FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE00-44
August
28, 2000
Contact:
Geoff Ryan
(718/595-6600)
Watershed
Forestry Conservation Corps Team Completes Summer's Work At Cannonsville
Reservoir
Commissioner Joel A. Miele Sr., P.E., of the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that a Watershed
Forestry Conservation Corps team recently completed an inventory of
the Johnny Brook forest area above the Cannonsville Reservoir in Delaware
County. This area contains over 2,500 acres of water supply land and
was last inventoried almost 25 years ago. The information acquired
through the new inventory will be used to determine changes in the
forest stands, to identify both common and rare species of flora and
fauna, and to locate and describe special habitats and water resources,
such as springs, seeps and wetlands. The three-person team, comprised
of a crew chief and two student interns, worked throughout the summer
on the inventory.
"This marked the second year that DEP has employed a team of
specialists in forestry from area colleges to conduct inventories
of properties at the reservoirs," said Commissioner Miele. "It's
a great program that provides students with valuable experience, while
collecting important information that helps DEP plan management strategies
for water supply lands and forests."
The chief of this summer's crew was Mr. Thomas Pavlesich of Lancaster,
PA. He graduated last year from the College of Forestry at Syracuse,
and then worked for Mead Paper Company doing forest inventory work
on their extensive land holdings in New Hampshire. Mr. Pavlesich plans
to attend graduate school in January. The two interns working under
his leadership were Mr. Ron Chapin and Mr. Michael Cooper.
Ron Chapin is a returnee from last year's intern program, during
which he helped map all the roads in Johnny Brook with a Trimble Geographical
Positioning System unit. That work experience was invaluable in helping
this year's crew members develop an accurate Geographical Information
System (GIS) map from the data they collected. Mr. Chapin resides
in Oneonta with his wife and two boys and will be a senior this fall
at SUNY Oneonta where he is majoring in Earth Science. A 23-year veteran
of the U.S. Army, he saw 16 years of service in the Army's DELTA force
special combat unit. "The DEP program has been great for me,
because I'm learning all sorts of information that will be very useful
in my future teaching career," stated Mr. Chapin.
Michael Cooper resides in Saugerties and will be a senior at the
College of Forestry at Syracuse in the fall. His two-hour commute
has done little to stem his enthusiasm for the program. Mr. Cooper
said, "It is a great experience driving all the way through the
Catskills each day - from the Hudson River to the West Branch of the
Delaware River. My biggest concern, so far, has been avoiding the
deer, bears and other wildlife that can wander onto our mountain roads."