New York State Wildlife Management Areas Explained

New York State Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are conservation areas managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) primarily for the benefit of wildlife, and used extensively by the public for hunting, fishing, and trapping. As of 2016, the NYSDEC owns and maintains 113 WMAs, with a total area of approximately 197000acres.[1] [2] The Wildlife Management Areas program is administered by the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources of the NYSDEC.[1]

History

The first source of funding for New York's Wildlife Management Areas was the Conservation Fund of the Division, which was begun in 1925. It accumulates hunting, fishing, and trapping license fees and other miscellaneous fees and fines collected by the Division.[3] In the 1930s, the federal Resettlement Administration bought marginal and worn-out farmland and later donated it to the state for wildlife management purposes. The Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 places an excise tax on guns and ammunition, of which 10% is returned to the states to fund restoration and management efforts for wildlife including purchase of habitat. New York State Bond Acts in 1960, 1972 and 1986 have also helped fund the WMA system.

Some of the WMAs occupy land that is environmentally sensitive. Thus the Lakeview Wildlife Management Area has been declared the Lakeview Marsh and Barrier Beach National Natural Landmark, and was cited in 1973 as, "One of the best and most extensive marshlands that lie in protected bays and behind barrier beaches along eastern Lake Ontario."[4]

List of New York state wildlife management areas

NameCounty or counties[5] Area[6] Notes
Alder BottomChautauqua818acres
Allegheny ReservoirCattaraugus1100acres
Ashland FlatsJefferson2037acres
Ausable MarshClinton576acres
BashakillSullivan2213acres
Baxtertown WoodsDutchess250acres
Bear Spring MountainDelaware7186acres
Black PondJefferson526acresPart of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area.[7]
Bog BrookPutnam132acres
Braddock BayMonroe2402acres
Canadaway CreekChautauqua2080acres
Canoga MarshSeneca104acres[8] Protects marshland along the western shore of Cayuga Lake.
Capital DistrictRensselaer4153acres
Carters PondWashington446acres
Carlton HillWyoming2484acres
Catharine CreekSchuyler660acres
Cayuga LakeSeneca225acres
Chautauqua LakeChautauqua123acres
Cherry IslandOrange14acres[9] Protects an island within the upper Delaware River.
Cicero SwampOnondaga4947acres
Clay PondChautauqua182acres
Cold BrookSteuben125acres[10]
Collins LandingJefferson44acres
Conesus InletLivingston1220acres
Conewango SwampCattaraugus900acres
Connecticut HillSchuyler, Tompkins11161acres
13acres[11]
Cranberry MountainPutnam467acres
Cross Lake IslandsCayuga, Onondaga27acres
Curtiss GaleOswego47acres
Deer Creek MarshOswego1770acresPart of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area.
Dexter MarshJefferson1339acres
East BayWashington38acres
ErwinSteuben2500acres
Fish CreekSt. Lawrence4438acres
Franklinton VlaieSchoharie185acres
French CreekJefferson2265acres
28acres[12] Formerly operated as the undeveloped Frenchman Island State Park. Transferred to NYSDEC in 2011, and now part of Three Mile Bay WMA.[13]
GalenWayne712acres
Genesee ValleyAllegany717acres
Great Baehre SwampErie271acres
Great SwampPutnam444acres
Great VlyGreene, Ulster184acres
Hamlin MarshOnondaga1689acres
Hampton Brook WoodsErie61acres
Hanging BogAllegany4571acres
Happy ValleyOswego8895acres
Hartland SwampNiagara385acres
Hartson SwampChautauqua98acres
Helmer CreekSteuben126acres[14]
High TorOntario, Yates6200acres
Honeoye CreekOntario717acres
Honeoye InletOntario1981acres[15]
HoneyvilleJefferson111acres
Hooker MountainOtsego
Indian RiverJefferson968acres
Jacquins PondChautauqua30acres
John WhiteGenesee339acres[16] Formerly managed by New York State as the "John White Memorial Game Farm" between 1945 and 2000 for the purpose of raising pheasants for release on public hunting lands.
KabobChautauqua38acres
Keeney SwampAllegany708acres
Kings BayClinton653acres
Lake AliceClinton1468acres
Lake Ontario IslandsJefferson, St. Lawrence64acres[17] Protects the 43acres Little Galloo Island, the 1acres Gull Island, and a 20acres portion of Galloo Island.
Lake Shore MarshesWayne6130acres
LakeviewJefferson3461acresPart of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area.
Lewis PreserveClinton1356acres
Little JohnOswego7918acres
Louise E. KeirAlbany119acres
Margaret BurkeAlbany246acres
Mongaup ValleySullivan11855acres
Monty's BayClinton287acres
Motor IslandErie6acres
7500acres
Oak OrchardGenesee2545acres
Oriskany FlatsOneida750acres
Otis Pike PreserveSuffolk4000acres
Parcel 45Saratoga59acres
Partridge RunAlbany4594acres
Pauline MurdockEssex68acres
Perch RiverJefferson7862acres
PharsaliaChenango4694acres
Plantation IslandHerkimer300acres
Point PeninsulaJefferson1054acres
Putts CreekEssex114acres
Rattlesnake HillLivingston, Allegany5150acres
Roger's IslandColumbia281acres
RomeOneida436acres
Saratoga Sand PlainsSaratoga735acres[18]
Silver LakeWyoming10acres
Spicer CreekErie34acres
Stid HillOntario847acres
StockportColumbia357acres[19]
Three Mile BayOswego3495acresIncorporates Frenchman's Island.
Three RiversOnondaga3586acres
Tillman RoadErie230acres
TioughniogaMadison3803acres
Tivoli BaysDutchess1722acresDesignated as a "New York Natural Heritage Area" in 2007.[20]
TonawandaGenesee, Orleans, Niagara5600acres
Tug HillLewis5114acres
Upper and Lower LakesSt. Lawrence8782acres
Utica MarshOneida213acres
Victory MillsSaratoga47acres[21]
Vinegar HillGreene394acres
Waneta-LamokaSchuyler157acres
Watt's FlatsChautauqua1382acres
West CameronSteuben170acres
Whitney PointBroome, Cortland4645acres
Wickham MarshEssex862acres
WillardSeneca158acres
Wilson HillSt. Lawrence3441acres
Wolf HollowDelaware52acres

