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Request Use of County Parks






This brochure compiled, edited and paginated by
R. Allan Beers, Michael DiMola, Lorraine Linzenberg and Janice Regan
is based upon the original done by Eric Sundberg.

Revised May 2005

INTRODUCTION

• Cutting and removal of wood, injury to or defacing of park property, destruction to or removal of flora and fauna. 
• Dumping garbage, refuse, obnoxious material.
• Bicycles and motorized vehicles, ATVs
• Camping.
• Open fires.
• Commercial enterprises.
• Firearms, air guns, slingshots, bow and arrows, ax or other cutting tools.
• Hunting, trapping, molesting wildlife, pursue with dog.
• Gambling.
• Advertising.
• Dogs unleashed (Except in designated areas).
• Horses left unattended.
• Climbing or descending cliffs.
• Improper conduct.
• Controlled substances, alcoholic beverages.
• Swimming, storing or mooring of boats (Except in designated areas).
• Meetings and exhibitions.
• Organized picnics and outings without a permit.

• Explosives.

For full description of prohibited activities refer to
CHAPTER 315 OF THE LAWS OF
COUNTY OF ROCKLAND, NEW YORK

In case of an emergency, contact the
Rockland County Sheriff’s Department at (845)-638-5400
For all other information,
contact the Rockland County Division of Environmental Resources
50 Sanatorium Road, Bld. P - Pomona, NY  10970
(845)-364-2670

* * * * * * * *

For services and advice, we extend our appreciation to:

• Arlene Miller, Principal Planner, Rockland County Planning Department

• Douglas Schuetz, Principal Planner/GIS, Rockland County Planning Department

• Carol Ash, Executive Director, Palisades Interstate Park Commission

• Gordon Wren, Fire Coordinator, Rockland County

• Sheriff James T. Kralik, Sheriffs Department

• Patricia Zugibe, Rockland County Attorney

• Ken DeStefano, Principal County Attorney

CARRYING CAPACITY
R.  Allan Beers, Coordinator 

We are very fortunate in having natural open space in our County Parks.  It is therefore important that we understand the capacity of the land to support a healthy population of wildlife.  Carrying capacity refers to the ability of the land to support living organisms.  Within every habitat there exists a fixed upper limit of the amount of food, which is provided for the species that live in that particular area.  Land supports wildlife by meeting its critical needs, such as food, protective cover, water and wintering or breeding grounds.  Each species has its different needs.  For example, an acre of forested land provides different resources than an acre of pasture.  Each species is affected by the factors in the environment.  The physical factors include water, soil, temperature, light and oxygen.  The carrying capacity also depends on the season of the year.  Summer and early fall are the easiest time for the wildlife to find food.  Vegetation is plentiful providing food and cover and the opportunity to store food reserves for the winter.  As winter approaches the carrying capacity decreases as food sources diminish.  Migratory species head south and other species will hibernate through the winter months.  This helps the remaining species to use the limited food reserves.   

An example of the stress that is associated during the winter months is how the White-tailed deer crowd into winter deeryards.  During the most severe winter months when the snow is deep, food scarce and the temperature very cold, deer crowd into the deepest protective cover in their range.  This yard consists of ten percent of their usual home range.  While in the yard any available food is eaten within a very short time leaving the herd unable to locate food.  The young die first because they cannot reach the branches.  The weakest die next because they expend more energy searching for food than they acquire.  Many females, which were bred during the winter, lose their fetuses during the severe months.  This struggle for survival is repeated every year depending upon the severity of the winter.   

This is a dramatic example of one particular species struggle for survival during times of stress.  All wildlife species are up against the same factors as the deer but are less obvious because they are smaller and more difficult to observe.  The land must provide wildlife with enough resources to survive.  They require food sources and protective cover in order to live and breed.  There are ways that we can increase the carrying capacity of the land to make a more favorable habitat for most species.  In Kakiat Park we are presently increasing the protective cover for hares, opossum, skunk and other smaller mammals.  It is done by creating brush piles throughout the park.  These brush piles will become shelters for the smaller animals and help increase their numbers.  By increasing the amount of prey species in the habitat it will also increase the number of predator species such as fox, hawk and owl.  The fact is that sixty to eighty percent of all prey species will not live more than one breeding season.  Another method we are employing to increase the carrying capacity is to cut down and remove a section of the overgrown apple orchard.  By removing the over mature and diseased trees we will increase the amount of meadow and raise the carrying capacity by providing more forage.  Similar steps have been taken at Kennedy-Dells, Mountainview Nature Park, South Mountain, Gurnee Park and Amphitheater and Buttermilk Falls.   

Management of the land will help increase the amount of wildlife by increasing the carrying capacity of the habitat.  This will increase the amount of food resources and shelters, which are the factors in determining the size of the populations.  Everyone will benefit by larger amounts of wildlife found within the parks.  To be able to observe an animal in its natural habitat is an important reward  of capable management.  This also provides a valuable lesson in understanding the need to manage our resources wisely.