BroomeCounty

Natural Resources Inventory and

Management Plan

July 2011

Prepared by:

BroomeCounty Environmental

Management Council

Acknowledgements


Contents

July 2011

1 / Introduction
Importance of Natural Resources and Open Space Planning
Intent of Plan
How to Use This Document
5 / BromeCounty Overview
Demographics
Geography and Landscape
Management Issues
Existing Plans and Initiatives
13 / Natural Resources Inventory
14 / Protected Open Space
Inventory
Management Issues
18 / Water Resources
Surface Waters
Aquifers
Floodplains
Wetlands and Stream Buffers
Management Issues
26 / Working Landscapes
Farmland
ForestLand
Management Issues
30 / Recreational Resources
Federal and State Recreation Areas
County and Municipal Recreation Areas
Fishing and Boating
Trails
Privately Owned Recreation Areas
Management Issues
39 / Distinctive Character
Archeologically Significant Areas
Geologically Significant Areas
Scenic Landscapes and Byways
Management Issues
42 / Biodiversity Areas
Endangered and Threatened Species
Publicly Owned Biodiversity Areas
Unique Natural Areas
Management Issues
58 / Implications, Tools and Strategies
To be expanded

July 2011

Introduction

July 2011

Open Space is defined as “Any land that is not intensively developed for residential, commercial, industrial or institutional use, characterized by natural scenic beauty of whose natural condition or present state of use, if retained, would enhance the present or potential value of surrounding development or would maintain or enhance the conservation of natural or scenic resources.” The Environmental Management Council has worked within the content of this definition to developing an Open Space Plan for BroomeCounty. The EMC recognizes the need for economic development within BroomeCounty and believes that long-term growth is possible without jeopardizing the area’s natural environment. If preserved, the natural surroundings can be an asset to attract people and business to the County.

This document, however, should not be viewed as a static set of recommendations which cannot be altered.It may require periodic re-evaluation and a change in priorities, to reflect the changing attitudes and circumstances surrounding the communities desire to protect open space.

Eons after the glaciers had carved their path through the land, channeling out theriverbeds and forming the valleys and steep hills, the Iroquois Confederacy hadestablished itself in the area encompassing what is known today as BroomeCounty. The tribes of the Confederacy, the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga and Seneca,traditionally an agricultural economy, lived on their harvests from the rivers, soiland forest.

In November, 1768 the sale of the land to England by the Iroquois began a sequenceof events that eventually resulted in the formation of what is known today as BroomeCounty. Individuals seeking escape from religious persecution in England migrated to the New World to settle on land given to them by King George III. It wasn’t until 1806 when after the Revolutionary War, the Treaty of Hartford and separation fromTiogaCounty, did Broome emerge as an entity of its own.

Value of Natural Resources and Open Space Planning

Open spaces provide benefits to communities in three key areas. They improve the overall quality of life, they improve the environment and also provide tangible economic benefits. All types of communities, from inner cities and suburbs to rural areas can benefit from the preservation of open space. To the residents of BroomeCounty, retaining its natural scenic beauty may be the pragmatic thing to do, however, it must be made evident that they do reap certain direct and indirect, short and long term social, economic and environmental benefits. Although larger protected open spaces provide the most advantages, even small preserved areas can also be beneficial.

The quality of life benefits of open space were first identified during the late 19th century, when communities all over America began to establish public open areas, usually of counteracting the effects of industrial and residential development. Open space pioneers, like Frederick Olmstead, proposed that public parks should be established within urban areas to promote the health and mental well being of city dwellers. Similarly, early conservationists promoted the protection of unique or unspoiled natural landscapes for the preservation and protection of wildlife.

Social Benefits

When people expand their perspective of natural open spaces by participating in some sort of outdoor experience they begin to make it an important part of their lives. Some statistics indicate that the vast majority travel to these areas to be with others, the availability of open space provides the opportunity to share a common ground. Surrounded by the natural scenic beauty of BroomeCounty, with its many parks and miles of meandering waterways, residents can take part in outdoor recreation and escape their every day routine.

Relaxation, rest and revitalization necessary to overcome the stress of today’s busy and demanding society.

