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APRIL 2017 Spring Fishing | Snapping Turtle | 70 Years in a Woodlot Conservationist NEW YORK STATE NESTING SEASON

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Page 1: CoSpring Fishing | Snapping Turtle | 70 Years in a … · 2017-05-09 · worms, leeches, bugs or anything they can find to eat. Most lakes and ponds will sprout small groupings of

APRIL 2017

Spring Fishing | Snapping Turtle | 70 Years in a Woodlot

ConservationistNEW YORK STATE

NESTINGSEASON

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Dear Reader,

As of this writing, we are facing uncertainty on the federal level with regard to environmental funding and protection. While it’s still too early to tell where this will lead or what impact this will have on DEC and our efforts to protect your water, air and natural resources, we will be closely monitoring developments in Washington. The strength of our state has always depended on our

commitment to protecting the environment. We need the federal government to continue as an active partner in our conservation and restoration efforts.

The environmental funding outlook in New York is brighter. In this year’s state budget, Governor Cuomo and the state legislature dedicated increased funding for clean water and clean air programs, climate change mitigation, industrial cleanups, clean energy, and other science-based programs that restore and enhance our natural resources. These environmental investments will boost jobs and outdoor tourism opportunities in communities across the state.

I’m excited to tell you about Adventure NY, a new Governor’s initiative for DEC. Through new funding in the state budget, Adventure NY will give us the tools needed to rehabilitate and upgrade campgrounds and recreation areas, boat launches, miles of trails, and increase outdoor access. In addition, the Governor and regional partners in North Hudson announced a master plan for a new “Gateway to the Adirondacks,” a world-class recreation and tourism hub that will attract people looking to experience all the wonders of the Adirondacks (for more, see pg. 36).

In this issue of Conservationist, you can read about the amazing spring fishing opportunities available in New York State, including the April 1st start of trout fishing season—a day which many anglers anxiously await. You will also read about how some anglers are helping contribute valuable scientific information to monitor water quality through DEC’s WAVE program.

I hope you enjoy this issue and make plans to get outdoors to experience all New York has to offer.

All the best,Basil Seggos, Commissioner

Volume 71, Number 5 | April 2017 Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATIONBasil Seggos, Commissioner Sean Mahar, Asst. Commissioner for Public Affairs Harold Evans, Director of Office of Communication Services

THE CONSERVATIONIST STAFFDavid H. Nelson, Editor Eileen C. Stegemann, Assistant Editor Megan Ciotti, Business Manager Jeremy J. Taylor, Conservationist for Kids Ellen Bidell, Contributing Editor Peter Constantakes, Contributing Editor OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION SERVICESJim Clayton, Chief, Multimedia Services Elaine Bloom, Contributing Editor John Razzano, Contributing Editor Jennifer Peyser, Art Director/Graphic DesignerRobin-Lucie Kuiper, Photographer/Graphic Designer Maria VanWie, Graphic Designer EDITORIAL OFFICESThe Conservationist (ISSN0010-650X), © 2017 by NYSDEC, is an official publication of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation published bimonthly at 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4502. Telephone: (518) 402-8047

Manuscripts, photographs and artwork will be accepted if accompanied by SASE. Please write to the above address with an author’s query or to request a Contributor’s Guide. The publisher assumes no responsibility for loss or damage of unsolicited materials.

TO SUBSCRIBE:$18 per year, $24 for two years, $30 for three years. Outside the U.S., add $27 per year with a check drawn on a U.S. bank. All orders must be prepaid.

Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for new subscriptions or changes of address. Periodical postage paid at Albany, NY, and additional mailing offices.

Send check or money order payable to:

Conservationist NYSDEC 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-4502

or call: 1-800-678-6399 Visit the Department’s website at: www.dec.ny.gov

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, disability, age, or gender.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Conservationist NYSDEC 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-4502

~Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle this issue. ~

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Contents2 Sing About Spring (Fishing, that is) New York has great spring fishing By Rich Preall

6 Bluebird Country Celebrating New York State’s official bird Text by Jeremy Taylor; Photos by Laurie Dirkx

11 Paying it Forward Trout angler gains edge by volunteering for WAVE By Dave Kingsland

14 Quest: Backpacking across Western New York School summer program gets kids hiking and camping By Margaret Foley

18 Stocking Fish & Saving a Life DEC fish hatchery staffer recounts incident from last year By Steve Robb

21 Protecting Lives and Property DEC’s dam safety program By Leila Mitchell and Alon Dominitz

24 Gifts of a Forest One family’s 70 years in a woodlot By Devereux, Catherine, Bruce, Christopher and Patricia Kernan

28 In the Company of Dinosaurs The snapping turtle By William S. Hoffman

32 Floating in Plain Sight Invasive aquatic garden plants By Catherine McGlynn

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Departments20 On Patrol | 36 Briefly | 38 Letters | 40 Back TrailsFront cover: Bluebird by Laurie Dirkx Back cover: Fly Fishing by David Kenyon

April 2017 Volume 71, Number 5 See page 28

ConservationistSpecial Insert:

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

The advent of spring starts all of nature singing: insects hum and buzz; birds and spring peepers serenade during the morning and evening hours; and mammals murmur, growl, grunt, howl and bleat in search of mates. Anglers should gleefully join this natural chorus, as there is no better time to go fishing than the months of March through June in New York State.

Before retiring, I was a DEC fisheries biologist for 30 years; 25 were spent in the central Adirondacks—a place where spring is slow to arrive and fast to depart. As spring approached, the number of daily phone calls to DEC tripled, from anxious brook trout anglers wondering about ice-out, or which trout ponds were going to produce the best fishing that spring. They were already

dreaming and planning their trips to remote Adirondack ponds and streams, and I was as anxious as the rest of them.

I like to fish for a variety of species in spring; fortunately for me, New York provides plenty of opportunity. While April 1st is the traditional statewide opening day of trout season, North Country anglers, like me, know that ice rarely leaves mountain ponds by then. But, that doesn’t stop brook trout aficionados from fishing any natural opening that appears after April Fool’s Day. In my experience, ice-out up north generally happens by April 15th, and when it does occur, some ponds have terrific fishing. But most brook trout ponds won’t be surefire until nearshore water temperatures warm up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, usually around May 1st.

SING ABOUT SPRING(fishing, that is)By Rich Preall

DEC photos, unless otherwise noted

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The author fishing off the shore of Lake Colby in Saranac Lake with his granddaughter Charlotte.

Photo courtesy of Rich Preall

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Many seasoned anglers take their cue from nature. They know that sprouting skunk cabbage, blooming trilliums, and territorial redwing blackbirds are all signs that brookies are likely active. And if a black fly insists on singing in your ear, then it truly is peak spring trout fishing time.

Tax day in the mountains is also usually a good time to go rainbow smelt dipping. To me, nothing beats fried smelt on toast with a little mayo and a pickle slice or two. Streams in the Fulton Chain of Lakes (except Eighth Lake), and in Tupper Lake, Indian Lake and a few other waters host annual runs of these tasty bait fish. Check the latest New York State Freshwater Fishing Guide for rules regarding dip netting, including net size and legal dipping hours. Up to eight quarts of smelt can be taken daily, and I can attest that you will be awake until the wee hours of the night to finish cleaning that many little fish.

Early spring is also a great time to fish from shore for lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon as they follow the smelt into tributaries. I’ve had good success casting streamers like a Grey Ghost or Governor Aikens (with purple tinges to mimic smelt) from shore, as well as trolling nearshore with these same lures. Stickbaits, like Rapalas, and spoons are also fun to troll. Salmon will strike the same lures as lake trout, but they prefer a much faster trolling speed. I tell the purists who like to troll for

salmon via paddling a canoe or kayak to go as fast as they think is sane… then speed up.

Spring fishing for brown bullhead is as eagerly awaited by some anglers as trout season. Found everywhere in the state, these bottom feeders move close to shore in spring to root for worms, leeches, bugs or anything they can find to eat. Most lakes and ponds will sprout small groupings of lanterns and lawn chairs during the early evening hours in May. Family fishing is a norm for bullhead anglers. Kids are fascinated—and a little intim-idated—by these whiskered catfish kin. The fact that bullheads are delicious to eat in spring is one of their leading charms. Plus, they can be easy to catch and will put up a good fight.

Despite my years of scientific training and skepticism of other angler’s superstitions, I have a firm belief that every fish species has a favorite song. I’ve found that my angling success is enhanced if I can determine what song a fish prefers in the spring. For example, when I was a college freshman in Oswego, I tried my hand at bullhead fishing on a campus pond. Nothing was biting until I began humming the lyrics of “Band on the Run” by Paul McCartney and Wings. Suddenly I began filling my bucket.

Sing your praises for spring—there is no better time to go fishing in New York State.

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Spring in New York is a great time for anglers all over the state to fish for a variety of species, including brook trout (bottom left), and yellow perch (right).

Jim Clayton

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Each time the action would slow, I just sang a little louder. I now sing that song whenever I go bullhead fishing (albeit, not that often), and it seems to work every time. Naturally, I have tried many other songs while fishing for trout, bass, pike or walleye, but so far, no luck.

Recently I moved to Central New York, and discovered the great fishing here. The Salmon River in Pulaski, Oswego County, is a must stop from March to early May for steelhead enthusiasts. Steelhead spawn in the spring, and the tributaries of the Salmon River—such as Orwell Brook and Trout Brook—host hundreds of returning steelhead. Natural reproduction is fantastic in these streams and DEC fisheries staff believe half the adult steelhead in Lake Ontario originate from these spawning efforts.

Many other Lake Ontario tributaries host runs of steelhead, as well as brown trout. Casting off the mouth of these streams in early spring will cure any lingering winter malaise. By late spring, spawned-out steelhead become ravenous as they drop back downstream to Lake Ontario. What a fine time to wade in warming waters and tangle with one of the strongest fish you will ever have on the line.

Spring spurs another highly anticipated spawning run…walleye. Oneida Lake, just north of Syracuse, is the inland capital of walleye fishing in the state. On the first Saturday in May, you can see a flotilla of walleye anglers patiently drifting or trolling in the area where Fish Creek enters the eastern end of the lake, hoping to hook any lingering walleye (usually the males). Other boats ply the nearshore weed beds and rocky shoals close to the mouths of other creeks around the lake perimeter. The major rivers entering Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway also host spawning runs of walleye. Along the St. Lawrence, the Raquette, Grasse and Oswegatchie rivers attract walleye that average 1-2 pounds, but can exceed 10 pounds. For trophy sized walleye on Lake Ontario, try the lower reaches of the Black, Oswego and Genesee rivers.

Another spring favorite are yellow perch. Perch are easy to catch and move inshore to lay strings of eggs as water tem-peratures rise into the 50s. These tasty fish will gather in large schools in calmer waters such as eddies below dams and around many docks, piers, fallen trees and other cover in lakes and ponds. In the Adirondacks, I could often catch perch via fly casting tiny black jigs near old weed beds or even off sandy beaches too popular to fish during the summer.

