Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area

Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Map. Shows New York State and bordering regions of other states and of Ontario Province in Canada.
Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area

State of New York (USA)

Location Oswego County, New York, USA
Nearest city Oswego, New York
Coordinates 43°39′36″N 76°11′46″W / 43.66°N 76.196°WCoordinates: 43°39′36″N 76°11′46″W / 43.66°N 76.196°W
Area 76 acres (31 ha)
Established 1994
Visitors 18,874[1] (in 2009)
Governing body New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Topographic map illustrating the boundaries of Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area (UA), as well as Sandy Island Beach State Park (SP) and Sandy Island Beach Unique Area. The gray regions within the Unique Area boundaries are privately owned land.

Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area is a 76-acre (31 ha) New York State conservation area located within the eastern Lake Ontario dunes. It lies at the north end of a spit of land dividing North Sandy Pond from Lake Ontario, and is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Sandy Island Beach State Park.[2] There is no road access to the area, which can be most easily reached by boat. For this reason, local residents have long referred to the beach as "Boaters' Beach".

There is a bird sanctuary on the northernmost tip of this area that hosts large numbers of shorebirds during migration; the Unique Area is part of the Eastern Lake Ontario Marshes Bird Conservation Area that also includes Deer Creek Marsh, Lakeview, and Black Pond Wildlife Management Areas.[3] Visitors and pets are not allowed in the bird sanctuary.

The area was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1994 from two private owners who were concerned about preservation of the land; the purchase price was about $300,000.[4] The new conservation area was named the Sandy Pond Beach Natural Area. The purchase was followed by a restoration effort involving beachgrass plantings and construction of boardwalks, which prevent damage to the beachgrass by foot traffic.[5] The Nature Conservancy properties have been purchased by New York State to create the Unique Area, which is part of the New York State Forest system.[6]

The Unique Area has also been designated a New York Natural Heritage Area.[7]

Recreation notes

The Region 7 Draft Recreation Master Plan indicates the following:[6]

References

  1. ↑ Kuehn, Diane; Habig, Rachel (January 2010). "Monitoring Recreational Use in the Eastern Lake Ontario Dune and Wetland Area". See Table 4, p. 17.
  2. ↑ "Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Archived from the original on 2010-07-26.
  3. ↑ "Eastern Lake Ontario Marshes Bird Conservation Area". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  4. ↑ Bielen, Mary et al. "Providing public access in coastal areas: options for landowners". Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  5. ↑ Gifford, Aaron (2000-09-21). "Answer is Blowin' in the Wind: Group's planting effort restores dunes at Sandy Pond". The Syracuse Post Standard. p. B-1.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Region 7 Recreation Master Plan for State Forests". New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation. February 2006. Archived from the original on 2010-01-26.
  7. ↑ "Natural Heritage Area Designation for Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 2010-01-24.

Further reading

External links