Opportunity for community involvement and shared management of resources leading to a strong identification with their quality of life.

Aesthetic beauty and improving the quality of life.

Ethnic and cultural harmony.

Provide recreational opportunities to the disadvantaged and those afflicted with disabilities.

Enhanced community pride.

Interaction with nature and education that fosters a relationship with the natural world

Encourages environmental stewardship.

Environmental Benefits

The provision and preservation of open space affords specific ecological benefits that serve to improve the health and well-being of both human and wildlife communities.

Supporting a wide variety of plant and animal species, preserving biodiversity in developed areas.

Provide infiltration of water for water quality improvement, preserving drinking water in both surface waters and aquifers.

Decreases the speed of stormwater run off, thereby reducing soil erosion and downstream flooding.

Preserves plantlife to help improve air quality, groundwater recharge and also prevent erosion.

Economic Benefits

There is a direct connection between a healthy natural environment, a livable community and a strong economy. Communities around the country are learning that open space conservation is not an expense but an investment that produces important economic benefits.

Natural areas are integral to the maintenance of quality of life in order to attract new residents and businesses. Corporations and developers cite access to open space among the reasons for home buyers and companies for choosing a location.

Recreation related businesses such as equipment sales and rentals become a significant part of commercial activity.

Parks, historic sites and recreation areas attract tourists, resulting in income from food, lodging and associated travel expenses.

Open space increases property values which, in turn, increases local tax revenues.

Clustered housing developments incorporatingpreservation of open space areas, reduces infrastructure costs (utilities, transportation and public works).

Open space preservation and minimizing urban sprawl are essential for enhancing and maintaining farmland and timberlandfor continued agricultural productivity, enhancing economic development.

Intent of Plan

The need to preserve open space and other critical environmental resources in BroomeCounty is an essential element in The Plan for Sustainable Economical Development. The primary goal of the Environmental Management Council, the author, is to formulate a plan for open space that promotes public awareness of the resources available to the residents of BroomeCounty, how that space is presently protected and the need to preserve it for future generations. Recent threats imposed by gas drilling and the universal impact of climate change make this task a challenging one. Embodied in the general goal are the following specific objectives:

  • Inventory and map BroomeCounty open space, including areas which cross into adjacent counties.The inventory can be adjusted as conditions change.
  • Ensure the quality of the County’s water resources.
  • Preserve lands of distinctive character having scenic, historic and heritage value.
  • Preserve, protect and promote responsible agricultural and forestry operations.
  • Preserve and enhance the natural and cultural features of the county which form its’ unique qualities and characteristics.
  • Provide protection for environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands, floodplains, steep slopes, wildlife habitat areas and unique geological formations.
  • Preserve and enhance key entryways or gateways into BroomeCounty.
  • Provide, expand and protect outdoor recreational facilities and opportunities.
  • Promote responsible land use and development consistent with the carrying capabilities of the areas natural resources and the ability to provide services.
  • Retain open space areas to the maximum extent practical, to establish and preserve buffers between developed areas.
  • Preserve the biological diversity of the variety of life forms and the ecosystems they form.

How To Use This Document

  • Introduction
  • Open Space Planning

Regional/County-wide Scale

Municipality wide scale – Comprehensive planning

Individual scale – provide information so that development and environmental protection can be a cooperative relationship rather than antagonistic

  • Contents of each section
  • Intro/Description of resource
  • Inventory
  • Management Issues
  • Maps
  • Online GIS Tools

1

July 2011

Broome CountyOverview

July 2011

Demographics

Subsequent to a period of growth when the population reached about 222,000 in 1970, Broome County’s population declined by about 21,000 (9.6%) to 200,536 people by 2000, largely due to a decline in the birth rate and the migration of individuals out of the County. While the population declined throughout this entire period, the largest loss was in the nineties when the population declined by 5.5%. According to 2006 estimates , the population has continued to decline by over 2% to 196,269. 3