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Sunfish are popular with anglers of all ages. They are relatively easy to catch and make a tasty meal. Pictured here are proud anglers (top photos) with their bluegills, a nice-sized crappie (bottom), and a pumpkinseed (opposite page).

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

Like any panfish, yellow perch will never turn down a bit of nightcrawler or dilly worm. I still get a kick out of col-lecting worms off my driveway after a heavy rain in the spring. I then head to a local trout stream or pond, or to a section of the Erie Canal for some fishy action. I also like to fish for black and white crappie along brush piles, fallen trees and other debris near shore. Small jigs or minnows suspended under Thill bobbers are great teasers for these swimming delicacies.

Mid-spring heralds the spawning season for pumpkinseed, bluegill and redbreast sunfish. Sunnies swarm into shallow waters and begin digging round nests up to a foot in diameter that are easy to spot from shore or a boat. Once they spawn,

male sunfish guard the eggs and fry, and will nip at nearly any fly or lure tossed their way. Don’t worry about overfishing them; most waters have too many sunfish, so thinning them out a bit can improve the population size structure (forgive me, that’s my inner biologist talking).

The tail end of spring brings the advent of bass spawning season. Largemouth and smallmouth bass make spawning nests much like their sunfish cousins, only they are larger in size and can be found as deep as 20 feet in some crystal-clear waters. Fishing for bass is now legal year-round in most of New York, but it is illegal to keep them until after the third Saturday in June. Be sure to check your fishing regulations guide for the specific regulations per-taining to the water you plan to fish.

Sing your praises for spring—there is no better time to go fishing in New York State. Discover the tune that works for you and sing it, hum it or just think it. Spring is a happy time, and a great time to renew your love of fishing or kindle that love in a new generation.

Retired DEC fisheries biologist Rich Preall is an avid angler who enjoys as much time as he can get on the water.

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The author with a largemouth bass.

Jim Clayton

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) has been the state bird of New York since 1970, and can be found throughout most of the eastern United States and Canada. Relatives of American robins, they are members of the thrush family. Smaller than robins, bluebirds are named for their bright blue plumage. Males have brilliant blue heads, wings, backs and tails, with reddish-brown on their chin and breast, and a white belly. Females are a duller blue-gray color on the head, dull brown on their back, and blue on the tail and

wings, with a dull reddish-brown chin and breast, and white bellies.

Eastern bluebirds are birds of open fields and orchards; they are not commonly found nesting in cities or densely settled suburbs. Historically, their preferred nesting location would be in a cavity of a tree; however many bluebirds now nest in nest boxes placed for their use. Bluebirds will often nest in boxes overlooking mowed meadows, orchards, cemeteries and other areas with short grass and sparse tree cover.

Nearly 70 percent of a bluebird’s diet is made up of insects, such as grass-hoppers, crickets, beetles and cater-pillars, with the remainder of their diet consisting of fruit—berries of flowering dogwood, holly, mulberry, wild grape and Virginia creeper are some of their favorites. Bluebirds nesting near a home or yard will readily take live mealworms (as pictured on these pages) placed in a feeding station nearby, and will also feed them to their nestlings.

Editor’s note: Few songbirds occupy as important a place in our psyche as the eastern bluebird. Like robins, bluebirds’ return in spring reminds us that good weather, and good times, lie ahead. Many once and future conservationists, homeowners and scouts alike cut their woodworking teeth by making and

placing a bluebird nest box. More common in open country upstate than many realize, bluebirds’ soft warbling call, once learned, can draw our attention to their presence, and dazzling color. It is a treat to live in…

BLUEBIRD COUNTRYText by Jeremy Taylor; Photos by Laurie Dirkx

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To attract bluebirds, nest boxes must be built to correct dimensions, and placed in appropriate locations. In addition, measures must be taken to limit use of the boxes by competing species as well as intrusion by predators. If the box opening is too large, other species will out-compete the bluebirds, and it will be easier for predators such as raccoons and snakes to eat the eggs and young. To discourage predators, place a guard below the nest box, on the post or pole on which the box is mounted.

Nest boxes should be placed in open areas, away from trees and shrubs. If they are located too close to trees and shrubs, the boxes will likely be taken over by chickadees, wrens and house sparrows. House sparrows are not native to the U.S., and their nests should be removed from the boxes whenever possible. Place the box 4-6 feet above the ground, ideally facing trees or shrubs to which the young can fledge (leave the nest). The inside of the front panel of the box should be roughed up, or have hardware cloth attached, to aid the young in leaving the box.

Tree swallows may also use a bluebird box for nesting, and many homeowners are just as happy to have them around for their pretty blue-green coloration, insect-catching abilities, and in-flight antics. If you have tree swallows where you live, and still want to have bluebirds, place boxes in pairs, a few feet apart

If you like birds, consider placing a nest box in your yard this spring.

When constructing a nest box, it is important to rough up the inside surface of the front panel, or make a series of shallow horizontal cuts to the wood, so that young, such as these two, are able to reach the entrance hole when it comes time to fledge.8

fledgling

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

from one another. Swallows can be very territorial; they will use one box, and keep other swallows away, thereby allowing bluebirds to use the other. If you have the space, you can place multiple pairs of boxes 100 yards from each other, facing away from the prevailing wind.

You may occasionally find a dead tree swallow in a bluebird box; this is typically not caused by the design of the box itself, but due to a tree swallow that migrated north too early in spring, before there was enough insect life to support it. An early spring cold snap has killed many an obligate insectivorous migrant like the tree swallow, but bluebirds are a bit hardier, switching back and forth between insect and fruit diets as necessary. Nesting tree swallows and bluebirds are also sometimes killed by house sparrows, which are very aggressive when attempting to take over a box and evicting its occupants.

While some bluebirds overwinter in New York, especially in mild winters, most bluebirds migrate, returning to the state as early as mid-March. As weather warms and insects become more plentiful, they begin the nesting season. Courtship and nest-building takes 7 to 10 days, with egg-laying beginning 1 to 2 days after the nest is complete. Females typically lay one powder-blue egg per day; average clutch size is 4-6 eggs. Females incubate the eggs for about 14 days, and the chicks fledge roughly 17-18 days after hatching. In a good summer, a bluebird pair can raise more than one brood.

Placing bluebird boxes is very important, but actively moni-toring them is equally important. Check boxes at least weekly, and stop all monitoring 12 days after the eggs hatch, to prevent chicks from leaving the nest early. Approach a box from the side, and gently tap it before opening it, to give adults a chance to exit if they are present. Make note of how many eggs and/or chicks there are, and also look for the presence of blowfly, a harmful

parasite. If blowfly larvae are present, you should try to replace all of the nesting material with dried grass clippings in the shape of a nest, to give the chicks a better chance of surviving. Avoid checking nests when it is extremely warm, or during cool/rainy periods. Nest box monitoring can also provide valuable data on population trends. You can encourage bluebirds to nest again by removing old nest material after the chicks have left.

If you like birds, consider placing a nest box in your yard this spring. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have hosting wrens, tree swallows, chickadees, or who knows—maybe even a family of bluebirds!

For more information about bluebirds, nest box plans, and nest box monitoring, visit the New York State Bluebird Society’s website at www.nysbs.org.

Bird-fancier Jeremy Taylor is the editor of Conservationist for Kids. Outdoor photographer Laurie Dirkx resides in Wayne County and is a frequent photo contributor to Conservationist.

Bluebirds will readily eat live or freeze-dried mealworms. The powder-blue eggs are roughly the size of a quarter.

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MONITORING NESTING BIRDS

If you enjoy watching birds and know

that you have some nesting in your yard

or other places on your property, you

might want to consider participating

in NestWatch. NestWatch is a citizen

science program of the Cornell Lab of

Ornithology, in which participants actively

monitor birds that are nesting on their

property. This nationwide effort tracks

the nesting status and trends of a wide

variety of birds, including the timing of

nesting, number of eggs laid, and how

many chicks survive to fledging (leaving

the nest). The program website contains

a wealth of information, including nest

box plans, monitoring protocols, and

information about focal species.

To learn more and to sign up, visit http://nestwatch.org

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New York State Conservationist, April 201711

By Dave Kingsland; Photos provided by WAVE, unless otherwise noted

For many, the true essence of fly fishing is casting a dry fly to a rising trout. But some of us haven’t had the opportunity—or lack the experience or skill—to pursue wily trout that way. Instead, we fish when time permits, and we use nymphs because we can place them where the trout are always feeding, on the stream bottom.

But fishing in this manner has a major disadvantage. Unlike selecting the appropriate imitation to “match the hatch,” the choice of nymphs must be made subjectively. If you are lucky, there are casings on the rocks to give you a starting point. But they may be from a day when conditions and temperatures were different. Still, it’s better than nothing, and is often the best or only viable option.

This was a common experience for me until four years ago, when I responded to a DEC call for volunteers to work on the WAVE Program. WAVE, which stands for Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators, trains citizen scientists to collect samples from designated streams and rivers. Based on the number and species of insects and other macroinvertebrates (small organisms) in a water sample, DEC is able to evaluate whether a waterway is healthy, or if there are water quality concerns.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Trout angler gains an edge by volunteering for WAVE

WAVErs identify macroinvertebrates collected from Wappinger Creek.

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New York State Conservationist, April 201712

The WAVE program provides a hands-on opportunity for people to get involved in protecting and enhancing local water quality. My experience as a WAVE volunteer has been rewarding and fun. But it also gave me the knowledge to significantly improve my fishing success.

As they do with all novice volunteers, WAVE staff first taught me the how, where and why of stream surveying. When I con-ducted those surveys, I found an unanticipated benefit—I saw what the trout were actually eating. This is helpful information when casting for trout, especially because what I encountered in my survey looked nothing like what I carried in my fly box.

Recognizing that this was an opportunity, I designed nymphs to imitate the four macroinvertebrates I found were common in all the streams I surveyed: flat-headed mayfly (Heptage-niidae), brushlegged mayfly (Isonychiidae), common netspinner caddisfly (Hydropsychidae) and finger-net caddisfly (Philo-potamidae). These were present in streams that flow east to the Hudson, north to the Mohawk, west to the Susquehanna, and south to the Delaware.

This information is useful to all of us who love fly fishing, and I think it serves as a call to anglers to consider volunteering for WAVE, whose objectives and success depend on public participation.

Each year, WAVE seeks citizen-scientist volunteers who can spend a few hours a week collecting biological data to assess the water quality of wadeable streams. Data collected using WAVE protocols is included in federal and state water quality reports, and helps target specific water bodies to be professionally assessed by DEC’s Stream Biomonitoring Unit or other experts. The infor-mation also supports local restoration and improvement efforts at county and township levels.

