Press release, Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District

ALBION – This past Saturday 15 volunteers from Orleans County participated in the American Littoral Society’s annual New York State Shoreline and Beach Cleanup.

These volunteers collected, recorded and removed more than 900 items of trash weighing 1,769 pounds from our local waterways over the course of three hours. That equates to more than 61 pounds per person.

The enthusiastic volunteers convened at 9 a.m. at Bullard Park for instructions and introductions before dispersing to assigned locations.

Groups tackled trash at locations along Lake Alice and the Erie Canal. At noon everyone reconvened back at Bullard Park to weigh the 17 bags of trash collected along with various items such as a rug and over 20 discarded tires.

Every item collected, down to the last cigarette butt, was recorded and categorized on data sheets that were then sent to the American Littoral Society for statistical analysis along with data submitted by all the groups participating across the country. This allows them to observe and track trends in sources of trash. In Orleans County, over half of the items collected were from food and beverage items.

Along with concerned citizens, volunteers participating in the cleanup represented 4-H and local high school students. This event was sponsored locally by the Orleans County Water Quality Coordinating Committee in conjunction with the Orleans County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Photos by Brandon Blount-Carpenter

CARLTON – Brandon Blount-Carpenter, a local wildlife photographer, has been intrigued by gray tree frogs the past couple years. He has pictures of them in different colors, including the light green one in the top photo and the gray one below.

“If you handle one it will literally change color right in front of you,” he said. “When they are excited they turn that bright green color.”

Blount-Carpenter sent in these photos after seeing the one on the Orleans Hub of a frog camping out along an office wall outside at the offices for Orleans Hub and The Lake Country Pennysaver at 170 North Main St.

Blount-Carpenter took the top photo in the spring 2012, with the second photo taken this past spring. Both were taking outside by his house in Carlton.

This picture was taken last September.

Blount-Carpenter also has rescued some gray tree frog tadpoles and put them in garden ponds.

“On warmer nights in the spring summer and fall, you can hear them singing. It’s like a chorus out here at night.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A visitor at the office for Orleans Hub and the Lake Country Pennysaver created a stir today. Many of the long-time employees at 170 North Main St. can’t recall a tree frog (if that’s what this is) camping out on the wall of the building.

It’s been an interesting year with wildlife on the move with the all of the Snowy Owl sightings in the winter and the two black bears spotted this summer in the county. Now you may find a tree frog nestled at your workplace.

Update 8:54 p.m.
A reader sent a message to say this frog is either a gray tree frog or a Cope’s gray tree frog. The only way to tell for sure is to listen to the frog’s call. The Cope’s gray tree frog has a faster-paced and slightly higher-pitched call than the gray tree frog.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Glenwood Avenue canal bridge in Medina was constructed during the canal expansion a century ago. It’s one of many canal bridges and structures that remain from when the canal was widened to become the Barge Canal.

Press release
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is urging the National Park Service to place the Barge Canal on the National Register of Historic Places.

Including the Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, Champlain Canal and Cayuga-Seneca Canal, this designation would expand opportunities for federal historic tax credits and other resources, to support economic development initiatives near the Barge Canal.

“The Barge Canal is a historic treasure in New York State and includes some of America’s most recognized waterways,” Gillibrand said. “Spanning across the state, the New York State Barge Canal is home to many recreational activities and commercial developments. I will continue to work hard to ensure the National Park Service recognizes how important the Barge Canal is to New Yorkers and to ensure this much-deserved designation is granted.”

The Barge Canal spans more than 500 miles and includes the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal. The Erie Canal was established in 1825 and development of other canals soon followed.

The New York State Board of Historic Preservation nominated the canal as “The Barge Canal Historic District” for the state and national registers. The nomination notes many of the historical artifacts from the widening and deepening of the canal from 1905 to 1918. Orleans County has many of those features: lift bridges, single-truss bridges, guard gates, terminals and waste weirs.

According to a report by the New York State Canal Corporation, the Erie Canal’s non-tourism economic impact is more than $6.2 billion annually, supporting over 8,800 direct and 26,400 indirect jobs. The canal systems have shaped history in upstate New York, and created opportunities for economic developments throughout the state.

In her letter to National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, Senator Gillibrand wrote, “Listing the NYS Barge Canal in the National Register of Historic Places would be an exciting and appropriate action, further establishing the waterways’ stature and creating additional economic development opportunities for NYS residents and business owners. The NYS Barge Canal has had a great impact on the northeastern region since its construction. To this day, the canal remains widely visited by tourists and school groups who go to learn of the rich history associated with the waterway. National recognition of the Canal on the Register of Historic Places is important to the preservation and celebration of this national treasure.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

It was another gorgeous sunset this evening as summer winds down with school only a few days from opening for a new year. The top photo shows the sun setting over Lake Ontario near the Golden Hill State Park in Barker.

The 30 Mile Point Lighthouse, built in 1875, is a focal point of the state park just across the Orleans County line in Niagara County.

This photo shows Atwater Farms, a dairy farm in Barker near the Golden Hill State Park.

The weather looks good for most of Labor Day. The National Weather Service in Buffalo is forecasting a chance of thunderstorms with a high of 82 degrees.

Lyndonville site is full of natural splendor

Photos by Tom Rivers – A tree is pictured next to Smith’s Pond near Platten Road in Lyndonville, part of the Robin Hill Nature Preserve.

Robin Hill has about 400 varieties of trees. They create a natural sanctuary.

LYNDONVILLE – If you’re looking for serenity and a sense of awe, Robin Hill Nature Preserve should provide your needs.

The site off Platten Road is a nature paradise with about 400 types of trees. Many tower high in the sky. Others are short and the branches shoot outward, creating a canopy of leaves you have to stoop to miss.

It’s a great place. I was fortunate to stop by this evening with my family to see Doug Pratt. His late grandfather, William Smith, developed the 45-acre site, and also built the accompanying house of Medina sandstone.

The site is popular with photographers and nature lovers. Pratt enjoys sharing the space. He created the Robin Hill Foundation with an educational mission for the property. Click here for more information.

Smith owned a canning factory in Lyndonville and built a nature preserve. In 1948, he and his wife Mary began work on the sandstone home, doing much of the work themselves with some help from family and employees at the canning factory. It took several years to build the house.

Smith and his wife Mary kept swans, and many Lyndonville youths from two generations ago grew up feeding the majestic creatures.

William and Mary Smith created the site after their daughter Lucille died from Scarlet Fever at age 19. They named it Robin Hill. Many of the trees and plants are rare and exotic, and they attract numerous varieties of birds.

Press release, DEC

BASOM – Special permits are now available for the opening weekend of duck season to hunt waterfowl at two popular state-managed locations, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced.

The permit requirement is needed for waterfowl hunting for the first weekend, which is expected to be Oct. 18 & 19, at the Oak Orchard and Tonawanda Wildlife Management Areas in Genesee and Niagara counties. The intent of the special permits is to promote hunter safety and increase the quality of hunting on days when the areas receive the greatest use.

A special permit is required to hunt waterfowl at Oak Orchard and Tonawanda Wildlife Management Areas on the duck season’s first Saturday and first Sunday. These days are the only times the special permits are needed. Waterfowl may be hunted without a special permit during the rest of the season. The permit system has been used successfully at both wildlife management areas in recent years. No special permits are required to hunt other game species at Oak Orchard or Tonawanda Wildlife Management Areas.

DEC has announced tentative 2014-2015 duck hunting season dates. Western New York’s tentative opening day/weekend dates for duck hunting are Oct. 18 and 19. These dates will not be finalized until the federal regulations are adopted in late summer. Hunters are advised to confirm the final dates before hunting any waterfowl.

Opening weekend waterfowl hunting permits for the two Wildlife Management Areas will be distributed by a random lottery. For each of the two days, DEC will issue 100 permits for Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area and 50 permits for Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area. Hunters must choose from four options: Oak Orchard first Saturday; Oak Orchard first Sunday; Tonawanda first Saturday; and Tonawanda first Sunday.

To apply for the lottery, hunters must send in a postcard with their name, address and their first three choices, in order of preference, clearly indicated. Applicants must also have completed a Waterfowl Identification Course, and their course certificate number must be indicated on the postcard. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 15, and must be mailed to the New York State Bureau of Wildlife, 1101 Casey Road, Box B, Basom, NY 14013. Each permittee will be allowed to bring one companion over the age of 18 and an additional companion 18 years old or younger.

Duplicate permits will not be issued to hunters who have already been issued a permit to hunt on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Any cards submitted by hunters who have been selected to hunt on Iroquois on the first Saturday will be excluded from the lottery for that day at both Oak Orchard and Tonawanda.

Issued permits are nontransferable and are not valid for companion(s) unless the permittee is present and hunting within 50 yards. The permittee is responsible for completing and returning the questionnaire portion of the permit to the New York State Bureau of Wildlife by Nov. 15, 2014. If the completed questionnaire is not received by Nov. 15, the permittee will be ineligible for next year’s lottery.

Photos by Sue Cook – The dredging barge is near the breakwall at the end of the channel.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

POINT BREEZE – The Army Corps of Engineers has begun the long-awaited dredging of the Oak Orchard Harbor. This will clear silt and sediment which has caused shallow areas in the channel.

The last time this dredging occurred was in 2004. The harbor should be cleared of buildup every three to five years.

Boats are still able to enter and leave the harbor while the dredging barge is working near the breakwall.

Photo by Tom Rivers

GAINES – An Orleans Hub reader asked me to take a picture of the “big green angel” on Route 98. The ivy-covered pole has turned a little brown in late summer. I’ve noticed this for more than a year and finally stopped to get a picture.

The “angel” is north of Watt Farms and south of Route 104.

Photos by Tom Rivers – The Tug Syracuse carries inspectors and officials from the State Canal Corporation after checking the lift bridge in Holley this morning. The hydraulic, mechanical and electrical systems all passed inspection. The seven lift bridges in Orleans County all passed the Canal Corporation’s review on Wednesday and Thursday, part of a canal-wide inspection of the locks, guard gates and lift bridges.

HOLLEY – They may be 100 years old, but the lift bridges in Orleans County were all given strong passing grades during inspections on Wednesday and Thursday.

Canal inspectors checked the electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems, and also rated the lift bridges for appearance.

“Everything is in good working order,” John Callaghan, deputy director of the Canal Corp., said about the lift bridges. “They have held up wonderfully after a century of service.”

The Canal Corporation began its annual inspection of the canal system began on Tuesday in Buffalo when the Tug Syracuse departed from Canalside to assess the historic waterway.

The legally mandated inspection takes place over the next two months in two- and three-day segments. The Canal Corp. will assess the overall condition and capital needs of the nearly 200-year-old Canal system, which supports $380 million in tourism-based and $6.4 billion in non-tourism-based economic activity, Canal Corp. officials said. The canal also provides a vital resource for drinking water, agriculture, industry and hydroelectric power generation, officials said.

Don Brace works in the control tower at lift bridge in Holley. State Assemblyman Steve Hawley stopped by to see the inspection of the Holley lift bridge. He said he is working on inviting several state legislators from New York City for a boat ride on the canal where they could then see farms, historic downtowns and other local attractions.

“New York’s Canal system is one of our greatest treasures, as a historical resource and an engine that supports economic activity throughout the Empire State,” Thruway and Canal Executive Director Tom Madison said in a statement earlier this week.

Callaghan, the deputy canal director, while in Holley today praised the canal employees.

“They take their job seriously,” he said. “They’re out greasing, prepping and painting. It’s a constant when you have 100-year-old infrastructure.”

While the bridges mechanical, electrical and hydraulic components are working well, at least one of the lift bridges – Knowlesville – has a weight reduction due to structural issues and is limited to one-lane traffic. Callaghan said the Department of Transportation inspects the spans for structural integrity. The canal inspectors are focused on other issues with the bridges.

The Tug Syracuse heads east from Holley to check the two lift bridges in Brockport.

Darren McGuirk, assistant canal equipment specialist, headed the inspections today, which started in Albion and headed east. He marveled at how well the lift bridges are holding up.

“The employees are dedicated,” he said. “They know these bridges are the center of these communities. They keep them going.”

The inspection tour is a tradition dating from Oct. 26, 1825, when Gov. DeWitt Clinton departed from Buffalo aboard the Seneca Chief to mark the opening of the Erie Canal after eight years of construction.

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – There is a big field full of tall sunflowers on Route 237, across from Hendel Farms. An Orleans Hub reader sent us an email, encouraging us to go and take some photos.

“The absolute beauty of this field of sunflowers has caused many folks to stop and take pictures,” according to the reader.

The field is north of Telegraph Road and south of Skillington Road.

Press release, Department of Environmental Conservation

BASOM – As part of Gov. Cuomo’s NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold a waterfowl hunter informational meeting on Aug. 28 at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters.

The meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Refuge on Casey Road in the Town of Alabama. Topics will include:

Highlights of waterfowl management and research programs at two National Wildlife Refuges, Iroquois and Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge; and four of the state’s Wildlife Management Areas – Tonawanda, Braddock Bay, Oak Orchard and Northern Montezuma

Regional and statewide waterfowl news and updates

Atlantic Flyway news

Waterfowl population status survey results

New York waterfowl hunting season-setting process; and

Tentative 2014-15 duck and goose hunting seasons.

Wildlife biologists from DEC and the two National Wildlife Refuges will discuss items of interest to waterfowl hunters in an informational and interactive forum. They will present results of local and international surveys of waterfowl breeding populations and discuss habitat conditions and habitat management efforts. Updates of waterfowl management issues in the Atlantic Flyway will be presented, and this year’s tentative waterfowl hunting seasons and bag limits will be discussed.

The NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative is an effort to improve recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women and to boost tourism activities throughout the state. This initiative includes streamlining fishing and hunting licenses, reducing license fees, improving access for fishing and increasing hunting opportunities in New York State.

In support of this initiative, this year’s budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support creating 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands that have not reached their full potential. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas.

In addition, the 2014-15 budget includes $4 million to repair the state’s fish hatcheries; and renews and allows expanded use of crossbows for hunting in New York State.

This year’s budget also reduces short-term fishing licenses fees; increases the number of authorized statewide free fishing days to eight from two; authorizes DEC to offer 10 days of promotional prices for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses; and authorizes free Adventure Plates for new lifetime license holders, discounted Adventure Plates for existing lifetime license holders and regular fee Adventure Plates for annual license holders.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A full moon is out in its glory tonight. In the top photo, the moon appears over the Orleans County Clerk’s Building.

In this picture, the moon appears between two of the columns in the front of the Orleans County Courthouse.

This picture also shows the moon peaking through the columns at the courthouse.

This one has the moon looming over the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.

The lights cast a nice glow on the front door of Christ Church.