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Foresters: county’s YCC program indispensible

Posted 7/14/11

We are writing to express strong support for the continued funding of the Youth Bureau and the summer Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) programs. Over the years, the YCC crews have accomplished a great …

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Foresters: county’s YCC program indispensible

Posted

We are writing to express strong support for the continued funding of the Youth Bureau and the summer Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) programs.

Over the years, the YCC crews have accomplished a great deal of positive work on our state forests and wildlife management areas located throughout St. Lawrence County.

The YCC crews have constructed and maintained many miles of hiking and cross country ski trails spread throughout the county, including:

• Mt. Arab fire tower hiking trails and boardwalks, Piercefield

• Wolf Lake State Forest hiking trails and lean-tos, Edwards and Hermon

• Trout Lake State Forest hiking trails, Edwards and Hermon

• Brasher State Forest hiking and snowmobile trails, Brasher

• Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area nature and hiking trails, Louisville

• Southville State Forest hiking and ski trails, Stockholm

• Glenmeal State Forest hiking and ski trails, Pierrepont

• Cold Spring Brook State Forest hiking trails, Pitcairn

• Greenwood Creek State Forest hiking trails, Pitcairn

These trails are used frequently by the public and they often express their gratitude for the good work that the YCC crews and leaders perform.

With the DEC’s reduced levels of staffing, many of these trails are maintained solely through the help and stewardship of the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau YCC program.

The YCC crews also provide very under-appreciated but crucial assistance in maintaining our public properties by participating in a yearly trash cleanup on state forests.

In the last 10 years, the YCC has assisted us in collecting and disposing of over 1,000 tires and at least 50 tons of trash from state forests located throughout the county, including in the towns of Brasher, Canton, Colton, Edwards, Hammond, Hermon, Hopkinton, Madrid, Norfolk, Parishville, Pierrepont, Pitcairn, Potsdam, Russell and Stockholm.

On a personal level, the Youth Conservation Corps program instills a sense of stewardship and connection to nature which often lasts with the participants for the rest of their lives.

The YCC and DEC have been partnering to protect our natural resources for over 20 years in St. Lawrence County, and we very much hope to continue this partnership well into the future.

Patrick Whalen, Supervising Forester

John Wood, Senior Forester

Aaron Graves, Senior Forester