New York State Wildlife Management Areas

New York State Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are conservation areas managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) primarily for the benefit of wildlife, and used extensively by the public for hunting, fishing, and trapping. As of 2016, the NYSDEC owns and maintains 113 WMAs, with a total area of approximately . The Wildlife Management Areas program is administered by the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources of the NYSDEC.

History The first source of funding for New York's Wildlife Management Areas was the Conservation Fund of the Division, which was begun in 1925. It accumulates hunting, fishing, and trapping license fees and other miscellaneous fees and fines collected by the Division. In the 1930s, the federal Resettlement Administration bought marginal and worn-out farmland and later donated it to the state for wildlife management purposes. The Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 places an excise tax on guns and ammunition, of which 10% is returned to the states to fund restoration and management efforts for wildlife including purchase of habitat. New York State Bond Acts in 1960, 1972 and 1986 have also helped fund the WMA system.

Some of the WMAs occupy land that is environmentally sensitive. Thus the Lakeview Wildlife Management Area has been declared the Lakeview Marsh and Barrier Beach National Natural Landmark, and was cited in 1973 as, "One of the best and most extensive marshlands that lie in protected bays and behind barrier beaches along eastern Lake Ontario." Entry in registry of National Natural Landmarks.

List of New York State Wildlife Management Areas

NameCounty or countiesAreaUnless otherwise noted, acreages are sourced from individual pages listed at: Notes Alder Bottom Chautauqua Allegheny Reservoir Cattaraugus Ashland Flats Jefferson Ausable Marsh Clinton Bashakill Sullivan Baxtertown Woods Dutchess Bear Spring Mountain Delaware Black Pond Jefferson Part of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area. Bog Brook Putnam Braddock Bay Monroe Canadaway Creek Chautauqua Canoga Marsh Seneca Protects marshland along the western shore of Cayuga Lake. Capital District Rensselaer Carters Pond Washington Carlton Hill Wyoming Catharine Creek Schuyler Cayuga Lake Seneca Chautauqua Lake Chautauqua Cherry Island Orange Protects an island within the upper Delaware River. Cicero Swamp Onondaga Clay Pond Chautauqua Cold Brook Steuben Collins Landing Jefferson Conesus Inlet Livingston Conewango Swamp Cattaraugus Connecticut Hill Schuyler, Tompkins Cranberry Creek Jefferson Cranberry Mountain Putnam Cross Lake Islands Cayuga, Onondaga Crumhorn Mountain Otsego Currans Road Pond Suffolk Curtiss Gale Oswego Deer Creek Marsh Oswego Part of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area. Dexter Marsh Jefferson East Bay Washington Erwin Steuben Fish Creek St. Lawrence Franklinton Vlaie Schoharie French Creek Jefferson Frenchman's Island Onondaga, Oswego Formerly operated as the undeveloped Frenchman Island State Park. Transferred to NYSDEC in 2011, and now part of Three Mile Bay WMA. Galen Wayne Genesee Valley Allegany Great Baehre Swamp Erie Great Swamp Putnam Great Vly Greene, Ulster Hamlin Marsh Onondaga Hampton Brook Woods Erie Hanging Bog Allegany Happy Valley Oswego Hartland Swamp Niagara Hartson Swamp Chautauqua Helmer Creek Steuben High Tor Ontario, Yates Honeoye Creek Ontario Honeoye Inlet Ontario Honeyville Jefferson Hooker Mountain Otsego Indian River Jefferson Jacquins Pond Chautauqua John White Genesee Formerly managed by New York State as the "John White Memorial Game Farm" between 1945 and 2000 for the purpose of raising pheasants for release on public hunting lands. Kabob Chautauqua Keeney Swamp Allegany Kings Bay Clinton Lake Alice Clinton Lake Ontario Islands Jefferson, St. Lawrence Protects the Little Galloo Island, the Gull Island, and a portion of Galloo Island. Lake Shore Marshes Wayne Lakeview Jefferson Part of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area. Lewis Preserve Clinton Little John Oswego Louise E. Keir Albany Margaret Burke Albany Mongaup Valley Sullivan Monty's Bay Clinton Motor Island Erie Northern Montezuma Seneca, Wayne, Cayuga Oak Orchard Genesee Oriskany Flats Oneida Otis Pike Preserve Suffolk Parcel 45 Saratoga Partridge Run Albany Pauline Murdock Essex Perch River Jefferson Pharsalia Chenango Plantation Island Herkimer Point Peninsula Jefferson Putts Creek Essex Rattlesnake Hill Livingston, Allegany Roger's Island Columbia Rome Oneida Saratoga Sand Plains Saratoga Silver Lake Wyoming Spicer Creek Erie Stid Hill Ontario Stockport Columbia Three Mile Bay Oswego Incorporates Frenchman's Island. Three Rivers Onondaga Tillman Road Erie Tioughnioga Madison Tivoli Bays Dutchess Designated as a "New York Natural Heritage Area" in 2007. Tonawanda Genesee, Orleans, Niagara Tug Hill Lewis Upper and Lower Lakes St. Lawrence Utica Marsh Oneida Victory Mills Saratoga Vinegar Hill Greene Waneta-Lamoka Schuyler Watt's Flats Chautauqua West Cameron Steuben Whitney Point Broome, Cortland Wickham Marsh Essex Willard Seneca Wilson Hill St. Lawrence Wolf Hollow Delaware Young's Island Suffolk

See also New York State Forests List of National Wildlife Refuges in New York

References Notes

Further reading Research paper NE-621.

External links NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: Wildlife Management Areas