Jen Curry displays caddisfly cases found in Wolf Creek at Letchworth State Park.

Ginger Ursitti holds a rock with attached caddisfly casings.

Mike Parker examines his collection from the Conesus Lake South Inlet.

Gene Bolster

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Emily Vail kicks the substrate to collect a macroinvertebrate sample from Rutger’s Creek in Greenville.

A volunteer picks through a sample from Stamp Pond Stream.

We are all aware of the fragility of our watersheds and the con-tinual stresses they face. Yet most of us know little about their present condition, and any knowledge we have may not be up-to-date. Macroinvertebrate life in a stream is a good indicator of current water quality.

When sampling is complete, WAVE volunteers forward data to DEC for analysis and record-keeping. In theory, changes in water quality will be reflected in changes in a stream’s macro-invertebrate populations. Having up-to-date information about the types of macroinvertebrates found in a stream section can trigger professional follow-up and, hopefully, prompt correction if needed.

Participation in WAVE allows volunteers to take an active stewardship role and share responsibility for maintaining local water quality. This is what I call “paying it forward.” By par-ticipating in WAVE, anglers help monitor and restore water quality in streams and rivers to maintain strong, healthy aquatic populations.

As an added benefit, what you learn through water monitoring may even improve your fishing success!

Avid Catskill fly fisherman David Kingsland is a member of the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited and has been a WAVE volunteer since 2012.

Editor’s Note: Collecting macroinvertebrates without authori-zation is against the law. If you have wondered what lies beneath the rocks and mud of our streams, WAVE gives you an oppor-tunity to learn more about them.

For Anglers: Visit DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/84568.html to view maps that show the statewide distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates. This could be helpful to anglers who fish in other areas of the state.

Want to be a WAVE volunteer? Stream surveying begins July 1, but training and planning have already begun. For details, check out Brieflys on page 36. For more information on WAVE, visit: www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/92229.html

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The thick belt on your pack digs into your hips and your legs tremble with every step you take along the uneven terrain. You just know there is absolutely nothing worse than hiking through the pelting rain with a 25-pound pack strapped to your back. You’ve been up since dawn after sleeping on the hard ground in a tent. There are miles to go along muddy, uneven paths and dirt roads until you reach your next destination. Tomorrow, it will start all over again.

The last day of the hike, your legs are numb as you march towards your end point, Russell Joy Park in Fredonia. After four days of hiking, camping and cooking with some of your closest, and most distant, classmates, you can’t wait to reach the park. While the mud and bruises will eventually fade away, the friends and memories that you made during Quest will stay with you forever. —Quest participant

By Margaret Foley; Photos by Susan Cobb

QUEST: BACKPACKING ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK

New York State Conservationist, April 201714

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Prior to embarking on their hike, students meet to divide and pack food supplies.

“Quest” is Fredonia Middle School’s annual backpacking program. Every spring, come rain, shine or snow, a group of eighth graders, junior (student) leaders and adult leaders embark on a series of three hikes—a one-day, a two-day, and a four-day. These hikes take students from four school districts on an expe-dition across Chautauqua County, from the Town of Gerry back to the Village of Fredonia. All in all, students hike nearly 50 miles during the course of the three hikes.

Through the multiple-day backpacking trip, participants carry and set up their own gear, prepare and clean up meals com-munally, and build important teamwork skills along the way. By spending so much time outdoors, they also learn about the natural environment, woods and waters of northern Chautauqua County, away from outlets, electricity, and the creature comforts of suburbia.

At a time when children are spending more time using tech-nology and less time outdoors, programs like Quest are con-necting students with the natural world around them.

An Interesting StartSusan and Steve Cobb, two retired teachers from Fredonia,

are the current expedition leaders of the Quest program. “Before there was Quest, there was Atlantis,” Susan explains. Developed by science teachers Lee Servatius and the late Dave Carlson, Atlantis was the first backpacking program run through Fredonia Middle School. It began in the early 1970s and ran until 1979.

Susan was teaching at Fredonia when Servatius asked if she would like to join the trip. She agreed, embarking on her first backpacking experience in 1978. “The first year I was so ignorant, so foolish,” Susan laughs. “I made every mistake in the book. And while I was in pretty good shape, I was unprepared for the rigors of backpacking.”

On the first day, the backpackers hiked from Fredonia Middle School to Cassadaga Country Club, a seven-mile trip as the crow flies. Susan carried her father-in-law’s backpack—a handmade

pack of heavy canvas and steel—filled with nearly 40 pounds of equipment. It weighed nearly half her body weight, and by the time they reached the Country Club at dark, her feet were a mess from sliding around in her leather boots. The next day, she bandaged her feet, sent half the contents of her pack home with her husband, and went on to hike 20 miles to their final desti-nation, Cockaigne Ski Resort.

“I got home and saw I had broken four or five of my toenails. But I survived it,” said Susan. “And while it was painful at the time, it was also invigorating.” In fact, it was invigorating enough that when Servatius invited her and her husband to help him start the backpacking program again in the fall of ’88 under the name “Quest,” she agreed right away. Susan and Steve have been on every Quest adventure since.

The Cobbs served as adult leaders until 1998, when Ser-vatius decided to pass the role of expedition leader on to Steve, a history teacher in Fredonia Middle School. While Susan helped her husband, it wasn’t until she retired in 2008 that they ran the program as a team.

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Steve and Susan Cobb

Students pack and carry their own gear, and work together in groups to prepare and clean up meals.

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Getting Youth OutsideWith the development of new technology and increased par-

ticipation in indoor after-school activities, studies show that children spend 50 percent less time outdoors than they did two decades ago. Children don’t know their own backyards; they have less connection to nature. This disconnection has many negative outcomes, and children are suffering because of it.

Nature-deficit disorder (NDD) is a term that describes a rela-tionship between children and nature. Introduced by columnist Richard Louv in his book Last Child In the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, NDD is used to describe how kids are being affected by a lack of time outdoors, and although it is still a new term, it is used and recognized by con-cerned scientists and parents alike.

“I am in no way suggesting that this term represents an existing medical diagnosis,” Louv states. “But when I talk about nature-deficit disorder, the meaning of the phrase is clear. Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature.”

NDD doesn’t only affect children, it affects adults, families, communities and even entire generations. However, scientists are most concerned with its effect on children. Unlike previous generations, many of today’s children spend very little time outdoors. Because of that, they have little connection to nature.

In an article called “What Studying Nature Has Taught Us,” author Kevin Armitage explains that while children can rec-ognize more than 1,000 corporate logos, only a few can identify more than a handful of local plant or animal species.

Leading the WaySusan and Steve Cobb hope that students who participate in

Quest will become more linked to the environment around them. “Instead of looking at nature as an imposing force, we want them to look at it as something to connect with,” Susan explains. “We want them to look out and see wonder, instead of fear.”

Lauren Budniewski, an early education major at Syracuse Uni-versity and former Quest participant, says one of the great things about Quest is that it immerses students in nature while still making them feel comfortable. Lauren participated in Quest as an eighth grader in 2008, returned as a student leader in 2011 and 2012, and became an adult leader in 2014.

According to the Cobbs, creating the role of the junior leader is one of the most important things they added during their time as expedition leaders. Like the adult leaders, the high school junior leaders are responsible for overseeing a small group of eighth-grade hikers. It’s an opportunity to extend their Quest experience while also giving them the opportunity to improve and develop their leadership skills. “It’s a huge responsibility for these students,” said Steve. “Instead of just looking out for themselves, it forces them to be responsible for other people. For some, this can be quite an adjustment.”

While many of the adult leaders are teachers, they range in age and come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Past leaders have included a local business owner, president of the Fredonia Central School District School Board, a DEC Conser-vation Officer, and full-time students.

It was the adult and junior leaders who inspired Budniewski to return to the program. “They always looked like they were having so much fun,” she explained.

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As Lauren continued her involvement in Quest, she discovered that each role came with its own set of challenges and learning opportunities. She recalled how when she was a student, she learned to cook because everyone had to take turns cooking for their “cook group”—a group of two to four eighth graders and a junior leader or adult leader. Lauren also commented on how through Quest she got to know and bond with a lot of classmates she had never interacted with before. This is something the Cobbs encourage: “We want students to connect with each other. It’s hard for them to be compassionate [towards each other] if there is no connection.”

Quest’s Lasting EffectYouth who participate in Quest are there for various reasons.

For some, it is the connection to the outdoors, a chance to better understand the world around them. For others, it’s an oppor-tunity to be a kid again, to run around the woods with classmates. Either way, they are connecting with the world around them.

Some participants in Quest become hooked on the outdoors and backpacking. Steve and Susan proudly recount how Maeg, a former Quest hiker and junior leader, recently got a job in Patagonia as an expedition leader. Another former student, Rob,

hiked the Appalachian Trail right after graduating from high school, and more recently completed the Pacific Crest Trail.

“Of course, a lot of kids never go backpacking again,” says Steve, who noted a number of students wanted to give up and go home halfway through the trip. “But whether or not they will ever backpack again, Quest gave them a common experience with their classmates that helped connect them to their com-munity and the natural world around them.”

An environmental biology major at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Margaret Foley has a special interest in environ-mental education and botany. She enjoys hiking, birding and nature journaling.

Editor’s Note: Conservationist Editor Dave Nelson took his first overnight backpacking trip in 1974 as a member of one of the seminal Atlantis trips. Already a bona fide nature nerd by then, he recalls it as a great bonding experience with classmates, a won-derful opportunity to learn about the headwaters of Canadaway Creek, and one heck of a lot of fun.

New York State Conservationist, April 2017 17

Through Quest, students participate in trust exercises (opposite page), help each other navigate difficult stretches on the trail (above), and forge bonds that last for years.

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I was scheduled to meet volunteers near Watertown in late morning; they were going to help stock a truckload of two-year-old brown trout. When I arrived, Scott Morgia was the only vol-unteer there. I wasn’t worried about a lack of help, because we only had to make two stops, and both could be stocked using hoses; no need to make multiple trips carrying buckets.

After stocking the first site, I followed Mr. Morgia on a winding path through Watertown to the second site, a car-top boat launch in an isolated area outside the city. Mr. Morgia assisted me in attaching the discharge hose and stocking the fish. The last tank was nearly empty, so I began securing the truck for the drive back to Caledonia. As I was doing this, I heard a scuffle in the gravel behind me.

At first I assumed Mr. Morgia had stumbled, but then I heard strange sounds. I turned and saw him lying on his back, staring at the sky, gasping for breath at an alarmingly fast rate. Twice I asked if he was okay and got no response. I knelt down beside him, tapped him on the shoulder, and asked again. This time he let out a loud groan. I could see through his sunglasses that his eyes were wide open, but he was just staring at the sky. I said, “Sir, I’m calling 911.”