Municipality / Population / Percent Change
1980 / 1990 / 2000 / 1980-1990 / 1990-2000 / 1980-2000
Northern Broome Area
Barker / 2,244 / 2,714 / 2,738 / 20.9 / 0.9 / 22.0
Lisle / 2,039 / 2,486 / 2,707 / 21.9 / 8.9 / 32.8
Nanticoke / 1,425 / 1,846 / 1,790 / 29.5 / -3.0 / 25.6
Triangle / 2,618 / 3,006 / 3,032 / 14.8 / 0.9 / 15.8
SUB-TOTALS / 8,326 / 10,052 / 10,267 / 20.7 / 2.1 / 23.3
Triple Cities Fringe Area
Chenango / 12,233 / 12,310 / 11,454 / 0.6 / -7.0 / -6.4
Conklin / 6,204 / 6,265 / 5,940 / 1.0 / -5.2 / -4.3
Fenton / 7,400 / 7,236 / 6,909 / -2.2 / -4.5 / -6.6
Kirkwood / 5,834 / 6,096 / 5,651 / 4.5 / -7.3 / -3.1
Maine / 5,262 / 5,576 / 5,459 / 6.0 / -2.1 / 3.7
SUB-TOTALS / 36,933 / 37,483 / 35,413 / 1.5 / -5.5 / -4.1
Triple Cities Urban Area
BinghamtonCity / 55,860 / 53,008 / 47,380 / -5.1 / -10.6 / -15.2
BinghamtonTown / 5,007 / 5,006 / 4,969 / 0.0 / -0.7 / -0.8
Dickinson / 5,594 / 5,486 / 5,335 / -1.9 / -2.8 / -4.6
Union / 61,179 / 59,786 / 56,298 / -2.3 / -5.8 / -8.0
Vestal / 27,238 / 26,733 / 26,535 / -1.9 / -0.7 / -2.6
SUB-TOTALS / 154,878 / 150,019 / 140,517 / -3.1 / -6.3 / -9.3
Eastern Broome Area
Colesville / 4,965 / 5,590 / 5,441 / 12.6 / -2.7 / 9.6
Sanford / 2,635 / 2,576 / 2,477 / -2.2 / -3.8 / -6.0
Windsor / 5,911 / 6,440 / 6,421 / 8.9 / -0.3 / 8.6
SUB-TOTALS / 13,511 / 14,606 / 14,339 / 8.1 / -1.8 / 6.1
BroomeCounty Totals / 213,648 / 212,160 / 200,536 / -0.7 / -5.5 / -6.1
Table 1. BroomeCounty Population and Percent Population Change, 1980-20003,4

While Broome’s population has declined as a whole, population loss is most evident in the Triple Cities urban area (City of Binghamton, Town of Binghamton, Dickinson, Union and Vestal), most significantly the City of Binghamton which declined by 15.2% from 1980-2000. Northern Broome municipalities (the Towns of Barker, Lisle, Nanticoke, and Triangle) show net population growth, the majority of which was in the 1980’s. There was little to no growth in the 1990’s, with the exception of the Town of Lisle which grew by 8.9%. The Towns of Windsor and Colesville in Eastern Broome exhibited similar patterns to the Northern municipalities.3 (See Table 1)

Although Broome does not appear to be faced with the pressures of population growth threatening open space resources, the trends of decline in urban areas and growth in rural areas, where many open space resources are concentrated, signals the importance for protecting open spaces as the population distribution shifts. Furthermore, after a period of significant decline, BroomeCounty municipalities are making significant efforts to reverse the trend of population decline and attract more people and businesses to the community. The protection of scenic areas and habitat regions is essential to having long lasting positive effects on the quality of life to attract these future residents.

