Habitat Management in the Finger Lakes National Forest
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The Finger Lakes National Forest is home to the first acres managed under the NWTF’s Forests and Flocks Initiative, which was officially launched last year in August. While the project started with a dozen or so acres of improved habitat on the scoreboard, the work continues to expand and foreshadow success.
During the formal launch of the Forests and Flocks Initiative, 12 acres near the forest's northern edge, adjacent to Butcher Hill Road, became the first acres managed under the initiative. Using New York NWTF State Chapter Super Fund dollars, the project consisted of forestry mulching undesirable woody shrubs and trees while leaving beneficial, mast-producing trees and shrubs, like cherry, dogwood and apple.
West of the first project lies Unit 16, a timber harvest unit that forms part of the larger Burnt Butcher Stewardship Project partnership. This is where Forests and Flocks has expanded from its first project site.
The Burnt Butcher project includes 250 acres that were recently timber harvested through 16 separate harvest units. Additional management in these units includes overstory removal, supplemental tree planting and the removal of dense, undesirable brush in the understory. This work allows for more sunlight to hit the forest floor and stimulate grasses, pollinators and vegetative communities that turkeys need. This work also improves the overall health of the forest by offering a patchwork of forest structures.
Work on the forest’s Unit 16 began in October 2024, which has since expanded across several other units, showcasing the strong partnership between the NWTF and the Finger Lakes National Forest.
Overall, the project is roughly a third of the way through the overstory removal and associated service work. Mitch Blake — NWTF district biologist for New York, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — is planning a 24-acre red oak planting this spring.
“There hasn’t been any active, large-scale forest management on the Finger Lakes in over two decades, so these projects will provide much needed early successional habitat for turkeys and other young forest users,” Blake said.
The accelerated work within the Finger Lakes National Forest demonstrates what can happen when partners come together for the greater good of conservation — this is what the Forests and Flocks Initiative is all about. The initiative seeks to enhance 100,000 acres of habitat over a ten-year period across 13 states. Forests and Flocks specifically focuses on the annual cycle needs of the wild turkey. Additionally, Forests and Flocks also seeks to bolster the NWTF’s hunting heritage and policy efforts within the region, as a lack of public support for hunting and proposed state laws in opposition to the NWTF mission are prevalent within the initiative’s area.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.