State Acquires Several Parcels in/near North and Western Adirondacks

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos has announced the acquisition of several parcels totaling 662 acres in St. Lawrence, Oneida, and Lewis counties to enhance public access to a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, fishing, snowmobiling, and hunting, as well as to protect critical wetlands and forests in the region. The acquisition was made possible through cumulative investments of $666,800 from the state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

St. Lawrence County Parcels : DEC worked with The Conservation Fund to purchase 293 acres in the town of Hopkinton on State Route 72, known as the Schisler Tract. This $227,000 acquisition using EPF funding creates opportunities in the Whiskey Flats State Forest for sustainable forestry and public recreation such as hunting, hiking, and fishing for species like brook trout in Rosenbarker Brook.

Also in the town of Clifton, DEC acquired the former site of a large log cabin and boat house on Dead Creek Flow built in the late 1880s and known as Tramps Retreat for $131,400. Tramps Retreat frequently hosted prominent figures of the day including Frederick Remington, Irving Bacheller, and Governor Roswell Flower.  The building was destroyed by fire in 1957. This 11-acre acquisition in a remote part of Cranberry Lake where development is limited supports efforts to preserve the area’s natural character. The parcel is bounded by Cranberry Lake Wild Forest in the Forest Preserve and includes 600 feet of frontage on the lake.

An additional 34-acre parcel purchased for $19,500 in the town of Madrid will consolidate Sodom State Forest. This area offers hunting and trapping opportunities and provides critical wetland protection.

Oneida County Parcel: The state’s acquisition of 324 acres in the town of Western for $272,500 connects Buck Hill and Clark Hill state forests. This beautiful natural area serves as an important connectivity corridor for wildlife movement between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondacks. The public will have access to hiking trails that lead to beautiful vistas and hunting opportunities.

Lewis County Parcel: DEC invested $16,400 for a public access easement over the 2,800-foot-long Fall Brook Access Road in the town of Osceola. The easement provides public access to the west portion of the 30,000-acre East Branch Fish Creek easement lands from North Osceola Road over Fall Brook. The opportunities to fish for brook trout are abundant and this route also serves as the main snowmobile corridor between Oswego and Lewis counties and points east.

DEC launching new version of DECALS

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the launch of the State’s new system for the sale of fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses. The new DEC Automated Licensing System (DECALS)includes user-friendly information to help users locate vendors, receive instant copies of a license, enter and view harvest information, and more. 

As the system’s new features are updated, additional functionality launching on DECALS will include: 

  • Events calendar with upcoming season dates, youth hunts, free fishing days and clinics, and more;
  • Full integration with DEC’s Hunter Education Program enabling users to more easily register for courses and automatically update certifications; and
  • Auto-renewal options for all annual licenses.

 

Users can access DECALS by phone and online. New York State’s 1,100 license issuing agents are expected to be up and running on the new DECALS system soon, so contact local agents before heading out to purchase licenses in person. Call DEC’s customer service hotline (866-933-2257) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or go to the DECALS website and buy licenses online.

Please note that previous DECALS logins will not work in the new system. To access current accounts, click on the ‘Sign Up’ link on the new DECALS website and use date of birth and DEC customer ID number or a driver’s license number to locate existing files and create a new login. Please call DEC’s customer service line at 866-933-2257 with any questions.

The new system is developed and supported by Kalkomey, a company that specializes in outdoor recreation and education web applications. Kalkomey currently provides hunter education classes for 46 states, including New York, as well as in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. DEC recently announced the success of Kalkomey’s online hunter and bowhunter safety courses for New York State, which allow new hunters to take classes online during the State’s response to COVID-19. Nearly 28,000 men, women, and children have taken the course to date, which was extended through Aug. 31, 2020.

Students who successfully complete the online courses and pass the final exam will receive their hunter education certificate or bowhunter education certificate. The courses are available to individuals 11 and older, but only those 12 or older may purchase a hunting license. Students can complete the courses from a computer, tablet, or smart phone at any time. Visit DEC’s Hunter Education Program page to learn more or to sign up.

To take and receive a hunter education certificate or bowhunter education certificate through the online course, participants must be New York State residents. The cost of the hunter education course is $19.95 and the cost for the bowhunter education course is $30. Both courses can be accessed at DEC’s website. The online courses will be available through Aug. 31, 2020.

Moose News – Summer 2020

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DEC Seeking Reports of Moose Sightings

(6/12) DEC is asking the public to report moose sightings as part of ongoing efforts to monitor moose distribution in New York. Most of New York’s moose live in the Adirondacks, but we also have moose in portions of eastern New York along the border with Vermont and Massachusetts. Occasionally, moose are seen in southeastern New York and the Catskills — these are generally single animals that have dispersed from other areas in New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts. In 2019, the public reported 447 moose observations to DEC.

Moose are the largest land mammal in the state. Bulls weigh from 600 to 1,200 pounds and stand up to six feet tall at the shoulder. Cows weigh anywhere from 500 to 800 pounds. Moose are primarily browsers, feeding on the leaves, twigs and buds of hardwood and softwood trees and shrubs. An adult moose eats 40 to 60 pounds of browse every day. Favored plant species include willows, birches, maples, balsam fir, viburnums, aspen, and mountain ash. In the summer, when most moose sightings occur, moose feed heavily on aquatic plants in ponds and wetlands, wading into the water and reaching beneath the surface for plants.

Many moose sightings also occur along roadways. Drive cautiously at dusk and dawn as moose can be hard to spot due to their dark color. If you see a moose, do not block traffic and remember to respect wildlife by keeping quiet and viewing from a distance.

Please report your moose observations using DEC’s online form, and share your moose encounters with us by emailing photos to wildlife@dec.ny.gov.