Population Trends

The BroomeCounty population has aged significantly from 1980-2000. The population over age 65 increased the most dramatically, by about 19%, over this time period while the population in the 18-34 age group decreased by about 27% and those under 18 decreased by 17%. Overall, BroomeCounty has an older population than both its peers and the nation as a whole, unusual for a county the size of Broome with a university enrollment of over 12,000 students. Retaining its university graduates and attracting more young workers continues to be a challenge for Broome County.2

While it is difficult to compare racial distribution over time due to changes in the methodology of the US Census, in general BroomeCounty has become increasingly diverse, with minority races comprising about 9% of the population in 2000, compared to only 3% in 1980. However, the County is not nearly as diverse as New YorkState as a whole, in which minority races comprised 32% of the population in 2000. The more rural areas of the county, where minority populations are less than 5%, are less diverse, while in the urban core minority populations range from about 10-17%.3

Households and Residential Development

Despite the population decline over the past several decades, the number of households in the County increased by 5.1% from 1980-2000. Most of the increase occurred in the eighties, but continued to a lesser extent in the nineties in some areas. The increase is most evident in the rural parts of the county where there was an increase of 38.7% and 21.4% in Northern and Eastern Broome, respectively, during this time period. The number of households in the Triple Cities Fringe Area increased by 11.4%. The Triple Cities Urban Area increased by only 1.0% and it is notable that there was actually a 2.9% decrease in the number of households in this area during the nineties.3

Residential development in the core urban area has declined since 1980. At that time 46% of building permits were located in this part of the County. This number declined to 30 percent in 1990 and even further to only 14 percent in 2000. Many rural towns, particularly in northern Broome had a relatively large number of building permits, with many appearing to be for mobile homes.1

The patterns exhibited by changes in the number of households seem to reflect the shift in population distribution to the more rural areas of the County. It is important to recognize with the shift to rural areas, land that had remained open space as forest or agricultural land may experience additional development pressures for residential land use and any commercial development to service these households. Therefore, the preservation of these open spaces may become increasingly important as the number of households continues to grow.

Economic Trends and Non-residential Development

BroomeCounty has suffered economic difficulties since the early 1990’s, similar to many other upstate New York Communities. The area’s economy has historically been largely dependent on a traditional and key manufacturing economic base, which has eroded significantly. Significant high tech industries have downsized, closed, or left the County.1

The number of jobs in the manufacturing sector has declined from almost 32,800 in 1980, 34 percent of all wage and salary jobs, to 18,300 in 2000, only 18 percent. The jobs lost in this sector have been replaced by generally lower paying industries (wholesale, retail, finance, insurance, and services sectors), which combined accounted for 61 percent of all jobs in 2000, an increase from 39 percent in 1980.1

In general, the total number of wage and salary jobs in the County has declined significantly since 1990, a major factor in the substantial decline in overall county population. The greatest loss in manufacturing jobs was in the City of Binghamton, which declined from about 40% of the manufacturing jobs in the county in the 70’s, to about 30% by the end of the 90’s. Retail trade has also shifted from the city with the total number of establishments decreasing from 705 to 305 from the 70’s to the 90’s. Furthermore, retail employment in the Tri-Cities area declined from 65 percent of the County’s total to 58 percent during this time period, despite some growth in Johnson City.1

The establishment of retail trade, other commercial businesses and institutional facilities outside of the core urban area is reflected in the number of building permits for nonresidential construction. In 1980 the Triple-Cities urban area accounted for 46 percent of the permits in the County which declined to only 14 percent in 2000. In recent years, a significant amount of retail and office development has occurred in Towns of Vestal and Chenango.1

The demographic trends in BroomeCounty over the last several decades, changes in the economy, residential and nonresidential development and the population as a whole, have reflected a general shift from the core urban areas to the urban fringe and more rural portions of the County. This may have a dramatic impact on open space lands as urban brownfields remain abandoned and greenfields in the fringe and rural areas, which house a great deal of open space, are more attractive to residents and businesses. If this trend continues, it is essential to establish boundaries and guidelines about where and how development occurs to preserve the economic and ecological benefits of these open space lands.

1. Broome County Wastewater Management Study (2002)

2. Broome County Plan for Sustainable Economic Development (2002)

3. US Census Bureau

4. BroomeCounty Agricultural Economic Development Plan (2001)

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July 2011

Geography and Landscape

Overall Physical Description of County

  1. Rivers – Susquehanna and Chenango junction + Tioughnioga
  2. Tributary streams
  3. Hills and valleys
  4. Existing agricultural land
  5. Abandoned farm land
  6. Forested areas

Note: I expect this to be just a short introductory type paragraph mentioning these features in a couple of sentences. Details in items later on

Geographical History