ALTMAR — New York State has acquired more than 6,000 acres of protected lands in Oswego County, which the state intends to target for conservation, recreation, and education.

The acquisitions represent the “largest additions” to state lands in Central New York in 45 years.

These areas include about 2,825 acres of lands along the Salmon River, “an internationally acclaimed fishing destination,” and 3,236 acres of working forestland in the nearby towns of Redfield and Orwell, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release issued May 24.

This forestland acquisition will help to “secure the working landscape” of the Tug Hill region that provides “vital economic support” to local communities, the governor contends.

Cuomo made the announcement during a May 24 visit to the Salmon River Fish Hatchery at 2133 County Route 22 in Altmar.

“Protecting valuable natural resources in New York’s pristine Salmon River and Tug Hill region benefits the environment, bolsters economic opportunities for local communities and preserves the unparalleled natural beauty of the region for future generations of New Yorkers,” Cuomo contended in the release. “The Salmon River is a regional treasure, home to some of the best salmon and trout fishing in the world, and by protecting Tug Hill forestland we ensure ongoing timber resource production, safeguard the water quality of the Salmon River, and ensure public access to the region’s outdoor recreation opportunities.”

Salmon River
The newly acquired lands run from the eastern edge of the village of Pulaski upstream along sections of the river to the vicinity of the Salmon River Fish Hatchery in Altmar and the lower Salmon River reservoir in the town of Orwell.

Other large tracts of land from the acquisition are found around the upper Salmon River reservoir in the town of Redfield.

The acquisition will increase fishing access points for anglers and help facilitate improvements along the river banks to address erosion.

“The acquisition of this property by the state will be of great benefit to the public, to anglers and to those who rely on the tourism in this area, which can only increase due to addition of accesses,” Assemblyman Will Barclay said in the governor’s news release. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District,
which encompasses most of Oswego County.

The state acquired the land as a result of a 2005 consent decree it brought, Cuomo’s office said.

The consent decree asserted that Niagara Mohawk and certain other New York utilities had violated provisions of the federal Clean Air Act in operating various power plants throughout the state.

To settle the case, Niagara Mohawk entered into an agreement to transfer land in the Salmon River area, valued at about $3 million at the time, to New York State for conservation, recreational, and educational purposes.

National Grid will continue to operate and maintain its electric transmission and distribution facilities located on these lands, which provide services to customers in upstate New York.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will propose regulations to protect the 1,700 acres lying adjacent to the Salmon River to preserve the river corridor by controlling camping, campfires, snowmobiles, and target shooting.

The proposed regulations “will be consistent” with public use of the property while owned by National Grid, the release stated.

DEC also expects to establish new trails along the property, constructing new parking areas, and increasing hunting and trapping opportunities on lands that will be designated state forests. DEC is developing a recreation and restoration master plan for the Salmon River lands, which will be released for public comment later this year. The environmental agency has already announced $500,000 in stream restoration work along the river corridor.

Kendall property, Tug Hill forestland
A priority conservation area in the state’s Open Space Plan, the 3,236 acre Kendall property located north of the Salmon River reservoir, is embedded in a landscape with existing state lands and working forest easements.

The Conservation Fund purchased the land in 2015 at New York State’s request through its Working Forest Fund with generous support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

DEC recently took ownership of the Kendall property using $4.75 million from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.

The new state-forest land will help to stem the tide of rural land division, which typically costs towns more money in services than they receive in property taxes, the state contends. State ownership of working forests like Kendall is supported by towns because it helps retain traditional access and jobs while protecting town budgets, it notes.

Located within Audubon’s Tug Hill important bird area, the forestland also supports nearby wetlands that provide habitat to a variety of migratory birds.

New York’s methane-reduction plan includes 25 steps that seek to reduce methane emissions from the landfill, oil and gas, and agricultural sectors across the state.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo released the plan on May 17.

The governor wants New York to implement the actions by 2020 as part of the state’s strategy to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050, from 1990 levels, Cuomo’s office said.

The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Markets, Public Service, and the Energy Research and Development Authority, in conjunction with the New York State Soil & Water Conservation Committee, will implement the plan.

“With this action, New York will continue to shrink our carbon footprint by reducing emissions that contribute to climate change,” Cuomo said in a news release.

About the plan
The methane-reduction plan will address many sources of methane emissions including the pursuit of methane reductions at both active and inactive landfills.

Cuomo also wants to limit methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas wells.

In addition, the plan would support energy production or capture and combustion of methane gas at farms and landfills.

It would also develop methane-reduction criteria in state-funded programs for agriculture.

The plan would also deploy methane-detection systems to enhance detection of leaks in residential areas and utilize incentive programs for addressing methane leakage in utility and customer-owned pipelines that prioritize safety and climate change mitigation.

Methane is second only to carbon dioxide in its contribution to climate change, Cuomo’s office said. Representing almost 10 percent of the state’s annual greenhouse-gas emissions, methane reduction is a “key piece” of New York’s policies to address the “risks” from climate change, it added.

The plan seeks to lower methane emissions; establish “more robust” monitoring methods so that methane sources can be fully documented; increase support and information sharing among agencies and partners; and seek stakeholder involvement to “enhance” current regulatory and funding efforts.

Federal activity
The state’s methane-reduction plan comes at a time when federal environmental regulators are taking a different approach, taking steps to reverse regulations set up by the previous administration.

In recent weeks, the federal government has moved to “abandon” three major efforts to address methane pollution, Cuomo’s office said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 2 dropped its development of a regulatory approach to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas wells. EPA has also indicated that the agency is reconsidering its 2016 standards limiting emissions from new oil and gas development.

In addition, the federal government is seeking to repeal or “weaken” U.S. Department of Interior rules to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas projects on federal lands,
Cuomo’s office said.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced the launch of I BIRD NY, an initiative to increase access to the state’s natural resources and promote low-cost opportunities to connect with nature.

The I BIRD NY program launch took place at the Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Oneida County where DEC unveiled recent improvements at the marsh and the designs for a new observation viewing tower, according to a department news release. The WMA is an urban wetland that has a mixture of cattail wetlands, wet meadows, open water pools, and flooded willows that provide a marsh habitat for a variety of plants and animals, especially birds.

New York state is home to an array of habitat that supports more than 450 different bird species. Bird-watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and experiences in any community, the state agency contends.

The I BIRD NY program is one of several state initiatives to boost access to green spaces, including focus on opportunities close to urban and suburban areas.

“New York State Parks offers rich natural habitats for interesting and unique birds,” State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said in the release.

The I BIRD NY announcement came on the heels of International Migratory Bird Day, a day to celebrate the importance of stopover sites and their habitats to birds migrating between their nesting and wintering sites.

“Seated at the foot of the Adirondacks, the Mohawk Valley is fortunate to have many serene locations like the Utica Marsh that allow the public to really enjoy the exceptional beauty and natural diversity of our region,” State Senator Joseph Griffo said in the release.