Date: 1983-01-26
Speaker: JOHN E. THARP (democrat)
Chamber: S

District Ranger. Green Mountain National Forest. Hector Land Use Area. CheQueGue Corp. Building. Montour Falls. N.Y. DEAR MR. THARP: The Institute recently learned of the Forest Services decision to consider selling the Hector Land Use Area. Our understanding is that the Department of Agriculture does have the authority to make this consideration and that this recent initiative has been spurred by the asset management program. While we appreciate the Forest Services prudent management and review of its liabilities and assets. we would object to any action that would shift the Hector Land Use Area from its present availability for resource deveolpment. management and public use. The Hector area. at 13.232 acres. is the largest parcel of public land in central New York. It provides many benefits to the citizens of New York State. The area is a model for land management that presents wellmanaged systems for grazing of cattle. a variety of timber production goals. wildlife management. and outdoor recreation. Given the current benefits from the Hector area we fa1 to see how its disposal could benefit the public more than the present use. This is rost graphically demonstrated by the origin of the area. Originally. more that 100 farrms comprised the now federal ownership. Each was abandoned as the landowaers found that the glacial soils are generaly poor and require careful management to nrevent erosion. To adjust for this submarginal land abandonment the lands were purchaied for reclamation by the federal government through the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. the Emergency Reliev Act of 1935. and Title III of the BankheadJones Parm Tenant Act of 1937. The present management of the area has maintained and improved the 4.990 acres of fenced pastures through a cooperative agreement with a local grazing association. given local universities and county schools an area for development of conservation education programs. a recreational area and provided a local timber and fuelwood supply form the areas 6.025 acres of woodland. The two latter programs have helped maintain the areas wildlife and forest management objectives. In fact. we find that the Hector area has a degree of selfsufficiency that most Forest Service lands cannot obtain. In addition. 23.200 visitor days in 1981 reflect the publics use of the area for fishing. hunting. horseback riding. camping. hiking and wildlife observation. These activities are enhanced by the cooperative wildlife Improvement program with the State of New York and the Forest Services own wildlife management program. Both of these have succeeded in providing a high degree of vegetative diversity. thus wildlife species richness. to the area. The federal governments original attainment of Hector was for reclamation and to demonstrate good land management. The Forest Service has succeeded with these goals. creating a multipleuse area that is truly yielding multiple benefits. The area is an asset to the State of New York and especially to the Forest Service. It is not a liability that should be considered for liquidation. It is our contention that the Hector Land Use Area not be considered for sale but rather it be considered for inclusion as a ranger district of the Green Mountain National Forest. These remarks have been coordinated with Gordon C. Robertson. the Institutes Northeast Representative. Please include these comments in any public review process that will determine the future of the Hector Land Use Area. Sincerely.