The 911 operator asked me what the emergency was and for my location. Because I had followed Mr. Morgia to the site, I didn’t know our exact location. I gave the operator details I hoped might help emergency responders find us. I’m not sure if dispatch used the information or pinged my phone’s GPS to find us.

Mr. Morgia’s breathing grew weak; then it stopped alto-gether. I told the operator, “The individual has stopped breathing! I am trained in CPR. Should I start rescue breaths?” He responded, “Yes!”

I then gave two rescue breaths and started chest compressions. On about the fifth compression I felt his rib fracture. I told the 911 operator, “I think I just broke a rib.” The operator responded, “That means you are doing it right.”

After about 30 compressions, I performed another two rescue breaths, then resumed chest compressions. Halfway through, Mr. Morgia started breathing, but very weakly. I removed Mr. Morgia’s sunglasses and shaded his eyes with my hand. His pupils were unresponsive. It seemed as though he was slipping away right in front of me.

The operator said the paramedics were five to ten minutes away. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Morgia stopped breathing again, and I restarted CPR. He began breathing weakly. A few minutes later, a police officer arrived and I relinquished the scene to him. He quickly assessed the situation. Then Mr. Morgia stopped breathing again. The officer was about to start chest com-pressions when the paramedics arrived. One immediately started chest compressions.

STOCKING FISH SAVING A LIFE

Editor’s note: Until recently, Steve Robb was a fish culturist at DEC’s Caledonia Fish Hatchery in Livingston County for 12 years. The hatchery—the oldest in the Western Hemisphere—raises brown and rainbow trout to stock lakes and rivers across New York. Some of Steve’s tasks there were to transport fish

from the hatchery to locations throughout Central New York, and to stock local waters with volunteer help. Last spring, he faced a situation that went beyond his typical duties. Below is his personal account of that unforgettable day: May 16, 2016.

By Steve Robb

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

About 10 minutes later, Mr. Morgia was on a gurney being wheeled into the ambulance. I was surprised to overhear that he had good blood pressure readings and was breathing on his own!

After the ambulance left, the police officer told me I had done all I could and that I could go about my business. I left my contact information, hoping to hear some news about Mr. Morgia’s condition. I finished preparing the truck for my long trip back to Caledonia, then drove to the nearest gas station to let my wife and supervisor know what had transpired.

After taking some time to decompress, I drove back to the hatchery. Later that evening I received a call from one of the first responders. He told me Mr. Morgia’s heart was acting normally now, but he was not yet breathing on his own. However, the doctor was optimistic. Still, it looked like Mr. Morgia faced a long recovery.

I did not hear anything else about Mr. Morgia’s condition until eight days later. A colleague who spoke to the family informed me that Mr. Morgia had been moved to a Syracuse hospital and was resting comfortably. I was relieved to hear he was doing well.

On May 26, I received a phone call from Mrs. Morgia. The conversation was very emotional on both ends. She thanked me for saving her husband’s life and said no words could express the amount of gratitude she had for my actions that day. She told me, “I want you to know that the surgeon said the main reason my husband has no permanent damage was because of your fast thinking, and the good job you did giving him CPR.”

I was very thankful to hear he was going to be okay, especially because things had not looked good the last time I saw him. But it turned out that wasn’t the last time I would see him. On July 12, I was thrilled to see Mr. Morgia again, when he visited the Caledonia Hatchery to thank me for helping save his life.

STEVE ROBB’S JOB: 3RD-GRADE DREAM COME TRUE

Sometimes a job is a perfect fit. Steve Robb seems to have found his.

After earning his biology degree from SUNY Brockport, the Warsaw native became a seasonal fish and wildlife technician at DEC’s Lake Erie Fisheries Unit. Four summers later, he was hired as a fish cul-turist. For the next 12 years he helped stock lakes and streams and performed tasks like trap-netting for muskies, which allowed him to spend lots of time outdoors.

That was one of his goals growing up. He loved to fish and hunt (and still does), and says working outdoors is “a job I wanted since 3rd grade.” He noted there are a variety of places to go and every day is different.

Last October, Steve became a Fisheries Technician 2 in DEC’s office in Avon, where he conducts fish sampling and bio-logical surveys, as well as pro-viding support for the angler diary program and handling some office duties.

When he’s not working, Steve spends as much time outdoors as he can—hunting, fishing and gardening, and being with his two young children. He and his wife Heidi are proud parents of Emmett, 6, and Molly, 4½, who also love the outdoors. Clearly, they inherited this passion from their dad.

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Steve Robb (left) is reunited with Scott Morgia.

Caledonia fish hatchery

Mark Krause

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

On PatrolContributed by ECO Lt. Liza Bobseine

and Forest Ranger Capt. Stephen Scherry

Carl Heilman II

ECO Recovering from Gunshot

On the evening of November 29, Environ-mental Conservation Officer (ECO) James Davey was hit in the pelvis by a rifle bullet while he and Lt. Liza Bobseine were investi-gating reports of illegal poaching activity in Columbia County. Lt. Bobseine immediately applied pressure to the wound to stem the bleeding and requested backup; efforts that saved the officer’s life. ECO Davey was trans-ported to a local hospital and underwent extensive surgery that night. He spent several weeks in the hospital before being released.

We are pleased to report ECO Davey is recovering, and undergoing extensive reha-bilitation for his injuries. An investigation by DEC investigators and NY State Police into the reckless conduct of a man who had been intent on poaching deer that night led to the arrest of Alan Blanchard, of Gallatin. On Feb. 24, Mr. Blanchard pleaded guilty to assault in the 2nd degree, a Class D felony. He remains in jail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for April 28.

Deer Jacking— Herkimer County

On Feb. 3, ECO Darryl Lucas and Lt. Matthew Jacoby were investigating com-plaints of a recent string of deer jackings in

the town of Danube when they received a tip describing individuals in a white, four-door sedan poaching deer. At 4:35 AM, the officers noticed the suspect’s vehicle slowly driving down the road with the passenger shining a spotlight into the roadside fields. As the officers pulled out of a hiding spot to follow, a shot rang out from the vehicle. The officers immediately pulled over the sedan, occupied by three men. The ECOs noticed fresh deer hair sticking out of the trunk, and found a recently killed doe inside, along with a shotgun hidden in the trunk. ECOs Steven Lakeman and Ricardo Grisolini recovered two more deer capes from one of the men’s garage. All three suspects were charged with taking deer with the aid of an artificial light (deer jacking), possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, spotlighting deer while pos-sessing a firearm, and shooting from a public highway.

Snowmobiler Lake Rescue—Hamilton County

On Feb. 17, Hamilton County 911 con-tacted DEC Ray Brook Dispatch at 8:44 AM regarding a snowmobile and a rider sus-pected of falling through the ice on Long Lake, with a second snowmobile and rider stranded on the ice near the scene. Forest rangers arrived within 10 minutes and located the subjects approximately halfway across the lake channel. Members of the Long Lake Rescue Squad, Blue Mountain Lake Fire Department, and the Tupper Lake

Dive Team also responded to assist. Haz-ardous ice conditions made the operation challenging for rescuers and airboat operators. A forest ranger wearing ice rescue gear entered the water from the airboat and retrieved the first subject. That snow-mobiler was then treated and transported to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake. A canoe was used to extract the other subject and bring him back to shore.

Skier Rescue— Warren County

On Feb. 4 at 3:14 PM, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Gore Mountain Ski Patrol requesting assistance for two skiers who got lost off the Black Mountain Brook run on the back side of the Chatiemack Trail. The two 16-year-old boys were able to send coordinates from their phones to DEC Dispatch. The subjects hunkered down behind a large log with food and proper clothing. Two rangers hiked in, while two additional rangers staged at the trailhead. The rangers located the subjects in good condition, and assisted them back to the Gore Mountain Lodge.

Real stories from Conservation Officers and Forest Rangers in the field

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dramatization

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Beavers, New York’s official mammal, are quite common in our water-rich state. If their chosen habitat doesn’t suit their needs, they change their surroundings by building a dam to impound water. These miniature engineers cleverly construct their dams and then carefully maintain them to keep them nearly watertight. If their dam fails, it can be problematic for a beaver family, and disastrous for anything living downstream.

Human residents of New York have also been “busy beavers,” building more than 5,500 dams across the state for various purposes. There is likely a dam—of the human-built variety—not far from where you live. These structures are important, providing a water supply, flood control, hydro-electric power and recreational opportunities. But, like beaver dams, roads, bridges, and all of N.Y.’s infrastructure, dams must be maintained and periodically restored to ensure their continued safe and reliable operation.

The majority of the dams in New York are privately owned; the rest are owned by local governments, the state, public utilities or even the federal government. State environmental law gives the responsibility of operating and maintaining a dam in a safe condition to the dam’s owner, and requires the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to make sure these owners understand and do what is required to ensure a dam’s integrity. DEC’s dam safety program is responsible for conducting dam

PROTECTING LIVES AND PROPERTY—DEC’s Dam Safety Program

By Leila Mitchell and Alon Dominitz; Photos by DEC

Wayne Trimm

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On-site inspections (below and next page) are critical to ensure dams are being maintained in safe condition.

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

inspections, reviewing dam construction permits, and making sure owners perform maintenance, conduct necessary repairs, and undertake other activities to ensure the safety of dams.

Dams are classified in terms of the potential for downstream damage if they were to fail. High Hazard dams are those whose failure could cause loss of human life or interrupt critical infra-structure such as an interstate highway. Intermediate Hazard dams are ones whose failure could cause damage to homes and important utilities, severe environmental damage, or other serious economic damage. Low Hazard dams are dams whose failure could cause damage to isolated buildings and local roads, or minor environmental or economic damage. Of course, no matter the classification, it is important to avoid a breach in any dam.

In August, 2009, DEC adopted a revised set of dam safety regu-lations that provide flexibility for dam owners—especially owners of small dams—while improving the safeguards necessary to protect communities and infrastructure. The regulations require dam inspections, regular maintenance, better recordkeeping, and emergency planning; dam owners must meet these safety standards. Owners of high and intermediate hazard dams must annually certify that the dam’s inspection and maintenance plan, emergency action plan, and other requirements are being met.

Maintaining a dam can be challenging for its owner. In New York, approximately 58 percent of dams are at least 50 years old, and 30 percent are at least 80 years old. In addition to the age of dams, owners must factor in climate change. Storms and hur-ricanes with heavy rainfall are becoming more common, so dams that might have been stout enough when they were built, could be vulnerable now or in the future, even if they have been well main-tained. Owners may also have to contend with “hazard creep.”

When development occurs downstream of a dam, it can cause the dam’s hazard potential to increase, raising the safety requirements for the dam and the regulatory obligations of the owner. Main-taining and/or improving older dams can be expensive, especially if a dam had been previously neglected. However, as dam failures around the nation have proven, even a relatively small dam failure can be more costly in terms of dollars, or even lives, than the maintenance expense. Consistent inspection, maintenance, and an up-to-date Emergency Action Plan are the best ways for dam owners to avoid a costly dam failure.

