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Portions of restricted Wildlife Management Areas near Massena and Canton open to public through Aug. 30

Posted 8/18/15

The public can visit restricted portions of two Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in St. Lawrence County now through Sunday, Aug. 30, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). …

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Portions of restricted Wildlife Management Areas near Massena and Canton open to public through Aug. 30

Posted

The public can visit restricted portions of two Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in St. Lawrence County now through Sunday, Aug. 30, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

“These special areas offer a variety of natural habitats for people to experience and provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities,” DEC Regional Director Judy Drabicki said. “Opening these refuge wetland areas to the public for a limited period gives visitors a chance to connect with nature through hiking, canoeing and bird watching, with minimal impacts on wildlife.”

During the 16-day period, Upper and Lower Lakes near Canton and Wilson Hill WMAs in Massena, including their wetland restricted areas, will be open to visitors each day from sunrise to sunset. For most of the year, these wetlands are off limits to the public to provide feeding and resting areas for migratory waterfowl.

The restricted wetland areas are also used by a number of New York State’s endangered, threatened and rare species including bald eagles, black terns and northern harriers (marsh hawks), among others. By late August, the nesting and brooding season is mostly complete and the fall migration period has not yet begun, enabling DEC to allow public access.

Upper & Lower Lakes WMA is located about two miles west of the village of Canton along state Route 68 in St. Lawrence County. This WMA, the largest in the Region, is an 8,770-acre upland/wetland complex between the Grasse and Oswegatchie rivers.

Created in the 1950s during the construction of the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project, Wilson Hill WMA is located in northern St. Lawrence County, approximately six miles west of the village of Massena off state Route 37. Situated along the St. Lawrence River, the 3,434-acre area consists of several large pools of open water marsh, bordered by a combination of dense cattails, brushy wetlands, forest and upland meadow.

Scheduled for completion in October, construction is underway on the new, accessible Nichols Trail at Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in St. Lawrence County. The trail network will include approximately one mile of trail suitable for persons using mobility devices, such as wheelchairs. The trail will feature scenic overlooks and viewing platforms, including a unique, accessible blind. This blind shields visitors from the sight of sensitive wildlife and can be used for both wildlife observation and also waterfowl hunting during the appropriate hunting seasons. These features of the new trail also provide scenic views of the DEC-managed Nichols Hill Pool, which is an important wetland that provides spawning and breeding habitat for both fish and wildlife.

For additional information, bird lists and maps, contact DECs Regional Wildlife Office at 315-785-2263 or visit the DEC web page at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8282.html.