Hunts Pond goes from state park to state forest
NEW BERLIN – Chenango County has a new state forest.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has taken control of managing Hunts Pond State Park from the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), changing the site’s designation from state park to state forest.
DEC Regional Director Ken Lynch announced the transfer of responsibilities between the two state agencies Monday.
New Berlin Town Supervisor Ross P. Iannello said the move indicates a long-term arrangement to keep public activities at the park limited and confined to daytime hours. He also said the move would ensure the 250-acre facility would remain tax exempt.
Camping will still not be permitted at the park, a policy which was first implemented by the OPRHP in 2009.
“Hunts Pond is a ‘carry-in/carry-out’ facility, meaning whatever you bring into the site, you must take out with you, including garbage and refuse. There are no restrooms at the site,” said Lynch in an issued statement.
Hunts Pond was closed by OPRHP in May of 2010 along with 41 other state parks and 14 historical sites in a bid by then-Governor David Paterson to save $6.3 million from the state’s budget.
At the time, the Town of New Berlin Board sent a letter to state officials asking if the municipality could assume control of the facility.
“When they first started talking about closing it, we contacted the state and offered to run the park, but we never received any response,” said Iannello. He said the town is still interested in exploring the option if state officials are open to the idea.
Hunts Pond is a 250-acre facility that borders the Hunts Pond State Forest, which is about 1,147 acres. The DEC has operated the neighboring state forest since 1962 and will operate the entire parcel as a state forest land, as opposed to a park.
“Fishing and hunting with a proper license is allowed at Hunts Pond; launching of non-gasoline powered car top boats continues and the public may enjoy birding and nature observation throughout the property. Because the property is now a state forest and not a state park, there is no fee to use the property, or to launch a boat,” added the agency.
Hunts Pond State Forest is part of the Between Rivers Unit Management Plan. Unit Management Plans (UMPs) assess the land’s natural and physical resources. They identify opportunities for recreational use and consider the ability of the resources and ecosystems to accommodate public use. The Between Rivers UMP is expected to be issued this winter, and a public meeting to discuss uses of the land, including that at Hunts Pond, will be held prior to adoption of the final UMP, reported the DEC.
For more information about the forest, contact Robert Slavicek, Supervising Forester, NYSDEC Office of Lands and Forests, 2715 State Highway, Sherburne, 674-4017.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has taken control of managing Hunts Pond State Park from the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), changing the site’s designation from state park to state forest.
DEC Regional Director Ken Lynch announced the transfer of responsibilities between the two state agencies Monday.
New Berlin Town Supervisor Ross P. Iannello said the move indicates a long-term arrangement to keep public activities at the park limited and confined to daytime hours. He also said the move would ensure the 250-acre facility would remain tax exempt.
Camping will still not be permitted at the park, a policy which was first implemented by the OPRHP in 2009.
“Hunts Pond is a ‘carry-in/carry-out’ facility, meaning whatever you bring into the site, you must take out with you, including garbage and refuse. There are no restrooms at the site,” said Lynch in an issued statement.
Hunts Pond was closed by OPRHP in May of 2010 along with 41 other state parks and 14 historical sites in a bid by then-Governor David Paterson to save $6.3 million from the state’s budget.
At the time, the Town of New Berlin Board sent a letter to state officials asking if the municipality could assume control of the facility.
“When they first started talking about closing it, we contacted the state and offered to run the park, but we never received any response,” said Iannello. He said the town is still interested in exploring the option if state officials are open to the idea.
Hunts Pond is a 250-acre facility that borders the Hunts Pond State Forest, which is about 1,147 acres. The DEC has operated the neighboring state forest since 1962 and will operate the entire parcel as a state forest land, as opposed to a park.
“Fishing and hunting with a proper license is allowed at Hunts Pond; launching of non-gasoline powered car top boats continues and the public may enjoy birding and nature observation throughout the property. Because the property is now a state forest and not a state park, there is no fee to use the property, or to launch a boat,” added the agency.
Hunts Pond State Forest is part of the Between Rivers Unit Management Plan. Unit Management Plans (UMPs) assess the land’s natural and physical resources. They identify opportunities for recreational use and consider the ability of the resources and ecosystems to accommodate public use. The Between Rivers UMP is expected to be issued this winter, and a public meeting to discuss uses of the land, including that at Hunts Pond, will be held prior to adoption of the final UMP, reported the DEC.
For more information about the forest, contact Robert Slavicek, Supervising Forester, NYSDEC Office of Lands and Forests, 2715 State Highway, Sherburne, 674-4017.
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