Construction of a flood resiliency project at Goose Bay Boat Launch in the town of Alexandria, Jefferson County has been completed. The project was awarded $455,000 in grant funding through the State’s Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI). The completed improvements will address fluctuating water levels along the St. Lawrence River, as well as promote boater safety. [Read more…] about Goose Bay Boat Launch Project Completed
Jefferson County
New York’s Forgotten Aeronaut & Diver: William Warren Rulison
When seventy-eight-year-old William Rulison passed away in August of 1931, the only newspaper in Upstate New York that carried the news was Cooperstown’s Otsego Farmer. In this obituary, he was noted only as a “pioneer in balloon flying in this part of the country,” and a man who went by the title of Professor. This report of his passing left much untold, and in the material that follows I hope to give a complete account of his full and varied life. [Read more…] about New York’s Forgotten Aeronaut & Diver: William Warren Rulison
The Mystery of Joseph Brant’s Watch
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There was a story that had been passed down in the Minthorn family for generations. It told of how an ancestor had hidden her two infants under the roots of a tree to save them during the Revolutionary War attack on Cherry Valley, NY, in 1778. It was said that in her zeal to quiet her children, the youngsters were rendered unconscious, being revived only after the attackers had departed.
While this story is most likely fiction, there is some truth mixed in. [Read more…] about The Mystery of Joseph Brant’s Watch
DEC Updating Cranberry Creek, Plantation Island Area Use Plans
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released draft Access and Public Use Plans (APUP) for Cranberry Creek and Plantation Island Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Jefferson and Herkimer Counties. The draft plans are available for public comment until October 1st, 2022. [Read more…] about DEC Updating Cranberry Creek, Plantation Island Area Use Plans
Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the completion of two aquatic habitat improvement projects in Jefferson County.
These habitat enhancements, on the Black River below the town of Dexter and in Chaumont Bay, Jefferson County, were implemented in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and create new spawning habitat for native fish species that are critical for local economies and ecological diversity in the region. [Read more…] about Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County
NNY Wildlife Management Areas Opening August 16th
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the annual opening to the public of otherwise restricted Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties from Tuesday, August 16th, to Wednesday, August 31st.
During the 16-day open house, Upper and Lower Lakes and Wilson Hill WMAs in St. Lawrence County, including the posted refuge or wetland restricted areas, will be open to visitors each day from sunrise to sunset. Perch River WMA in Jefferson County will also be open to visitors with one exception-Perch Lake will be open daily from noon to sunset. [Read more…] about NNY Wildlife Management Areas Opening August 16th
Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area Comments Sought
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a draft Access and Public Use Plan (APUP) for the Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for public review and comment.
Ashland Flats WMA contains 2,028 acres of primarily open meadows, and second-growth and young forests in Jefferson County east of Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area Comments Sought
Public’s Assistance Sought With Jefferson County Deer Poaching
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking the public for information about a deer poaching incident that occurred on April 25th, 2022, in the area of Pillar Point in the town of Brownville, Jefferson County, between midnight and 5 am. [Read more…] about Public’s Assistance Sought With Jefferson County Deer Poaching
Trail Cam Helps Nab Poacher
According to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, on January 20th, a Watertown man paid a $700 penalty in the town of Watertown, Jefferson County, for unlawfully taking a white-tailed deer with the aid of a bait pile. [Read more…] about Trail Cam Helps Nab Poacher
Francis Mallaby: Witness to Sackets Harbor History
The name Francis Mallaby may not be familiar in New York history but sailing master Mallaby served at the Sackets Harbor navy yard in a prosperous time of lake shipping and community growth. He helped make a difference by initiating purchase of land which is cherished today as the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site.
This War of 1812 veteran received high compliments from Lake Ontario navy commander Isaac Chauncey and Captain Woolsey that helped influence Mallaby’s 1817 appointment as master of the first steamboat on Lake Ontario, based in Sackets Harbor in Jefferson County, NY. [Read more…] about Francis Mallaby: Witness to Sackets Harbor History