Here are the 2011 guidelines issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for Stewart State Forest.
Guidelines for Stewart
State Forest Temporary Revocable Permits (TRP) applicants:
1. TRP’s
will not be issued for events on the following Holiday Weekends: Memorial
Day, July 4th (and its nearest weekend), and Labor Day. 2. We
will avoid issuing TRP’s for events on the second weekend of June and
August. 3. Motor
vehicle access will be prohibited through the first weekend of April (or longer
if conditions warrant) to protect the road system during mud season. 4. TRPs
will not be issued for more than 2 training events/week/club. Dog
Training events to be scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. 5. We will not issue TRPs for more than two Events (examples of events include dog
trials, bike races, group horse trail rides) on the property at
any one time. 6. Event
TRPs can include a condition allowing for camping associated with
administration of the event, but motor vehicle use must be minimized. 7. Lock
combinations, at the Department’s discretion, will be changed on September 30th
of each year. 8. All
TRP users will be required to post their activities at “event
info boxes” at the four major entries to the park (Barron Road North and
South, Weed Road and Ridge Road). Lorraine Drive may be added in the
future. A map showing the exact locations being used must be updated each
day. In the event live and blank ammunition is used, location and purpose
must be clearly identified, so other users are aware of noise. All event
announcements must be dated and removed within 24 hours of the end of the event. Dog training events consistent with
Guideline 11 (below) do not have to be posted – DEC will provide a map at
trailheads showing the areas where dog training will take place on Tuesdays,
Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from April thru September. 9. Ammunition
used in Retriever/Dog Club Trials, and other special TRP events near water must be non-toxic, lead-free, pursuant to ECL 11-0307. 10. Live
ammunition is prohibited for dog training events on State lands in Region 3 pursuant to ECL 11-0923.
Live ammunition will be allowed for dog trial events pursuant to ECL 11-0927. A dog
training event is one in which dog(s)
are taught, instructed, exercised and prepared for a test of skill. A dog
trial event is defined as an event in
which dogs compete or are tested to prove a level of skill or proficiency
before a competent judge and at which titles or championship points may be
awarded. 11. Permits
for dog training will be limited to the western portion of Stewart State
Forest, west of New Road, with the following exceptions: We will permit
activities on Senior Hill (east side of New Road), Beaver Pond (south of
New Road) and Pittman-Robertson Pond/upland ("Area 27").
We will prohibit training and trials at Restoration Pond and Giles Pond* due to
the high quality habitat they provide. TRPs for dog training events in
the areas described above will be limited to Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and
Sundays. 12. While
we encourage applicants to use the same training areas (described in #11 above)
for dog trial events, we will consider other locations for dog trials on a case
by case basis. For dog trial events where a judge makes the final
decision on location via a field inspection, the specific location must be
communicated to the Department and the Public ASAP, but no later than the
day before the trial event. 13. Vehicle
Access to all events will be from the nearest gate as indicated in the TRP
document. Internal roadway use will be limited to provisions described in
the TRP. 14. Dog
Clubs using live ammo must post a person(s) at major trail intersection(s) with
active event sites to alert users. * We will undertake a wildlife/habitat
assessment of Giles Pond. The
results of that assessment will determine if Giles Pond can accommodate dog
training and trial events in the future.