For New Yorkers, the most memorable dam failure in recent history occurred on July 2, 2005, when the Hadlock Pond Dam, a high hazard dam in the town of Fort Ann, Washington County, failed. About 520 million gallons of water were released. Flood flows from the dam failure caused extensive damage down-stream, totaling about $10 million, including the destruction of several homes. Fortunately, prompt activation of the Emergency Action Plan for the dam alerted downstream residents and helped to prevent any casualties. Through New York’s current dam safety regulations and DEC’s inspection and enforcement programs, we have strong safeguards in place to prevent another dam failure in the state.

DAMS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ENABLES OUR MODERN LIFESTYLE.

Mongaup Falls Dam

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DEC conducts inspections and oversees maintenance of municipally and privately owned dams. Dams —like Gilboa and Mongaup Falls—provide reservoirs for drinking water, generate energy, and support outdoor recreation.

Gilboa Dam

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Alon Dominitz: Protecting Dams and Public Safety

Alon Dominitz (pictured on page 21) was born in Israel and grew up in a desert. So, it may seem a bit surprising that his job at DEC focuses on water.

Alon is the chief of the Division of Water’s Dam Safety Section, a position he has held since 2005. He manages the technical program that regulates the safety of more than 5,500 dams in New York State, ranging from large concrete structures to smaller earthen dams. This program includes safety inspections; technical reviews of proposed dam con-struction or modification; and monitoring of remedial work to ensure it complies with New York’s dam safety criteria and law.

Ensuring dam owners fulfill their obligations to identify structural deficiencies and maintain the integrity of their dams may not sound glamorous, but it can be vital to ensure any potential problems are found and corrected before they present a serious public safety risk. In the summer of 2005, Alon saw firsthand the devastating impact of the Hadlock Dam failure in Washington County, including homes that were swept away and extensive community devas-tation. Those memories reinforce the importance of the work he and dam safety staff perform.

Alon’s family moved to New York City when he was a child. He later attended Cooper Union, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in civil engineering, His next stop was DEC, where he regulated air pol-lution sources in the City. After he obtained his Pro-fessional Engineer’s license, he was promoted to the Dam Safety Section.

Alon is passionate about protecting the envi-ronment and public safety. He and his staff conduct approximately 450 inspections a year, and work with dam owners and communities to minimize risks.

“People who live downstream of a dam have no way to know if that dam is safe. Our job is to ensure dam owners fulfill their responsibility to make sure it’s safe,” he says.

When he’s not working, Alon stays connected to the outdoors, and can often be found mountain biking, skiing, hiking, camping, or kayaking.

Dams are an important part of the infrastructure that enables our modern lifestyle. Failures are rare, and society’s experience with dams over the last century has taught us how to better prevent or minimize the damage from dam failures. Never-theless, a dam failure can be devastating. DEC is committed to continue working with dam owners and engineers to ensure the safe use of these structures.

As for the beavers? They seem to be doing just fine.

Leila Mitchell works in DEC’s Division of Water office in Albany. Alon Dominitz is the chief of DEC’s Dam Safety Section, located in Albany.

To Learn MoreCheck out “On the Front Lines”—DEC’s new video staff

profile series which features, among others, Dam Safety Section staff Alon Dominitz and Jennifer Ross. You can view their video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVUAAgiJTWk to learn more about the lives and crucial daily work of these two Division of Water engineers.

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About 520 million gallons of water were released by the Hadlock Pond Dam failure in 2005 which caused extensive damage to homes, washed out roads and bridges, and deposited debris downstream.

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In 1947, our parents Henry and Josephine Kernan acquired 965 acres on the skirts of the Catskill Mountains, and named them the Charlotte Forest. These acres included the woodlots and fields of six former farms, a stretch of the Charlotte River, and a glacially formed quaking bog called Clapper Lake.

Once every decade from 1957 to 1997, our father published an article about the pleasures and expectations of owning this particular piece of land. In 2007, two of us continued the tradition and wrote about our experiences growing up in this forest. And today, we, his five children, reflect on our family’s bond to the Charlotte Forest, our first decade as its stewards, and how this responsibility influences our lives. Now a Family Trust, we continue

to enjoy the land, but also are facing challenges that were inconceivable until recently, let alone in the 1940s.

Our father’s first article summarized the human history of the land and expressed his ambitions. By the early 1800s, pioneers had cleared most of the original forest, leaving only a few patches of hemlock on slopes too steep to log or harvest bark for tannin. A hundred years of intensive use impoverished the rocky soils so that by the 1930s, most farms had been abandoned; by 1947 a new forest had begun to spring up on the former fields. Pioneer species such as white birches, pin cherries and trembling aspens were succeeded by sugar and soft maples, black cherries, red oaks and white ashes. A forester by profession, Henry Kernan

GIFTS OF A FORESTOne family’s 70 years in a woodlot

By Devereux, Catherine, Bruce, Christopher and Patricia KernanPhotos provided by authors

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Dev, Kit, Pat, Cathy and Bruce Kernan enjoying the property, circa 1963.

Charlotte Forest is near the southern terminus of the range of black spruce (Picea mariana).

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

planned to nurture this new forest by applying management practices to make it a “safe and profitable investment,” as well as put down roots in his native state.

In those early years, Dad expected to improve the quality and growth rates of the trees in the old woodlots by using the selection system of silviculture. He would periodically sell a few of the large trees for timber, and the crooked, diseased, and dying trees for pulp and firewood. The goal was to encourage the vigorous growth of young seedlings, saplings and young canopy trees that would eventually replace mature timber. He reasoned that the harvested trees would give income while stagnant culls would gradually disappear as the forest’s health, quality and pro-ductivity increased. Dad wrote, “The forester’s skill will heal the ugly scars of insects and parasites and the cross force of wind…trees will all be straight and tall, sound and clear.”

Yet behind that optimistic statement were hard lessons: loggers were unwilling to cut cull trees; the 1954 hurricane made jack-straws of many stands; valuable timber trees take 70-100 years to grow, and of the 965 acres, 405 were on steep slopes, shallow soils, or swampy land unsuitable for timber production. The reality was that he could not provide the income he needed for his growing family solely from the forest. Therefore, Dad built a career as an international forestry consultant. This entailed sometimes leaving the Charlotte Forest to live abroad with his family for years at a time.

In his 1967 article, Dad summarized the finances of forest own-ership: although the value of premium saw logs had tripled, culls and pulpwood had lost most of their markets and did not repay the cost of cutting, skidding and hauling. He wrote, “One man cutting pulpwood all year cannot earn me enough to pay the taxes, whereas the same man can pay them in seven days with good logs…my only hope is to offer high-quality stands for heavy cutting instead of marginal trees and improvement marking.”

After another decade, in 1977, Dad began to rethink why he remained a forest landowner: “Tax payments [that] have exceeded even the possibility of forest income…have turned me to forest values other than timber.” If timber alone did not make forest ownership a “safe and profitable investment,” the Charlotte Forest’s many other satisfactions did. Our father’s recurring updates in the Conservationist increasingly celebrated what he called the “gifts of the forest”: gathering wild foods, camping among old-growth hemlocks, trolling for pickerel and bluegill, watching spring warblers along the Charlotte Creek, catching a glimpse of an elusive black bear, relishing picnic pies in the wild blueberry field, and doing silviculture work with axe and bow-saw. Dad’s love of Latin allowed him to quote Virgil to express his feeling about the Charlotte Forest: “Nobis placeant ante omnia silvae—Before all else let our joy be in the forest.” Selling timber does not cover costs of ownership, but does provide ample yield of joy.

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Dad was very proud of the fruits of his labor. Here, he stands by one of his favorite trees.

The property is home to a wide variety of unique flora, such as this pitcher plant.

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

In the 1987 and 1997 Conservationist articles, Dad continued the realization that his expectations and responsibilities as a landowner had changed. After more than a century, beaver had returned to Clapper Lake, where they caused the waters to rise, turning the once majestic shoreline trees into silver snags as a large area reverted to swamp and fen. Turkeys and bald eagles were also back and, if eastern timber wolves were not, at least coyotes could be heard singing from the hills at dusk.

The old-field, successional stands in which Dad taught us our silviculture skills had grown into straight-trunked young trees of which any forester would be proud. Some of the areas where, as a family, we had planted thousands of seedlings were now thick stands of trees busy rejuvenating the soil. Ecologically, the Charlotte Forest was healing after a century of hard human use. Our father took great satisfaction in its revival and the pleasure of knowing his stewardship had helped it along. He shared the abundance of the land by hosting annual tree seedling distri-bution events on May 1st of each year (his favorite day), and shared his knowledge of silviculture and forest ecology through

public woods-walks. Over his lifetime, Dad gave away more than 50,000 tree seedlings.

During the 50 years from 1947 to 1997 we grew into our various callings: in craft, art, design, conservation, ecology and forestry. Our choices have been influenced by travels as well as the deep connection to the Charlotte Forest. Roaming and root-edness became part of our family heritage; from this duality we each have combined inspiration, memories and images from many continents with local and practical experiences provided by living and learning in the outdoors. We each maintain houses in the Charlotte Valley and return as often as possible, although we mostly live, or at least work, elsewhere.

By 2007, the article written by Bruce and illustrated by Patricia focused on our experience of the Charlotte Forest, but it also began to discuss the effects of climate change, invasive species, and rising taxes that increased the complexity of management decisions. We inherited from our parents a changed forest. In 1947 it seemed to be an exploitable investment from which financial benefits were to flow to our parents. As non-financial

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Clapper Lake lies at the headwaters of a tributary to Charlotte Creek, which joins the Susquehanna just upstream of Oneonta.

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benefits began to dominate, there arose a sense of responsibility independent of the returns—forest became family. Our parents had gained something like a child and we a sibling, with a special, inherent right to be cared for, protected and sup-ported. We siblings are trustees of a diverse and rich piece of land and are charged with protecting it intact.

Today, the Charlotte Forest’s abundant joys still transcend the complications of ownership. We continue to practice silvi-culture so that growth shifts to healthier trees, just as our young father had planned so long ago. We still fish, hike, ski and snowshoe, camp, pick berries, and in the springtime picnic on wild ramps that grow in the woods where our parents’ ashes now enrich the soil. Our shared experiences of the lake; the slowly regenerating abandoned fields and apple orchards bound by stone walls; the cherry, maple, ash and hemlock stands; our camping and picnic sites—they are like a network of roots that bind our family together. However, as stewards we struggle with the effort to balance factors of finance and conservation large and small, public and private. By selling timber, the forest kept our father com-

fortable during his last years, and now will help maintain itself by partially covering the taxes.

