ESFPA E-News

Land Use Change and Soil Carbon Stocks

A study of soil carbon in the northeastern US looked at the effects of deforestation, reforestation, and harvesting. Researchers used data from published literature, soil surveys, and national forest inventory databases to assess the impact on carbon storage in soils.

Results indicate that deforestation for either agriculture or development resulted in declines in soil carbon. Reforestation, increased soil carbon, and harvesting had no significant effect. Findings point to the importance of regional land-use dynamics--particularly the retention of forested areas--for maintaining the function of carbon storage in soils.

Click the link below to read the full study:

New York's Warm Winter

As we roll into spring, NOAA data reveals that this past winter was the warmest on record. Some of the typically coldest states in the country saw record-setting warmth, including New York. 

Here are a couple local stories:

Record warm winter all but guaranteed for parts of Vermont, New York - Temperatures collected from the start of December through the end of February comprise what researchers consider “meteorological winter" with high temperatures and inconsistent snowfall.  Additionally, this year’s El Niño’s influence was particularly strong, based on ocean temperatures.

The warmest winter- A warm winter in the Adirondacks was marked by high temps and minimal snowfall. This winter’s record-breaking warm temperatures and minimal snowfall shortened outdoor recreation times and disrupted some events. El Niño and climate change both largely contributed to these higher temperatures. 

ARC 28th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

“Emerging Pressures Caused by Climate Change”

May 16^th & 17^th, 2024, High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

Join the Adirondack Research Consortium at the Annual Conference as they delve into the pressing issue of climate change in the Adirondacks. Explore how rising temperatures are reshaping ecosystems, endangering native flora and fauna, and threatening local communities and culture. Through expert presentations and interactive dialogue, they'll seek innovative ideas and recommendations for future actions and policies to address this urgent challenge. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the solution!

Keynote: Dr. Curt Stager, Paul Smith’s College: "Who's An Adirondacker, and Why Does It Matter In A Warming World?"

Block rate rooms are available at the High Peaks Resort at $139.00/night while they last! (518) 523-4411.

Click the link below to register:

DEC Announces 2023 Bear Harvest Summary

Overall Harvest Increased Slightly from 2022; Harvest Density Greatest in Catskills

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced bear hunters harvested an estimated 1,356 black bears (Ursus americanus) during the 2023 hunting seasons. Though rarely seen by most New Yorkers, black bears are valued by hunters, photographers, and wildlife watchers alike, and are well established in many areas across the state. 

“Black bear populations continue to expand into areas occupied historically,” said Commissioner Seggos. “This expansion is a conservation success story and robust populations afford great hunting opportunities. DEC encourages New Yorkers to learn the BearWise basics to help live more responsibly with bears and reduce the likelihood of human-bear conflicts in their backyards.” 

Hunters harvested an estimated 485 bears in the Northern Zone and an estimated 871 bears in the Southern Zone. This represents roughly six percent more bears harvested in the north and one percent more in the south than in 2022. The total bear harvest in 2023 was approximately seven percent lower than the five-year average.  

The Catskill region continued to produce the greatest bear harvest densities, and in Wildlife Management Units (WMU) 3A, 3C, 3K, 4R, and 4W hunters took more than 10 bears per 100 square miles, with hunters taking more than 15 bears per 100 square miles in WMU 3K.  

Notable Numbers

• 16.1: The number of bears harvested per 100 square miles in WMU 3K, the greatest bear harvest density of any WMU.  

• 550 pounds: The heaviest dressed-weight bear reported to DEC in 2023, taken in the town of Windsor, Broome County, WMU 7S. Scaled weights of dressed bears were submitted for 21 percent of bears taken in 2023. 
• 648: The number of hunter-harvested bears from which DEC collected teeth to determine the bear’s age in 2023.  
• 25: The age of the oldest bear harvested in 2022. The bear was harvested in the town of West Union, Steuben County, WMU 8X. Bear teeth from the 2023 season are still being analyzed. 
• 1: The number of bears harvested in WMU 7A in 2023. This was the first bear ever reported as harvested in the unit since DEC first began tracking bear harvest information in 1970. 

Black bear harvest data is gathered from two main sources: harvest reports required of all successful bear hunters and the physical examination of bears by DEC staff and cooperating taxidermists. Harvest estimates are made by cross-referencing these two data sources and determining the rate at which hunters report bear harvests in each zone. In fall 2023, DEC will send a commemorative 2023 Black Bear Management Coordinator Patch and a letter confirming each bear’s age to all hunters who reported their bear harvest and submitted a tooth for age analysis. 

DEC’s 2023 Bear Harvest Summary report provides tables, figures, and maps detailing the bear harvest around the state. Past harvest summaries are also available on DEC’s website. DEC’s Black Bear Management Plan provides information on how DEC determines black bear population objectives throughout the state. 

NBRC Timber For Transit Program

The Northern Border Regional Commission has launched its Timber for Transit program, which aims to promote the use of local forest products in transportation infrastructure in New Hampshire, Maine, New York, and Vermont.

Highly competitive projects will demonstrate and widely promote the utility of high-value forest products in transportation infrastructure and commit to enhancing climate resilience in rural communities. These federal resources will be competitively awarded through two funding rounds with a minimum of $25 million available across both rounds in 2024.

Click the link below to learn more: