Recipient Organization
STATE UNIV OF NEW YORK
(N/A)
SYRACUSE,NY 13210
Performing Department
Natural Heritage Program
Non Technical Summary
The primary objective of the project is to support the NYS DEC's regulatory wetland program permitting process. The New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) will work with the DEC's Wetlands Program staff to develop protocols to evaluate impacts to wetland condition with respect to environmental factors (soils, land cover, slope) in the upland areas adjacent to the wetlands and development patterns (such as distance to the wetland edge). Data will be collected on wetland condition and upland adjacent areas from a full range of urbanization conditions (highly urban to rural) in the Genesee watershed. Data will also be pooled (and assessed) from previous years of wetland sampling, including from wetlands in New York City. The combined data will be used to develop wetland metrics for urban environments and evaluate the potential of upland adjacent areas for beneficial functions such as flood and sediment retention.The project's primary outcome is a set of draft rules for conservation action based on wetland type, surrounding environmental characteristics, and individual/cumulative buffer impacts. The draft rules will be used by DEC Wetlands Program staff to assess how development pressures on wetlands might be avoided by incorporating factors such as distance to wetland, soil type under development and between development and the wetland, and slope direction into the permit decision-making process.The project also suppmis the DEC Great Lakes Program's interest in how wetlands and their upland adjacent areas may be resilient to stress and petiurbation. This project will continue to strengthen intra-Agency collaboration on wetlands and will greatlyincrease our understanding of how existing wetland condition assessment protocols work in urban environments.Direct agency support is required to caTI'y out sampling in wetlands and to assist with the preparation and analysis of pooled wetland data. Project support funds will be used to bring on seasonal NYNHP staff who will be involved various tasks as follows:June -August 20161. Compile wetland data collected by the Natural Areas Conservancy in New York City2. Assist with field sampling September 2016- March 20173. Work with NYNHP staff on analyzing wetland data from previous years in order to:a) determine the upland adjacent area and full wetland buffer extent for each,b) quantify stressors in the adjacent area using aerial imagery, andc) collate this information and conduct preliminary analyses on the relationships between wetland condition and upland stressors.June- August 20174. Assist with field sampling September 2017 - May 20185. Assist specimen processing, data clean-up, & data analysisAwarded Start Date: 6/1/16Sponsor: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The primary objective of the project is to support the NYS DEC's regulatory wetland program permitting process.
Project Methods
The New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) will work with the DEC's Wetlands Program staff to develop protocols to evaluate impacts to wetland condition with respect to environmental factors (soils, land cover, slope) in the upland areas adjacent to the wetlands and development patterns (such as distance to the wetland edge). Data will be collected on wetland condition and upland adjacent areas from a full range of urbanization conditions (highly urban to rural) in the Genesee watershed. Data will also be pooled (and assessed) from previous years of wetland sampling, including from wetlands in New York City. The combined data will be used to develop wetland metricsfor urban environments and evaluate the potential of upland adjacent areas for beneficial functions such as flood and sediment retention.Direct agency support is required to caTI'y out sampling in wetlands and to assist with the preparation and analysis of pooled wetland data. Project support funds will be used to bring on seasonal NYNHP staff who will be involved various tasks as follows:June -August 20161. Compile wetland data collected by the Natural Areas Conservancy in New York City2. Assist with field sampling September 2016- March 20173. Work with NYNHP staff on analyzing wetland data from previous years in order to:a) determine the upland adjacent area and full wetland buffer extent for each,b) quantify stressors in the adjacent area using aerial imagery, andc) collate this information and conduct preliminary analyses on the relationships between wetland condition and upland stressors.June- August 20174. Assist with field sampling September 2017 - May 20185. Assist specimen processing, data clean-up, & data analysis