The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is revising the Unit Management Plan (UMP) for more than 6,106 acres of forest preserve lands in the Shandaken Wild Forest. Located in the central Catskills, these lands are contained in five parcels in the town of Shandaken in Ulster County and the town of Lexington in Greene County. The original Shandaken Wild Forest UMP was adopted in 2005.

"DEC is seeking public input on how to best manage these lands while providing access to a variety of outdoor recreational activities consistent with the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan," said Region 3 Regional Director Kelly Turturro. "DEC's goal is to protect the natural resources, provide outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors, and ensure the Forest Preserve is an asset to the communities and a benefit to local economies."

Since the completion of the 2005 plan, approximately 630 acres on the eastern slopes of Belleayre Mountain were classified and added to the Shandaken Wild Forest. In addition, several recreational facilities from the original plan have been completed including a trail system, a lean-to in Rochester Hollow and an accessible fishing pier at the Lower Birch Creek property. The UMP can be viewed and downloaded at the http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/shandaken.pdf webpage on DEC's website.

The 2018 revision of the UMP will include information on the new acquisition and updated inventories of the natural resources and man-made facilities. Management issues under consideration by DEC's planning team include:

• protection of the unit's natural resources and
• enhancing public recreational access opportunities for mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

In anticipation of the revision of this UMP, the Catskill Watershed Corporation and DEC contracted with a recreational trail design company to evaluate and develop a mountain bike and cross country ski trail system on newly acquired lands on the eastern slopes of Belleayre Mountain traversing both the Shandaken Wild Forest and the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center Intensive Use Area. The recently completed “Shandaken-Belleayre Mountain Bike and Cross Country Ski Trail System Concept Plan,” which can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/shantrlplan.pdf will be used to develop proposals for mountain bike and cross country ski trails in the 2018 draft revision of the 2005 Shandaken Wild Forest UMP.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Public comments on what should be included in the revised UMP will be accepted until May 25, 2018 and can be mailed to Natural Resource Planner Pine Roehrs at NYSDEC, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561 or sent by email to R3.UMP@dec.ny.gov.

Once developed, the draft UMP will be widely distributed for public comment and a meeting will be scheduled.