The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public comment on a management plan for 18,440 acres of state forest land in St. Lawrence County.

A meeting is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Colton-Pierrepont Central School, 4921 State Highway 56. The school is wheelchair accessible. Provide requests for specific accommodation in advance to DEC at 265-3090

The tracts covered by the plan are in the St. Lawrence County towns of Colton, Hopkinton, Parishville, Pierrepont, Potsdam and Russell.

During the first hour of the session, the public can meet with DEC staff in an informal setting. A presentation about the unit and conclude with a chance to make comments and propose ideas about the UMP in front of the group regarding the management of this unit will follow. Public comments will assist DEC in the development of the UMP.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide information to attendees about the Unit, discuss its past history and use, current ecology and current public uses such as forest management practices and recreational uses, and to exchange ideas with the public about. DEC is seeking the public's input in helping to establish short and long-range goals and objectives for management of these lands within the St. Lawrence Foothills Unit.

Public input gathered at this meeting, along with feedback received by other means including data collected during forest inventories, data and information from past management activities and recreational use data will be used to develop the St. Lawrence Foothills UMP. The UMP will guide management actions for the Unit to help achieve the goals of providing healthy, sustainable and biologically diverse forest ecosystems.

To provide input or comments on the future management of this unit or have questions about the unit or the planning process can contact Forester Tony Sparacino by mail at NYSDEC, 6739 US Highway 11, Potsdam, NY, 13676; by e-mail at R6.ump@dec.ny.gov; or by telephone at 315-265-3090.

The St. Lawrence Foothills planning unit consists of 13 state forests and one Conservation Easement. The unit is located in a broad area in central St. Lawrence County, generally south and east of Canton and Potsdam, west of Hopkinton, and northeast of Edwards. The state forests cover 16,491 acres, located in the towns of Colton, Hopkinton, Parishville, Pierrepont, Potsdam, and Russell.

The Niagara Mohawk (NiMo) Conservation Easement - South Colton Parcel totals 1,716 acres located in the towns of Colton and Parishville, southeast of High Flats State Forest. These areas are not in the Adirondack Park, although several properties border the Adirondack Park.