Theresa Draves, DEC’s Supervising Forester in Allegany County from XXXX to XXXX holds WHAT to mark the 2021 formation of IMPACT Friends Group as a co-steward in the management and improvement of public trails in Allegany County.

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 to determine IMPACT’s role.

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 this wide array of responsibilities, the DEC encourages county-based Foresters to recruit groups of volunteers as co-stewards of the state’s forests.

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

DEC FORESTERS