long and is oriented in a northeast to southwest direction, with the widest part being at the northeast end, at nearly 0.6 miles (0.97 km) wide. The lake has 4.3 miles (6.9 km) of shoreline and no islands. NY Route 8 is located along the southeast shoreline, Oxbow Road crosses the lake inlet on the northeastern end, and Old Piseco Road crosses the lake outlet on the southwestern end.

Bucktooth State Forest is in Cattaraugus County in western New York. It covers 2,248 acres (910 ha) of land in the towns of Little Valley, Napoli and Salamanca. The North Country National Scenic Trail passes through Bucktooth State Forest. Hiking, hunting, fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing are among activities available in the park. Wildlife includes white-tailed deer, skunk, red fox, mink, coyote, ruffed grouse, and turkey. A draft management plan has been created for the area.

References

  1. ↑ "State Land Classifications". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Title 9, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Part 384: Listing of State Parks, Parkways, Recreation Facilities, State Land and Historic Sites (Facilities), DEC Facilities". Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York. WestlawNext. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ Aldrich Pond Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. February 1995. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. August 2008. pp. 64–70. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  5. ↑ Draft Amendment to the 1996 Black River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. January 2016. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  6. ↑ Blue Mountain Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. May 1995. p. iv. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Lake Champlain Islands Complex Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. August 2015. p. 6. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Cranberry Lake Wild Forest". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Eastern New York All-Outdoors Atlas & Field Guide. Sportsman's Connection. September 1, 2012. p. 59. ISBN   9781885010780 . Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Delaware Wild Forest - Unit Management Plan". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  11. ↑ Ferris Lake Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. October 2006. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ Fulton Chain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. October 3, 2006. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  13. ↑ Grass River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. February 2004. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  14. ↑ Draft Amendment to the 1988 Hammond Pond Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. May 2016. p. 3. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  15. ↑ Bog River Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. November 12, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ Independence River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. October 2011. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  17. ↑ Jessup River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. August 2006. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  18. ↑ Lake George Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. November 2006. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Moose River Plains Complex". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  20. ↑ Raquette Boreal Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2006. p. 9. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Saranac Lakes Wild Forest - Unit Management Plan". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  22. ↑ Shaker Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. January 2006. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  23. ↑ Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. May 2005. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  24. ↑ Taylor Pond Management Complex Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. February 2013. p. 4. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  25. ↑ Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. April 2005. p. 1. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  26. 1 2 Watson's East Triangle Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2010. p. 1. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  27. ↑ White Hill Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2006. pp. 1–2. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  28. ↑ Wilcox Lake Wild Forest Unit Management Plan (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. December 2006. p. 4. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  29. ↑ Wilmington Wild Forest Draft Unit Management Plan Amendment (PDF) (Report). NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. 2015. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
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