Gallatin’s Conservation Advisory Council has begun it’s Natural Resource Inventory and Conservation Plan.

In June 2024, the CAC began work on our Natural Resource Inventory and Conservation Plan (NRICP)

• The CAC hired Jim Nordgren (JN Land Trust Services), an environmental and land use consultant to complete the NRICP
• We hosted 9 forest property walks with Jim Nordgren, open to the community as part of Jim’s work to map Gallatin’s forest corridors
• We organized a presentation by Christine Vanderlan, Conservation and Land Use Specialist, with the Hudson River Estuary Program, to the Town Board and Gallatin Residents on municipal policy options and how towns in our region are implementing zoning recommendations from their NRIs
• Provided the Town Board with an interim report including recommendations on Forest Overlay zones and best zoning practices to protect Gallatin’s forests.

Summary of Forest Surveys 

Forest Patch 1

This 3,404 acre forest runs from Snyderville Road to the west to the Taconic Parkway to the east and from Route 8 in the north to Jackson Corners Road to the south. It includes observations of Rare Terrestrial animals along the Doove Kill13, at least three ridgetops of between 695 and 937 feet in elevation, the Roeliff Jansen and its tributaries, the Fall Kill river trout stream and seven wetlands that are 12.4 acres or larger and mapped by DEC which total 235 acres in size, in addition to unmapped wetlands and vernal pools. 

13 Rare Terrestrial Animals and Significant Communities occur all over Gallatin. They have only been observed and recorded by NYNHP where scientists have had access to public lands. It should not be assumed that these are the only occurrences 

Surveys on May 21, July 13 and September 7, 2024 revealed mature hemlock-white pine groves with many of the hemlocks in good condition despite the spread of wooly adelgid infestations in the region. Red maple swamps have tupelo and large white oaks and buttonbush, nannyberry, arrowwood viburnum and spicebush shrubs. Wood frogs observed here indicate that the vernal pools are producing these and possibly other obligate vernal pool species such as spotted salamanders. Hillsides are dry and thin-soiled with medium size (12”-15” diameter at breast height [dbh]), even-aged red, black and chestnut oaks and pignut hickories with an understory of serviceberry, black birch, sassafras, hornbeam and hop hornbeam trees, huckleberry, low bush blueberry and maple-leaf viburnum shrubs and Pennsylvania sedge. The even age of the trees indicates previous logging activity. Many skid trails still are deeply rutted and have failed to regenerate except with invasive mugwort and stilt grass. Invasive plants, however, were rarely found in the rest of the forest. The many rocky outcrops have lowbush blueberry and pasture rose shrubs and rock harlequin and columbine wildflowers. The understory is generally sparse due to deer browse, but in a 12-acre deer exclosure native honeysuckle along with other native saplings are regenerating. Although much of the area has been logged in the past as indicated by the even-aged trees, this forest is rich in biodiversity which is clear from the diversity of bird species observed here in May, July and September including field sparrows in the meadows, indigo bunting and great crested flycatchers along the wooded edges, veery in the wooded wetlands and ovenbird, pee-wee, red-eyed vireos and scarlet tanagers in the interior woods. 

Forest Patch 2

This 2,660 acre forest-one of the most extensive, intact forests in the region-runs from the Taconic Parkway to the west to Route 11 and from Route 8 to the north to Near and Barnett Roads to the south. It includes at least nine ridgetops of between 893 and 1,040 feet in elevation including Green Hill, Signal Rock and Tiffany Hill, tributaries to the Roeliff Jansen-several of which support native trout-at least four DEC wetlands totaling 171 acres in size and vernal pools along Green Hill Road and on Tiffany Hill in addition to unmapped wetlands and other vernal pools. Birds observed during surveys done on June 8, June 17 and August 8, 2024 include field sparrow and towhees in the shrubby meadows, Louisiana water thrush and veery in the wetlands and ovenbirds and scarlet tanagers in the interior forest, all indicative of a high quality forest interior ecosystem. The lower elevations of Signal Rock and the Green Hill range have red maple, elm, sugar maple, black birch, black cherry, shagbark hickory, basswood and white pine trees of medium size along with a few large white oaks. Witch hazel is common along with maple leaf viburnum and a somewhat rare snowberry shrub. Several vernal pools are found along the Green Hill Road path and on Tiffany Hill. Invasive plants are found only along Skiba Road and Green Hill Road, both of which eventually turn into dirt roads with closed canopies that do not fragment the Forest Patch. 

