The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today released draft Access and Public Use Plans (APUP) for Cranberry Creek and Plantation Island Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). The draft plans are available for public comment until Oct. 1, 2022.

Cranberry Creek WMA is located in Jefferson County near the St. Lawrence River and contains 13 acres of primarily forest lands. The WMA also has a memorial grave site dedicated to the American soldiers who died during the War of 1812 Battle of Cranberry Creek. 

Plantation Island WMA is located in Herkimer County and contains 200 acres of island riparian habitat in the Mohawk Valley that is bounded to the north by the Mohawk River and to the south by the New York State Barge Canal. The island is co-owned by DEC and the New York State Canal Corporation. The island, created by the construction of the 1913 Barge Canal, is a mixture of open marshes, wet meadows, scrub/shrub habitats, vernal pools, and floodplain forests providing habitats for a variety of plant and animal species. The WMA provides a unique opportunity to recreate along the Mohawk River corridor.

These draft APUPs complement the Habitat Management Plans (HMP) for Cranberry Creek WMA and Plantation Island WMA, which address management objectives for wildlife-dependent recreation, access features, and facility maintenance. Together, the APUPs and HMPs form a comprehensive management plan for the WMAs. These plans guide management for wildlife and public access over a 10-year time period, after which DEC will assess conditions and needs and update the plans as needed.

The public is invited to provide comments on the Cranberry Creek and Plantation Island draft APUPs for 30 days until Oct. 1, 2022. Comments can be sent to: NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife, Region 6, 317 Washington St. 7^th Floor, Watertown, NY, 13601; or by email information.r6@dec.ny.gov with the subject lines “Cranberry Creek WMA draft APUP for Cranberry Creek WMA” and “Plantation Island WMA draft APUP for Plantation Island WMA.”

Learn more about the Cranberry Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Learn more about the Plantation Island Wildlife Management Area.