Clearpool Model Forest

In October 2011, the Council and Green Chimneys, officially announced the designation of the Clearpool Model Forest at the Clearpool Education Center campus in Carmel, Putnam County. The fourth Model Forest site to be established in and around the New York City Water Supply Watershed region, Clearpool represents 264 acres of privately-owned forestland set aside to sup­port environmental education and forest stewardship of the Croton Watershed, making it the second largest of the four outdoor classrooms.

Green Chimneys' Clearpool Education Center emerged as an ideal Model Forest site in 2010 when the Council sought to es­tablish a Model Forest in the Croton Water­shed region of Dutchess, Putnam and West­chester counties. The Croton Watershed is one of three surface water sources for the New York City water supply, one of the largest surface water supply systems in the world, and provides a portion (10%-30%) of the City's daily water needs. Model Forests serve as outdoor classrooms to educate forest landowners, students, and the com­munities of the lower Hudson Valley about effective forest management and steward­ship practices that are compatible with wa­ter quality protection – a critical issue for the Croton region.

The key concepts that create the founda­tion of the Model Forest educational expe­rience are water quality, biodiversity, forest ecosystems and human interaction with the natural landscape. As an established en­vironmental education facility and vibrant forest set on 350 acres, Clearpool Education Center offers a spectacular venue for stake­holders and community members to learn about the issues that confront forests within the Croton Watershed. For over 100 years, Clearpool has offered countless ecological resources and extensive wildlife for explo­ration and discovery. Its protected wood­lands include over five miles of forest trails, a pond, lake, marsh, wetland, and an exten­sive stream system, all of which provide multiple habitats for a diverse population of plants, birds, and animals.

In early 2011, the Clearpool Model Forest Steering Committee guided the site plan­ning process, the development of a forest management plan, and educational pro­gramming to be offered. The Committee is comprised of key representatives from Green Chimneys and Clearpool Educa­tion Center, Town of Kent officials, Putnam County Cornell Cooperative Extension, lo­cal environmentalists, foresters, educators, Quality Deer Management Association rep­resentatives, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The group reports to the board of Green Chimneys and has been responsible for making all recommendations and final decisions on proposed projects within the model forest.

The Clearpool Education Center's sus­tainable forestry program is dedicated to promoting responsible forest stewardship in the lower Hudson Valley region by dem­onstrating sustainable approaches and sharing this information with landown­ers, students, forestry professionals, con­servation organizations, and community members. Through hands-on programs, seminars and field-based experiences, the vision for the Clearpool Model Forest is to create broad public commitment by helping people to understand and expe­rience the shared benefits that can be at­tained and preserved through properly managed forests. These benefits include protection of public and private water sup­plies; improved air quality; protection of biological diversity; increased recreational opportunities; and access to sustainably harvested forest products. A plan for site projects and initiatives to be completed in Year 1, 3 and 5 is currently in development. Some of these projects include ecosystem inventory; monitoring of water quality; de­velopment and mapping of hiking trails; building bridges and passages to facilitate access along trails; design of public pro­grams and demonstrations; and structural improvements to maintain best manage­ment practices.