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Elimination of invasive species,
and replacing them with wildlife-friendly plants improves the
value of the area for waterfowl staging during spring and fall
migration as well as breeding and rearing habitat during the
summer. Shore birds may better utilize the pool during their
spring and fall migration.
Recreational benefits associated
with conservation activity are: access improvements, educational
kiosk, and related stewardship projects enhance a highly visible
parcel of a New York State Wildlife Management Area. These benefits
will provide valuable opportunities to the public for learning
about and observing the wildlife that reside within and migrate
through the region.
Whom: NYSDEC
leads partnership with Ducks Unlimited, USACE, NYSDOT, USFWS,
National Grid.
When: Initial
work began in 2005, by Ducks Unlimited, as part of an off-site
mitigation project that initiated a portion of the work needed
to enhance the site. This continued through December 2007. Phase
2 could begin as soon as the spring of 2008 based with a commitment
of needed resources.
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Potential Partners & Contributors: The
time and resources required to complete this project, while significant,
can be divided into manageable and reasonable portions. Grading work
could be accomplished by an adjacent company that is a regionally
known trucking and land improvement contractor; smaller firms with
the capacity to donate a few days or a weeks worth of equipment time
would provide an important service with this type of in-kind service.
While Ducks Unlimited will continue to
monitor and treat for invasive species within a portion of the project
area, additional treatment would be helpful. Donations of licensed
and certified herbicide such as Round-up and Rodeo, by certified applicators
would contribute to the effort to eliminate the unwanted vegetation.
Large rocks could be used to establish vehicle barriers, while smaller
stone/gravel could be used to develop a small parking area; donations
from local quarries would be an important contribution.
Audubon and
others could contribute to the construction of new artificial osprey
nesting platforms. Sportsman’s organizations could provide nesting
boxes for waterfowl. Donation of labor for these efforts would be
invaluable to the completion of this effort. Time and materials for
construction of a viewing area would be an important step forward.
Local landscape architects and communications
firms could develop educational materials and trip plans for area school
groups. NY-CWRP has members who could provide some of these services
as well as others.
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