DEC FORESTERS

Greg Mueller, Supervising Forester in Allegany County since XXXX, discusses DEC’s forest management plan for 2024 at a meeting with the IMPACT Executive Committee.

For more information about the role of the DEC in managing state forestlands in Allegany County, go to

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/rtca/upload/West-Almond-Trail-System-Master-Plan.pdf

Foresters employed by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation to manage state owned forests and wildlife habitations work in county-level teams to carry out the following responsibilities:

—Developing forest restoration plans

—Planning and constructing outdoor facilities

—Identifying and marking conservation plots

—Overseeing nurseries

—Harvesting timber

—Collecting data about forest health

—Selecting and marking trees in need of care

—Developing fire safety procedures

—Classifying plant and animal species

—Assessing environmental impact

To assist in carrying out these responsibilities, the DEC encourages county-based Foresters to recruit groups of volunteers as co-stewards of the state’s forests.

In 2020, Theresa Draves engaged experienced local trail users and former DEC staff to found the IMPACT Friends Group and enter into a Volunteer Stewardship Agreement with the DEC. In WHAT YEAR, Greg Mueller (below) assumed the responsibilities of Supervising Forester.