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Habitat Management and Access on Wildlife Management Areas . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . 2016-04-09.
  2. Web site: List of New York State Wildlife Management Areas . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . 2016-04-09.
  3. Web site: Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . 2010-02-06.
  4. Web site: Lakeview Marsh and Barrier Beach . National Park Service . 2007-07-31. Entry in registry of National Natural Landmarks.
  5. Book: Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York . Title 9, Chapter I, Subchapter A, Part 384: Listing of State Parks, Parkways, Recreation Facilities, State Land and Historic Sites (Facilities), DEC Facilities . WestlawNext . June 30, 2016.
  6. Unless otherwise noted, acreages are sourced from individual pages listed at: Web site: List of New York State Wildlife Management Areas . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . June 30, 2016.
  7. Web site: Natural Heritage Area Designation for Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex . 2016-07-16 . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
  8. Towns of Fayette and Varick Comprehensive Plan, Adopted 2005/2006 . Town of Fayette, NY . 2005 . Fayette-Varick Comprehensive Plan Commission . 26 . July 6, 2016.
  9. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the River Management Plan: Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, Delaware, Sullivan, and Orange Counties, New York, Pike and Wayne Counties, Pennsylvania . 1984 . United States National Park Service . 123 . July 6, 2016.
  10. Keuka Lowlands Unit Management Plan . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . April 2012 . 6 . July 9, 2016.
  11. Web site: Cranberry Creek Wildlife Management Area . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . July 9, 2016.
  12. Web site: Land and Conservation Easement Acquisitions: Second Quarter 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150225100115/http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/76101.html . February 25, 2015 . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . July 1, 2016.
  13. Web site: Three Mile Bay Wildlife Management Area Map . 2016-07-11 . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
  14. Web site: Helmer Creek Wildlife Management Area . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . July 9, 2016.
  15. Web site: Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . July 9, 2016.
  16. Web site: History of the Wildlife Areas: Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area, Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, John White Wildlife Management Area . 24–25 . U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service . 2001 . Carroll, Thomas . July 9, 2016.
  17. Lake Ontario Islands WMA Unit Management Plan . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . February 2002 . 1 . July 5, 2016.
  18. Web site: DEC Adds 157 Acres to the Saratoga Sand Plains Wildlife Management Area . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . April 22, 2015 . July 9, 2016.
  19. Web site: Stockport Wildlife Management Area . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . July 9, 2016.
  20. Web site: Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . 2016-07-16.
  21. Web site: Victory Mills Wildlife Management Area . NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . July 9, 2016.

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