During the past ten years we’ve faced major challenges. Two consecutive years of caterpillar defoliations forced a painful salvage of dying trees that undid years of labor in cherished timber stands. Emerald ash borers and hemlock tussock moths lurk in forests nearby, and beech bark disease is a disfiguring presence. Hunters help us control damage from an over-population of seedling-browsing deer, but some problems like invasive plants and animals are threats without feasible solutions.

In 2012, we faced a new struggle: an energy company proposed to build a gas pipeline through Clapper Lake’s wetlands, in the headwaters of the Susquehanna River Basin. Fortunately, the pipeline company agreed to use an existing alternate route that would avoid Clapper Lake. But fighting the proposal took a lot of time and energy. In addition, lack of zoning laws allowed an entrepreneur to clear-cut a nearby forest and build an asphalt racetrack for motorcycles and cars, greatly disturbing the tranquility of the area for six months of the year.

The future of the Charlotte Forest, as envisioned by our parents, by us, and by the next generation, is that it must always remain intact. Whether this is achieved through a conservation easement or by other means is still uncertain: many factors must be considered. Properties surrounding the Charlotte Forest have been divided and subdivided until ours is the largest contiguous piece remaining in

the area. We cannot know what decisions future generations will face, or what unforeseen circumstances might pressure, or even force them, as we nearly were, into making decisions that would jeop-ardize their ability to carry forward our family’s vision.

In arguing for undivided private forest ownership independent of outside interests, Dad quoted Alexander Hamilton (from a 1788 Federalist Papers discussion of presidential war powers), “the sense of responsibility is always strongest, in pro-portion as it is undivided.” In eighteenth-century America, the Charlotte Valley was a remote and self-reliant frontier with few outside intrusions. Some 229 years later, we and our forest are embedded in a sur-rounding economy and society that has a vital interest in the Charlotte Forest’s bio-diversity, water, sequestered carbon, and ecosystem services. We are holding and protecting one small corner of New York State on behalf of society and the earth.

Forest ownership will always engender financial, ecological and ethical choices. As we grapple with them in coming years, our bond to our forest sibling will deepen and may change again. But if it is ecologically healthy and securely pro-tected, the Charlotte Forest will always return to our family, and to society as a whole, a generous harvest of its pro-foundly joyful “gifts of the forest.”

Henry Kernan first wrote in the Conservationist of managing his woodlot in 1967. Fifty years later, his children, Devereux, Catherine, Bruce, Christopher and Patricia Kernan, continue his tradition, documenting the joys and struggles of protecting and managing this unique forest system.

For further reading, see: The Gifts of a Forest, by Henry Kernan, published by Xlibris in 2005.

Twenty Years in a Wood Lot, by Henry Kernan; October 1967 Conservationist, pp 27-30

Thirty Years in a Woodlot, by Henry Kernan; November 1977 Conservationist, pp 32-34

My 40 Years in a Woodlot, by Henry Kernan; October 1987 Conservationist, pp 36-41

My 50 Years in a Woodlot, by Henry Kernan; February 1997 Conservationist, pp 17-20

Growing with a Forest—our family’s 60 years in a woodlot by Bruce Kernan; February 2007 Conservationist, pp 10-13

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Our family enjoys Charlotte Forest in many ways.

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

I find myself staring down into an accumulation of woody debris stacked along the stems of maple and alder on the bank of a meandering forested stream. The area is flanked by fallow fields and mixed forest. Movement in the randomly stacked branches, roots and other forest debris caught in the creek’s flow, catches my attention. Another piece of wood, or so I think at first, descends gracefully through the branches suspended atop and into the pool beneath. I reach in and grab it, only to find it is a young snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina).

A few weeks later, I’m precariously making my way through deep muck along the edge of a weed-choked pond, peppered with emerging sprouts of arrow arum, water shield and lily pads. I’m searching for yet another species of turtle. Once again movement catches my eye, and I see a massive snapping turtle has turned to face me, basking in the midday sunshine. The creature has min-imized its exposure to the air and direct sunlight with only its nostrils and the middle of its carapace exposed; a behavior char-acteristic for this species.

Such instances illustrate the variation in habitat in which snapping turtles can be found. The flowing water in the gravelly riverine system provides consistently oxygenated habitat, while the still, mucky waters of the pond are largely oxygen-poor. The fact that snapping turtles can be found in both habitats demon-strates the species’ adaptability. Simply stated, the evolution that this ancient turtle species has undergone throughout the course of millions of years has allowed it to make its home in a wide variety of habitats and conditions. And they are surviving.

Modern day snapping turtles are well-preserved remnants of ancient chelonian life that dates back as far as 90 million years. They developed by adapting to the gradual changes of earth’s climate, the carving and filling of lakes and rivers, the rise and fall of oceans, changing land features created by the process of plate tectonics, and the predators they evolved alongside. This is how they became the current snappers we know and should respect. The sheer length of time they’ve inhabited planet earth is not only a feat of nature, it also suggests they survived the event that largely con-tributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

By William S. HoffmanPhotos provided by author

In the Company of DINOSAURS

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DescriptionDesignated New York’s official state reptile in 2006, snappers

are large-bodied turtles; the largest freshwater species found in our region. Some individuals have reached more than 70 pounds in weight, but most adults average 8-35 pounds. Like all turtles, they have a shell made up of a carapace (top half) and plastron (bottom half). The shell is composed of individual bony segments, with overlying keratinous plates called scutes. In snapping turtles, the plastron is reduced in size, exposing large fleshy areas around the base of each leg.

The carapace of a snapper is heavy and widely domed. The front edge is smooth and rounded, while the rear section bears heavy, angular, pointed bony plates that give the species its char-acteristic serrated appearance. A typical carapace ranges in size from 8 to 16 inches, and can easily approach 20 inches. It’s not unusual to see the carapace of a snapper sporting algae, bacteria, or fungi, as well as leeches and other aquatic invertebrates.

Thick tails extend well beyond the edge of the carapace in both sexes. In adults the cloaca—the external orifice for the digestive, urinary and reproductive tracts—is located underneath the rear edge of the carapace in females, but extends well beyond the edge in males.

Broad, muscular heads and oversized jaws aid snappers in grasping prey, and can inflict injury on would-be predators, including the bipedal variety. The turtle’s massive legs and claws serve as strong anchors to grasp and drown captured prey items, and the hook-shaped claws help remove flesh and appendages.

Snapping turtles are long-lived, averaging 30-40 years in the wild.

ReproductionLike all turtles, the snapping turtle reaches sexual maturity later

in life—around 10 years of age in New York. Mating can occur any time during the active season (April to early November) and takes place in the water.

Following mating, females often make lengthy migrations, both overland and in the water, to suitable and oftentimes ancestral nesting grounds. Using their powerful legs and long claws, females excavate nests on land—usually in open areas with loose or sandy soils, such as backyard gardens or mulched areas, road shoulders, sand and gravel quarries, streamside sand, and gravelly bars—and deposit 20 to 30 (up to 80) eggs. After covering the eggs, females return to the water. No care is provided the eggs or young.

Eggs incubate for several months. Hatchlings use a small egg tooth to break out of the shells—generally around mid-August—and then dig their way out of the nests. Sometimes hatchlings overwinter in the nest, emerging in the spring. The temperature in the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings, with hotter temper-atures producing all females.

Food and ForagingAquatic in nature, snappers primarily forage in the water. They

are omnivores, eating a wide variety of plants and wildlife they encounter, including aquatic vegetation, invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals. Relatively slow swimmers, adults prefer to use the sit-and-wait strategy for catching prey. Certain animals may be difficult to capture, or hold and swallow, while others may present efficient opportunities for capture and can be swallowed whole, minimizing energy expenditure.

Carrion, or dead organisms, comprise a fair portion of their diet as well. Being long-lived, snapping turtles may collect a cumu-lative experience and familiarity with cycles of food abundance throughout their active season. Research outlining changes in their diet as the year progresses through spring, summer and autumn has shown that as daylight increases following spring emergence and into summer, their diet is marked by selection of both vertebrate and invertebrate prey. Analysis of snapping turtles’ diets during the decreasing hours of daylight into autumn showed their diet to be heavy in aquatic plant matter. The increase in plant matter may be a means to stabilize metabolism or evacuate the gut before entering the semi-dormant period of their annual overwintering cycle.

MortalityPowerful jaws, formidable claws, large size and assertive

nature have made adult snappers nearly invulnerable to predation. Young turtles, however, are vulnerable from the time the eggs are deposited in the nest until they reach about six years of age. The vast majority of turtle nests are raided by predators such as raccoons and skunks, while newly hatched turtles can fall victim to foxes, raccoons, birds, skunks and snakes. Of the newly hatched turtles that do make it to the water, some will be eaten by fish, bullfrogs or other snappers. Fortunately, the young turtles quickly become resistant to predation as their shell hardens.

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New York’s largest freshwater turtle, snapping turtles have been known to reach more than 70 pounds in weight, but most adults av-erage 8-35 pounds. The carapace (upper shell) is heavy and widely domed with a smooth front and serrated back edge. The plastron (bottom shell) is reduced in size, exposing large fleshy areas around the base of each leg.

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

When predators do attack, you might expect that as turtles, they would pull themselves into their shells, however their small plastrons preclude that ability, leaving large portions of flesh exposed. Instead, to defend themselves, they exude a foul smelling substance called musk from a series of openings along the bridge of the shell that connects the carapace to the plastron. This can deter a predator that comes into contact with it.

Another strategy these turtles employ to protect themselves is to extend their front legs outside of the shell to make as much room as they can to retract their heads. Many turtles can live long lives missing a limb or two, but they need their heads!

During migration (primarily during the nesting season), many snappers are vulnerable to being struck by an automobile or truck, and it’s not unusual to see one squashed on a road. In addition, snappers face another threat: collection of them for food markets and the pet trade.

BehaviorEach year, turtles in North America go through an annual cycle

divided into two major periods: active and inactive. Not sur-prisingly, the active season occurs during the longer days of the year from spring through early fall. As reptiles, turtles need the warmer temperatures to successfully forage and breed.

Winter is the inactive period for turtles. In New York State, this can range from four to six months. During this time, turtles generally remain dormant, avoiding freezing temperatures and the depletion of oxygen. Snapping turtles overwinter in a variety of aquatic habitats, including buried in mud and other plant debris, or beneath submerged logs and trees, or even exposed on the bottom of lakes, streams, marshes and other wetland for-mations they inhabit. They have also been found to use muskrat huts and beaver lodges.

In colder winter months, their metabolism slows down; they neither feed nor digest. Like some other species of turtles, snappers can endure short periods of anoxia (devoid of oxygen)

during the winter. But this is not an ideal survival strategy as hypoxia and death can occur.

