Developing the New York City Watershed Model Forests: Working Laboratories to Study and Demonstrate Sustainable Forestry

Introduction

New York City's water supply system is one of the largest surface storage and supply systems in the world, supplying high-quality drinking water to nearly nine million consumers representing nearly half of New York State's total population. More than 75% of the nearly 2,000 square mile total watershed is forested, with the majority of these lands privately owned.

The watershed forests exemplify the urban-rural interface; not only are they considered a preferred open space land use for water quality protection, but they also represent a working landscape that supports a viable local economy. For this reason, New York City supports a voluntary, locally based Watershed Forestry Program that includes forest management planning and implementation, logger training, education and outreach, research and demonstration, and economic development.

This article describes how the integration of scientific research, continuing education, and public outreach at the New York City (NYC) Watershed Model Forests presents an ideal opportunity for developing, monitoring, and demonstrating the principles of sustainable forestry in the context of a large-scale working landscape over broad temporal terms.

Background–Model Forests

The Model Forests began development in the fall of 1997 as the primary research and demonstration component of the Watershed Forestry Program. The Model Forests encompass four sites distributed throughout the City's water supply watersheds and representing a variety of landownerships.

1. Lennox Memorial Forest (70 acres), owned and managed by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, is located in the Cannonsville Reservoir watershed.

2. Frost Valley Model Forest (240 acres), owned and managed by the Frost Valley YMCA, is located in the Neversink Reservoir watershed.

3. Mink Hollow Model Forest (250 acres), owned and managed by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, is located in the Ashokan Reservoir watershed.

4. Ninham Mountain Model Forest (150 acres), owned and managed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, is located in the West Branch Reservoir watershed.

The Lennox Memorial Forest was the first site to be developed, with construction scheduled for completion during the spring of 2001. The Frost Valley site has been designed and developed, with construction planned to begin during summer 2001. The Mink Hollow and Ninham Mountain sites are currently being designed, but construction is not planned until 2002.

Long-Term Forest Monitoring

Each Model Forest is being delineated into a series of experimental treatment blocks ranging in size from 5 to 50 acres, determined through the use of maps, aerial photos, and forest inventory. The treatment blocks are inventoried based on a 10% sample (by area) using 1/24-acre permanent fixed area plots. This Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) design is based on the USDA Forest Service multi-resource Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) system, which incorporates measurements of mensuration, diameter-at-breast height (DBH), total heights, crown ratio and position, damage indicators, pest/disease information, and other baseline data.

When fully installed, each treatment block will be used to assess and demonstrate various silvicultural prescriptions and thinning regimes values (i.e., shelterwood, clearcut, seed tree, patchcut, timber stand improvement) used for long-term forest management. In this capacity, the Model Forests will serve as research and demonstration sites for documenting and interpreting pre- and post-harvest conditions for timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, aesthetics, and other values, while assessing the degree of natural regeneration in comparison to control areas without manipulations.

Research

Long-term research focusing on the relationship between forest management and water quality is a priority of the Model Forests. Of particular interest is the role that both managed and unmanaged forests play regarding soil and water quality, nutrient cycling, and other biogeochemical processes. Additional research currently under way is linked to important indicator species of ecosystem health. Such species customarily have intimate ties to air, soil, and water quality, thereby offering an opportunity to monitor ecosystem changes by observing changes in species diversity, abundance, and distribution.

Funding for research on the Model Forests is coming from a variety of sources, including the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Watershed Forestry Program, New York Center for Forestry Research and Development, USDA Forest Service, and the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

Demonstrating Best Management Practices

In order to demonstrate forest management techniques that are compatible with watershed protection, the Model Forests will emphasize practical and effective Best Management Practices (BMPs), including traditional and innovative technologies (e.g., water bars, broad-based dips, portable bridges, geotextile fabric, open-topped culverts, etc.). Particular attention is devoted to reducing or eliminating soil erosion and stream sedimentation during the construction and maintenance of forest access roads, skid trails, log landings, and stream crossings. The access system for each model forest will address combinations of three major parameters that define the sensitivity of a given site to forest management and determine BMP effectiveness: soil type, slope, and the size and location of the site within the watershed.

Education and Outreach

Interpreting the importance of a working landscape is another integral component of the Model Forests. To facilitate public outreach, each Model Forest is linked to an environmental education center to promote and demonstrate sustainable forestry throughout the year.

In addition, interpretive signs and photo points are being situated throughout the Model Forests to describe specific management techniques within each treatment block and to serve as points of discussion and environmental education for all audiences, including youth. Because each Model Forest will be managed as a working landscape, the signs will be removed during harvesting operations and reinstalled thereafter. Furthermore, educational scripts targeting specific audiences are under development to compliment the interpretive signs and support group tours, workshops, and site visits.

A Work in Progress

Development of the NYC Watershed Model Forests is progressing in a deliberate manner, given the multiple objectives of research, demonstration, public outreach, and continuing education. The NYC Watershed is a high-profile example of the urban-rural interface at work, and the sociopolitical and institutional conflicts that exist are not unique.

World wide, large cities and local communities are striving to balance environmental quality and protection with economic development and long-term prosperity. We believe that each of the four Model Forests will offer a practical and valuable opportunity for demonstrating how this balance can be maintained while monitoring the effects of forest management on ecosystem functions and water quality.

Of particular significance is the role of the Model Forests regarding the future management of the surrounding working landscape. As a long-term institutional resource, each Model Forests will provide unprecedented opportunities for private landowners, forest industry, environmental groups and others audiences to better understand the multiple values associated with their local natural resources.

As these audiences become well-informed stewards of the watershed forests, it is hoped that they will recognize and fulfill their responsibility to contribute to a thriving working landscape and to help improve the quality of their natural environment.

For Further Information

Readers wishing to learn more about the New York City Watershed Model Forest Program should contact René Germain, Chair of the Watershed Model Forest Program, at: http://www.esf.edu /course/rhgermain/home.htm, or Brian Fisher, Director of the Watershed Forestry Program, at: http://www.nycwatershed. org/forest.htm

This article is online at http://joe.org/joe/2001april/iw2.html.

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