FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE03-66
November
6, 2003
Contact:
Natalie Millner
(718) 595-6600
Local
Mills Awarded Forest Management Contracts at the Cannonsville Reservoir
in Delaware County
Commissioner Christopher O. Ward of the New York City Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) announced today the recent awarding of contracts to two
Delaware County mills for the harvesting of timber as part of forest management
plans at the Cannonsville Reservoir. The successful bidders on the two
projects were Schaefer Logging, Inc. of Deposit and Wagner Hardwoods,
LLC of Owego.
“The City is unique in the region as a large landowner able to
apply conservation principles in the management of watershed forests,”
said Commissioner Ward. “While the Catskill Forest Preserve and
many land trusts are admirably protecting forest as ‘forever wild’
on the one hand, and private lands are often logged or developed on the
other, DEP is able to take a third approach of managing a long-term ‘working
forest’ within the framework of overall water quality protection.”
Larry Schaefer, President of Schaefer Logging, commented that, “the
bid for the harvest of timber and firewood in the Cannonsville Reservoir
watershed area will have a significant economic impact on the local economy
and will provide employment for over 30 employees. Harvesting of timber
will produce firewood and landscape mulch for homeowners, ash tool handles
from local handle factories, wood pallets for shipping, sawdust for farmers,
lumber for furniture, chips for composite wood products, and veneer logs
that go all over the world. Timber harvests through sustainable forest
management provided by the Department of Environmental Protection will
help provide long term economic stability in the region.”
New York City owns approximately 80,000 acres of forested land in nine
upstate counties, which are managed to include sustainable uses when such
uses afford protection of water quality, maintenance or improvement of
ecosystem integrity and benefits to local communities.
City foresters manage these areas with four primary goals in mind: protect
public health through providing a long term supply of high quality water
for the nine million consumers served in New York State; maintain ecosystem
integrity by protecting essential ecological processes and allowing the
watershed ecosystem to both resist and recover from disturbances; provide
community benefits, uses, values, goods and services; and promote the
advancement of knowledge through development and application of principles
for sustainable management of watersheds.
Matt Karp, Wagner Hardwood forester, certified by the Society of American
Foresters said, “We were pleased when we learned we had been awarded
the job on the Cannonsville. I believe in sustainable forestry and this
job is a fine example.”
The two forest management projects on City lands are designed to regenerate
forest areas where overstory trees are declining in overall health. In
order to maintain or diversify age, species composition or structure in
watershed forests, areas are periodically harvested to encourage the development
of a new generation of tree seedlings. The ‘shelterwood’ regeneration
strategy being employed in these projects stimulates natural development
of seedlings. A partial cover of healthy and vigorous seed trees is retained
to provide a seed source while also serving to shade and protect developing
trees.
All DEP forest management projects are planned and supervised by certified,
professional foresters on the DEP’s staff. The projects are scheduled
in phases and are controlled through a detailed contract that is designed
to protect land and water quality. Both companies awarded contracts are
Cooperating Timber Harvesters listed with New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation. They abide by New York State’s Timber
Harvesting Guidelines which are designed to protect water quality through
the application of Best Management Practices.