At higher elevations, plant species shift to chestnut oak and pignut hickory interspersed with yellow birch and healthy hemlock-white pine groves. Hemlocks dominate the ridges at the northern portion of this Forest Patch and are the same type of community as the Hemlock-Northern Hardwood Forest Significant Natural Community around Lake Taghkanic as classified by NYNHP. Hop hornbeam and hornbeam grow in the understory and witch hazel, lowbush blueberry and maple leaf viburnum grow in the shrub layer along with a rarely found native honeysuckle shrub growing on rocky cliffs that deer cannot reach. 

At about 850 feet in elevation at the ridgetops, chestnut oak, white pine and pitch pine grow along with striped maple and lowbush blueberry, azalea, pasture rose and huckleberry shrubs. Rock outcrops are common with rock polypody and marginal wood ferns. This can be classified as a Pitch Pine-Oak-Heath Rocky Summit14. Along with native honeysuckle some of the rarer plants observed here include: pink lady slipper, fringed polygala (‘gay wings’), columbine, rock harlequin and trailing artibus. These may be growing here because the ridgetop is less accessible to deer. 

Five ridgetops and the roads to them, often on steep slopes, have recently been cleared. The areas cleared range from one half acre to one acre in size, except for a larger, four-acre clearing. The clearings have not regrown and are dominated by invasive plants including ailanthus (tree of heaven), autumn olive, miscanthus grass, swallowwort, garlic mustard and stilt grass. Tree removal has also recently occurred on steep slopes and adjacent to vernal pools in this Forest Patch. Gallatin’s Ridgetop Protection Overlay District does not prevent landowners from pre-clearing before applying for Planning Board approval to build on ridgelines. Non-commercial tree removal is not yet regulated in Gallatin. Gallatin’s Watercourse Protection Overlay District only applies to certain floodplains but does not regulate activities in wetlands, vernal pools or watercourses, so this damaging clearing is not now regulated. NYS DEC’s “Forestry Best Management Practices” recommends that forest cover be maintained within 15 feet of a stream or wetland and that 50% of the tree canopy be maintained within 35 to 100 feet of a stream or wetland, but this is only directed at commercial timber harvests.

Forest Patch 3

This 489 acre forest runs from Lake Taghkanic south to Pond Lily Pond. It includes Gallatin Bog in addition to unmapped wetlands and other vernal pools and an NYNHP designated Significant Community, a Hemlock-Northern Hardwood forest, as well as Important Areas for Terrestrial Animals, including several reptiles and amphibians listed as Special Concern.

Because this area has been extensively surveyed for plants and wildlife in the past and is mostly parkland, only Pond Lily Pond was walked. The pond has extensive meadows and has a shoreline vegetated with cattails, pickerel weed and blue vervain. 

Forest Patch 4

This 1,054 acre forest runs from Doodletown Road south to Route 82 and includes tributaries to Suydam Creek, two native trout streams, wetlands and a 1,076 foot hilltop sometimes referred to as Wilmer Hill. The Forest Patch extends another 250 acres across the town boundary into Ancram. As is the case in many other parts of Gallatin, this area has been logged in the recent past. Where timber harvests have occurred white and black birch groves of small to medium size grow. Red maples dominate the wetter, lower elevations while red and white oaks grow further up the hillside with chestnut and red oak and pignut and mockernut hickories at higher elevations. A grove of planted Norway Spruce is found near the center of the forest while a large grove of white pines grow along Route 82. Like several other ridge tops in Gallatin, the hilltop and roads leading up to it have been cleared, presumably for subdivision purposes. Invasive mugwort grows here along with native goldenrod and other herbs. 

Forest Patch 5

This 894 acre forest in the southeastern section of Gallatin runs from Route 7 south to Sigler Road and extends another 40 acres across the town boundary to Ancram. A beaver pond occasionally visited by moose lies at the southern edge of the Forest Patch. A moose was also recently observed just northwest of this Forest Patch. Two hilltops, each greater than 850 feet in elevation, rise in the forest’s center. The forest also has several tributaries that support native trout, one of which flows into the Shekomeko Creek. 

As in many other areas of Gallatin, these forests have been logged and are regrowing with small (6-11 inch diameter) to medium sized (12 to 24 inch diameter) sugar maple and red oaks. And as in other forests in the region, deer have browsed the understory.  Further up the hillsides, large, nearly two feet in diameter red and black oaks dominate. At 17 the ridgetops vegetation turns to an oak opening-grass savannah community dominated by small to medium size oaks. 

Further Reading

Gallatin Habitat Summary

Christine Vanderland’s presentation to the Town Board November 19th, 2024

Gallatin Zoning Memo January 2025