Message from Stewardship Program

Protecting the value and beauty of New York State's forests - New York is blessed with 18.6 million acres of forest that provides clean air, conserves soil and water, offers limitless recreational alternatives and adds to the quality of life for all residents. Whether privately owned or government controlled, all forest landowners have a moral obligation to be good stewards of our forest land.

New York State has launched a Forest Stewardship Initiative to protect, perpetuate and enhance forest values through planned management of forest land and to promote cooperation between all individuals and groups interested in use, cultivation and conservation of our state treasure...our forests.

The options are many and varied, and there is no single right answer or use. But setting goals and managing for them, is the single answer that will benefit us all. As a forest landowner, you have the privilege of pursuing personal goals and the moral responsibility of good stewardship. As a user you have the responsibility of respecting the rights of ownership and conserving the forest for future generations. As New Yorkers, we all have the obligation of working together to protect, perpetuate and enhance our forests.

State Forestland Statistics:

• Total forested acres = 18.6 million acres
• Privately owned = 13 million acres
• National Forests = 7,500 acres
• State = 4.2 million acres
• Municipal Lands = 150,000 acres

Stewardship in New York

• Number of stewardship plans = 12,000
• Acres covered by stewardship plans = 1.3 million acres

Links:

• Forest Stewardship Incentives Program
• Cornell Cooperative Extension
• New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Private Land Services
• The Nature Conservancy, New York Chapter
• NY Forest Owners Association
• Catskill Forest Association
• EPA: Global Warming Impacts on New York
• Finger Lakes National Forest

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