Snapping turtles are often described as aggressive, mean-spirited animals with uncontrolled dispositions that make them fight tooth-and-nail when encountered, particularly on land. While it is true they won’t hesitate to inflict serious and rapid injury to a potential threat, they generally are not the aggressors. In fact, they try to avoid confrontation. What appears to be aggressive behavior is really defensive behavior.

Snappers spend most of their lives in the water, where they will generally swim away from people when encountered. The few times they are on land, however, their heightened activity and exposure raises their stress levels and can result in their defensive behavior response: striking rapidly and upwards. It’s this behavior that led to their common name, the snapping turtle.

Harvesting SnappersThe snapping turtle is legally classified as a game species in

New York. A number of people find snappers delicious to eat, however, they are known to bioaccumulate contaminants such as heavy metals and organochlorides.

To hunt snappers, you must have a valid New York State hunting license. The open season for taking snappers is from July 15 – September 30. These dates are designed to deter the harvest of female turtles migrating to nesting grounds, which usually occurs before the season opens. Snappers must have a straight line carapace length of 12 inches or longer to be taken. The current daily bag limit is 5, with a season bag limit of 30 indi-viduals. Harvest is allowed during any time of the day using a gun or a bow; trapping is prohibited.

William S. Hoffman is a seasonal fish and wildlife technician with DEC.

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Snappers are highly adaptable, occuring in a wide variety of habitats and conditions, such as these overwintering sites.

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

Turtle TussleWhile kayaking on a southern Adirondack lake in

early summer, Frank and Lilka Lichtneger captured this encounter between two large snapping turtles. The turtles were completely focused on each other and seemed totally unconcerned with the humans’ presence. The Lich-tnegers were amazed at the size of the turtles’ claws, length of their tails, and overall size, which they described as the size of bed pillows. Assuming the turtles were mating, and not wishing to disturb them, they snapped a series of photos and paddled away.

Snapping turtles can mate anytime from April to November; however, what the Lichtnegers witnessed was more likely an aggressive territorial encounter between two competing adult snappers. Snappers generally mate on the bottom of a waterbody, and usually not in this position, but rather with the male’s plastron against the female’s carapace. This encounter may be an attempt by the turtles to dunk each other until one quits and retreats. Like many animals, turtles will squabble over a number of things, such as the best habitat, good foraging grounds, or a suitable mate.

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

People have enjoyed water gardens for centuries. Many view Japanese gardens and other types of aquatic gardens as places for quiet contemplation and sanctuary. However, along with these positive characteristics, certain types of aquatic gardens can have unintended and harmful impacts.

Some plants that may be intentionally placed in aquatic gardens—likely due to their beauty—are invasive and can spread to nearby waterways and wetlands. Once spread, these plants can harm native plants and impact animals and their habitats.

Aquatic Invasive SpeciesThe following are some examples of aquatic garden plants that

have or could become problematic throughout New York State.Yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus) is an invasive plant with

beautiful, showy flowers. When not in bloom, it can easily be mistaken for a native iris. A native of Europe and North Africa, yellow flag was brought to the U.S. and Canada in the late 1700s as an ornamental plant. Unfortunately, it has spread from water gardens to freshwater wetlands and riparian areas, where it forms dense colonies and outcompetes native plants. This has

By Catherine McGlynn

Invasive Aquatic Garden Plants

Yellow flag

Monet waterlillies

FLOATING IN PLAIN SIGHT:

J.S. Peterson

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already occurred in more than 30 New York counties (www.imapinvasives.org) and 46 states within the U.S. Yellow flag reproduces by seed and plant parts, and all of its plant parts are toxic to livestock.

Floating primrose-willow (Ludwigia peploides glabrescens) is native to the southeastern U.S. and is found in at least five New York counties, with most infestations reported in Suffolk County. DEC and the Peconic Estuary Program have been working dil-igently to remove this plant from parts of the Peconic River for

more than a decade. Infestations are likely the result of floating primrose-willow being used as an ornamental for its attractive flowers and vegetation. These plants form dense mats that can interfere with recreational boat use, fishing, flood control and drainage. They can also cause reduced amounts of dissolved oxygen in water, which can impact plant and animal life. Floating primrose-willow reproduces by seed and plant parts.

Yellow floating-heart (Nymphoides peltata) has been found in 10 New York counties and more than 30 states. This striking plant was introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental for its water lily-like, heart-shaped leaves and bright five-petaled flowers. It is a native of Eurasia and the Mediterranean area, with a preference for the slow waters of lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Like floating primrose-willow, dense patches of yellow floating-heart restrict recreation on waterways. Yellow floating-heart reproduces by water-dispersed seeds, runners and plant parts.

[Note: Under New York State regulations (NYCRR Part 575), it is illegal to knowingly possess with the intent to sell, import, purchase, transport or introduce yellow flag, floating primrose-willow, and yellow floating-heart. For information about restrictions related to other aquatic invasive plants, visit DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov and search for the publication New York State Prohibited and Regulated Invasive Plants.]

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) are two additional harmful plants that are not currently on the list of prohibited or regulated species, but occa-sional infestations have been reported in New York. Initially, these infestations were considered a one-season occurrence

All of the plants mentioned here have spread from water gardens to become problematic in natural areas.

floating primrose-willow

yellow floating-heart

water lettuce

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Mary Priestley

Bugwood.org Bugwood.org

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

because there was no evidence these species could overwinter here. However, recent reports from Wisconsin suggest otherwise. Climate change is now allowing less cold-tolerant species to expand their ranges north, especially in waters that stay unfrozen in the winter, like springs or warmwater industrial outflows. Using native alternatives for these two species is strongly recommended.

Help Stop the SpreadAll of the plants mentioned here have spread from water

gardens to become problematic in natural areas. Flooding and large storm events are two examples of how ornamental non-native plants might spread. During these natural events, plants, plant parts and seeds are picked up and distributed downstream when the water recedes. Optimum placement of aquatic gardens is vital to keep this from happening in the future. Gardens that are not located near a waterway are less likely to be impacted by flooding and storms.

Properly identifying species that are regulated and prohibited in New York State, and replacing those species within your garden (or not purchasing them at all) will also help decrease the number of aquatic invasive plants being introduced into our wetlands and waterways. Being informed, making smart choices, and spreading the word—not invasive plants—are essential to protect the state’s valuable water resources.

Catherine McGlynn works in DEC’s Office of Invasive Species Management in Albany.

Common carp / koi (Cyprinus carpio) and goldfish (Carrasius arautus) are popular fish that people use in aquatic gardens. Both are reg-ulated species, which means that under New York State regulations (NYCRR Part 575) they cannot be

knowingly introduced into a free-living state, or introduced by a means that one should have known would lead to such an introduction, although such species shall be legal to possess, sell, buy, propagate and transport.

A species is considered in a free-living state if it is introduced to public lands or lands connected to public lands, natural areas, and public waters or waters connected to public waters. Inhabiting artificial ponds and water gardens with no outlet to public waters, waters entirely within private land not connected to public waters, and water-use facilities with outflows not providing access to public waters are not considered free-living states. These species are required to have a warning label wherever they are sold.

You can find out more about invasive species regulations on DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/99141.html.

water hyacinth

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Bugwood.org

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

*Information borrowed from http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8369.pdf

For more information on aquatic invasives in New York, check out these webpages:www.nyis.info/blog/what-you-can-do

www.nyis.info

NATIVE AQUATIC PLANT ALTERNATIVESHere is a list of native or exotic non-invasive plants that can be used in aquatic gardens as alternatives to invasive ornamental plants*

hydrilla

Aquatic Invasive Plants: Do NOT Use

Floating or rooted emergentWater hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta)Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)Yellow floating-heart (Nymphoides peltata)Floating primrose-willow (Ludwigia peploides glabrescens)

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa)

Pond margin

Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)Yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus)

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Aquatic Native or Exotic Non-Invasive Plant Alternatives: Use these instead

Spatterdock (Nuphar species)White water lily (Nymphaea odorata)Water shield (Brasenia schreberi)Little floating-heart (Nymphoides cordata)Arrowheads (Sagittaria species)Lobelias (Lobelia species)Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)Wilson’s ligularia (Ligularia wilsoniana)

Coontail or Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)Canada waterweed (Elodea canadensis)Water celery (Vallisneria americana)Grass-leaved water-plantain (Alisma gramineum)

Blue flag (Iris versicolor)Yellow jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)Japanese iris (Iris ensata “Variegata” and others)Laevigata iris (Iris laevigata and cultivars)Siberian iris (Iris sibirica “Butter and Sugar”)

Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)Northern wild-raisin (Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides)Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata)

Submerged (both invasive and non-invasive spread quickly)

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

BRIEFLY

Wanted: Bear DataAre you a hiker, hunter, trapper or outdoor enthusiast? Do

you want to learn more about bears and other wildlife in your area? We’re looking for citizen scientists to take part in a new research project called iSeeMammals. To participate, take the iSeeMammals smartphone app when you go on a hike or set up a fixed trail camera, and report when you see bears or find bear signs (tracks, scat, hair or markings). By partici-pating, you will support wildlife researchers’ efforts to study the state’s expanding black bear population. Training sessions will be offered this spring and summer. For more information, visit iseemammals.org and download the app.

iMapInvasives TrainingYou can help stop the spread of

invasive species! Become part of New York’s invasive species early detection network by learning how to use iMapInvasives, an online mapping system shared by citizen scientists, educators, and natural resource pro-fessionals. All interested groups are encouraged to help keep the map up-to-date and accurate by reporting invasive species locations and control efforts. You can even use your smartphone to report new findings. The NY Natural Heritage Program will offer free training sessions throughout the state this spring. Be sure to visit www.nyimapinvasives.org for schedule and registration details, and contact [email protected] with general questions.

Water Volunteers Sought DEC is recruiting people to monitor water quality in streams

and rivers during the 2017 summer sampling season. Training sessions for volunteer evaluators will be held in May in the Susquehanna River watershed, Atlantic Ocean/Long Island Sound, and the Lake Champlain basin. Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators (a.k.a. WAVE) citizen monitors visit stream sites once annually between July and September to collect mac-roinvertebrates—insects and other small organisms—from rocks and rubble on the stream bottom. These “canaries in the coal mine” can indicate if stream conditions merit further investi-gation by DEC professionals. For more information or to register for a training session, e-mail WAVE Coordinator Alene Onion at [email protected]. (See page 11.)

Adirondack GatewayA recently announced master plan to create a “Gateway to the

Adirondacks” envisions a world-class, year-round recreation hub that will boost tourism in the Upper Hudson Region of the Adirondacks. The plan outlines options to develop 300 acres at the former Frontier Town theme park at Exit 29 on the Northway (I-87), including: a DEC campground and day-use area along the Schroon River; a Visitors Information Center highlighting rec-reation destinations in the Adirondack Park; an event center with tourist accommodations; an equestrian camping and trail riding area; historical exhibits; and privately operated services and ame-nities. The Gateway will allow visitors to easily access thousands of miles of recreation trails open for biking, hiking, skiing and snowmobiling. Check out www.dec.ny.gov/lands/108738.html for more information.

