Land Along East Branch of Fish Creek on Tug Hill Open for Recreation

Area Open for Hunting, Hiking, Snowmobiling and other Outdoor Recreation

Lewis County, NY—December 2, 2005—New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced the recently acquired lands along the East Branch of Fish Creek and parts of the conservation easement parcels are now open for public recreation. These approximately 31,662 acres of diverse forest lands are located in the remote central part of the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis County.

"I am pleased to announce that these wild lands are not only protected through conservation easements and public ownership, but now open to the public in time for a variety of winter recreational pursuits," Commissioner Sheehan said.

Land currently open for recreation, such as big and small game hunting, trapping and hiking includes the 1,350-acre corridor of land along over 7 miles of the East Branch of Fish Creek. These state forest lands are accessed off the Michigan Mills Road. Also, from now through the end of big game season on December 4, 2005 the public can hunt some of the easement lands off the Camp Four Road that are not currently leased by hunting clubs. After December 4, much of the remaining 30,312 acres of easement land will be open for trapping, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Small game hunting by the public can occur after December 31 in some areas. These areas are identified with signs.

The traditional snowmobile corridors that cross this area will also be open to snowmobilers. These routes, part of the New York State trail system Route 4, provide major connections across the core of Tug Hill to surrounding trail systems in the four counties of Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, and Oneida. The routes that will be open this winter are expected to be the same that have been open for many years under the generosity of the current and previous landowners. These routes connect Camden, Redfield and Osceola on the south and west edges of Tug Hill to trails in West Leyden, Turin and Lowville to the north and east reaches of the Tug Hill region.

Currently, many of the roads into the easement lands are closed to motor vehicle use until the spring. Additional parts of the area will be open and signs posted at that time. Trout streams in the headwaters of three major river systems that originate in this area; East Branch of Fish Creek, the Salmon River, and the Mad River, will also be open for the spring season. The public is encouraged to contact the Lowville DEC office for more information about access points and current recreational opportunities at 315-376-3521. Updated information will soon be available on the Department's web site at www.dec.state.ny.us .

In June 2002, Governor George E. Pataki announced an agreement between the State and The Nature Conservancy to protect an additional 44,650 acres of forest lands in the Tug Hill Plateau. As part of the agreement, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) retained ownership of an additional 14,269 acres on the northern portion of the tract, and will be transferring a conservation easement on their lands to the DEC in the near future. The DEC is developing a Draft Public Recreation Plan for these East Branch of Fish Creek lands.

Michelle Peach said, "As the new TNC project director in Tug Hill, I am excited to be part of this collaborative, publically supported effort to conserve the natural and cultural resources of Tug Hill. Tug Hill is so unique in that it is the third largest relatively un-fragmented landscape in New York with extensive forests, wetlands, rivers and streams that are important for ecological, economic, and recreational reasons. The East Branch Project protects nearly one-third of the central portion of this landscape. We look forward to continuing the work with partners in the region and conveying a conservation easement to DEC on our property as well."

These unique central Tug Hill lands include intact forests of balsam fir, spruce, and northern hardwoods and extensive wetlands. The East Branch of Fish Creek serves as the drinking water supply for the City of Rome. Managed for timber production for more than a century, the property continues to be a haven for fisher, mink, bobcat, beaver, deer, brook trout, waterfowl, and songbirds that thrive in its undeveloped forested landscape.

"The Tug Hill Commission is excited to know that the State will now hold permanent conservation easements protecting these lands as working forests, and that they will be open for compatible public recreational use," John K. Bartow, Jr., Executive Director of the NYS Tug Hill Commission said. "Using conservation easements to protect the majority of the land, while providing for public use and traditional leasing arrangements, has secured a resource vital to Tug Hill communities for its natural, cultural, recreation and production values. Our thanks to the many partners that made this possible and who will help us work toward a final recreation plan for the easment and fee simple properties."

The East Branch of Fish Creek Working Group, a coalition of local residents, hunting club members, conservationists, snowmobilers, town officials, and representatives of DEC, The Nature Conservancy and the Hancock Timber Group, have all played a key role in protecting this unique open space. The group, established in 1995 with support from the State Tug Hill Commission, has always recommended that the property be protected in a way that safeguards water quality and natural resources, ensures sustainable forestry, and maintains recreational access.