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I Love My Park DayOn May 6th, New Yorkers can volunteer to clean up, improve

and beautify state parks and DEC campgrounds and recreation areas across New York as part of the sixth annual I Love My Park Day. Last year, more than 7,500 people took part, helping to plant trees, clear paths, rake leaves, clean beaches and more. These efforts go a long way to improve site amenities and make them safer and more attractive. I Love My Park Day is sponsored by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), DEC, and local Friends groups. For more information or to volunteer, visit: http://ptny.org/events/i-love-my-park-day.

Look for the ZeroBefore buying lawn fer-

tilizer, check the bag for a set of three numbers showing the per-centage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Buy a bag with a “0” in the middle to ensure the fertilizer does not contain phosphorous. Phosphorous is one of the leading causes of water pollution. Under New York’s Nutrient Runoff Law, it is illegal to use phosphorus fertilizers on lawns, except under specified conditions. Some municipalities also have stricter laws. Even if you live far from water, excess phosphorus from your lawn can wash off and pollute lakes and streams, harming fish and ruining boating and swimming. More than 100 New York waterbodies cannot be used for drinking, fishing and/or swimming because they contain too much phos-phorus. Using a phosphorus-free fertilizer will help protect critical waters. For more information, including a new video demonstrating how runoff affects our waters, visit: on.ny.gov/lawnfertilizer.

Media CornerOne of DEC’s most popular recent Facebook posts featured a

photo submitted by one of our followers of a barred owl perfectly blending into the trees on a snowy day in Rome, NY. Barred owls can sometimes go completely unnoticed as their feathers provide almost silent flight. They are best known for their dis-tinctive hooting call “Who cooks for you?”

Follow us at www.facebook.com/NYSDEC

BuyPhosphorusFree

LAWNFERTILIZER

12-0-15

Look for

the zero

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

LETTERS Compiled by Eileen Stegemann and Ellen Bidell

Unusual SightingWhile looking down from a footbridge in Massena over the

Grasse River, I spotted these unusual looking fish. There were three of them swimming around. I did a little research and think they might be gar. Is that correct?

Pam MonacelliSt. Lawrence County

What a great capture. These are longnose gar, and given where and when you saw them, these fish were likely spawning. Longnose gar have been around for nearly 100 million years. They can reach three feet in length and can survive in water with low oxygen levels. In New York State, gar are found in the Niagara River, Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River, eastern Lake Ontario, and larger tributaries to these waters. They often spawn in groups.

—Joelle Ernst, DEC Fisheries Biologist

Future WoodswomanOur six-year-old daughter, Iyla, was home sick earlier this

month when the article on Anne LeBastille in your December 2016 issue (“Original Woodswoman”) caught her eye. She read it herself from beginning to end, pausing only to ask what a few words meant. A third-generation Adirondack summer visitor and avid reader/writer, Iyla was deeply taken with Anne’s story. She then proceeded to build a “replica” of Anne’s log cabin, including fur-nishings, and a writer’s desk at which her Anne cut-out sat, writing. Anne’s book Woodswoman was under the Christmas tree this year.

Seeta & Jim PaiWestchester County

I am so happy to hear your daughter was so interested and inspired, and love that she built a model cabin, complete with Anne. I hope that she enjoys Anne’s book Woodswoman. After the article came out, I received a very nice offer from a former DEC colleague to give a young person his copies of some of Anne’s books. I would like to give your daughter Woodswoman II (Beyond Black Bear Lake), along with a nice photo of Anne and her dog, Condor.

—Leslie Surprenant, retired DEC biologist, Executrix of Anne LaBastille’s estate, and author of the article mentioned herein

Home Sweet HomeI work at a high school in Cobleskill, where our Employment

Training Students build bluebird houses as one of their projects. I bought four of these beautifully con-structed houses and posted them in my backyard. It took a little while, but a pair of bluebirds moved in and promptly started to raise a family. We loved watching them raise their brood.

Tammy KoeberleSchoharie County

That’s great that you were able to observe our state bird up close. Read more about bluebirds in “Bluebird Country” on page 6 in this issue.

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Eye HopWhile visiting Tinker

Park in early summer last year, I spotted this frog hidden among the vegetation.

Aaron WintersMonroe County

Good eyes, Aaron. It appears to be a green frog, although I can’t be sure because of the vegetation covering part of the frogs head. Green frogs are second in size only to the bull frog in NYS. Despite the name, green frogs can also be brown, bronze or bluish in color.

—Bill Hoffman, DEC Fish & Wildlife Technician

Find the BobcatI took this photo last October near my home. The bobcat

crossed the road in front of my car and then stopped in the bushes. Fortunately, my camera and telephoto lens were on the front seat. I could see the cat in the brush, but when I looked at it through the lens, I couldn’t pick it out. I wasn’t sure I got him until I zoomed in on the images later.

Dick SanfordDelaware County

This bobcat’s coloring provides great camouflage.

Sharing a MealI was fortunate to get photos of an eagle feeding its chick.James RobertsOneida County

What a fantastic shot. Eagle chicks are often fed a variety of fish, including carp, white sucker, shad and bullhead. After the adult captures a fish, it brings the fish back to the nest, where it tears the fish into small strips to feed to its chicks.

Ask the BiologistQ: My mom, Barbara Cullen Rauh, is an avid beachcomber.

She walks the shores of Lake Erie daily near Cattaraugus Creek, picking up bits of colorful “sea glass” for her collection. One day she found these unique pieces. Can you help to identify this treasure?—USCG Capt. Mike Rauh, MD

A: These pieces are bones from a freshwater drum. Also known as sheepshead, drum are heavy-bodied fish with blunt heads and pronounced humpbacks. The smooth “balls” on your find are actually teeth; you can see a number have fallen out. Drum use these numerous small rounded teeth for grinding their favorite foods: freshwater snails, clams and crayfish. You were lucky to find them—it’s not something many people get to see. Read more about freshwater drum in this issue’s Back Trails.

—Eileen Stegemann, Assistant Editor ConservationistContact us!E-mail us at: [email protected] to us at: Conservationist Letters NYSDEC, 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-4502facebook.com/NYSDECtheconservationist

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

BackTrails Perspectives on People and Nature

At 12 years of age, it’s hard to be a seasoned veteran of anything. But in Moriah, New York, there’s a young woman who is a seasoned veteran—a veteran angler, that is. In fact, she’s now a New York State record-holding angler. That’s right, Amelia Whalen, a state record-holder at age 12.

Way back when Amelia was three, her dad, Joe, began taking her fishing. Every evening after Dad got home from work, the pair ventured onto Lake Champlain in their 16’, V-hull boat. Amelia mostly watched at first, but after seeing Dad pull in a bass or two, she was hooked. For the last nine years, she’s been learning rod-handling techniques, net-handling skills, and perhaps most impor-tantly, which lures work and which lures don’t.

Amelia also learned where the secret hot spots are. She won’t tell me, though, because they’re secret.

Soon enough, both halves of this fishing duo were enjoying success. Amelia and her dad began targeting sheepshead (also called freshwater drum) because they’re fun to catch: they’re big and put up a good fight. Eight- or ten-pound sheepshead were the norm for these high-seas anglers.

Last June 4th, Joe and Amelia were in the right place at the right time. Just south of the Champlain Bridge on Lake Champlain, Amelia hooked into a big one while bouncing a Laser Blade off the bottom in about 10’ of water. Getting big fish this early in the season is rare, but the warm spring, and lack of rain, caused the lake water to warm earlier: the fish were on the move.

Amelia worked the fish for about 10 minutes. Slowly, it tired out. Joe saw it roll and thought, “What a beauty.” In an outwardly calm (and inwardly excited) demeanor, he told Amelia: “Don’t lose that fish.” She didn’t give up. Slowly, she reeled in the bruiser. Joe knew it was a beauty, but didn’t realize just how big the fish was until he got hold of it with his grab tool.

As the fish rose from the water, the grab’s built-in scale readings slowly rose. Ten pounds, 15, 20, 25. “Holy cow,” Joe thought to himself, “this thing is huge!” The scale finally stopped moving near the 30-lb. mark. Joe knew this was a possible record, and excitedly called his brother Rob who was also fishing, to come over and give them a hand.

The live well on Joe’s boat wasn’t big enough for this Lake Champlain monster. When Rob arrived, his wasn’t either. It was time to hustle to Norm’s Bait & Tackle in Crown Point to get this fish weighed. Norm’s scales are certified; to be considered for a state record, the fish had to be offi-cially weighed and measured. Joe and his daughter cut it close; Norm was just locking up when they arrived.

All eyes were focused on the readout as the fish was set on the scale. Up went the numbers: 10, 20, 25 and finally, the scale

topped off just shy of 30 lbs. A DEC fisheries biologist later confirmed the record: it was official. Amelia Whalen had just set the NYS freshwater drum record at 29.90 lbs., and 36.5”. When she heard the news, Amelia’s smile went from ear to ear.

Unfortunately, this daughter-and-dad fishing team hadn’t registered with the Lake Champlain International Fishing Derby. Had they been, Amelia could have been a big money winner. In fact, she could have won a new boat: Dad would be asking her to take him fishing.

Records are made to be broken: Amelia’s fish broke the record set in 2014 by James VanArsdall of West Henrietta, who caught a 26-lb., 33.5” drum from Lake Ontario’s Irond-equoit Bay. Amelia’s big fish has set the bar a bit higher for the next challenger.

Congratulations, Amelia, on an early Father’s Day gift your dad will never forget.

A previous Conservationist contributor, Rich Redman of Moriah likes fishing, and telling big fish stories.

Caught a big fish lately? For more infor-mation on NY’s Angler Achievement Awards program, visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7727.html

Amelia’s Big Fish by Rich Redman

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New York State Conservationist, April 2017

This year, we encourage you to celebrate this special day by taking a walk in the woods, or a local park, to experience the many benefits trees provide. Leave the cell phone and electronics behind, and let your senses absorb the sights, sounds and smells of the forest—an experience the Japanese call shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. Listen to the breeze traveling through the leaves and the songs of birds nesting high up in the canopy. Breathe in the scents of pine needles, and feel the textures of buds and bark.

New York is blessed with abundant trees and forests that welcome people young and old. Spending time in a forest promotes relaxation and good health. What better way to celebrate Arbor Day on April 28th than reconnecting with nature—an experience guaranteed to make us feel good?

Visit DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5274.html for more information on Arbor Day, and www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html for infor-mation on forest bathing.

CELEBRATE Arbor Day WITH A WALK IN THE WOODS

Arbor Day is a time for us to recognize the importance of trees in our lives.

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Subscribe today!Call 1-800-678-6399

Visit online: www.TheConservationist.org

David Kenyon