More info:
http://www.co.tompkins.ny.us/NFFA/docs/Gorges.pdf
Coy Glen, located in the northeastern finger of this Focus Area, is a particularly interesting and unique botanic and geologic area known for its numerous rare and scarce plants. The Town of Ithaca designated this site as a Critical Environmental Area because of its unusual and important qualities. The steep-sided rock walls and exposed bluffs of Coy Glen provide habitat for scarce liverworts, mosses, and ferns. Local geologic conditions and historic quarrying in the watershed have created unique formations throughout the Glen that include dripping cliffs and creekbed “potholes” and fossil ripple marks. Though smaller in scale, Lick Brook is known for many of the same geologic and botanic characteristics as Coy Glen.
About critical environmental areas: (as designated by Tompkins County in t he State of NY)
What are Critical Environmental Areas?
Under New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) Regulations, local agencies may designate, via local legislation, specific geographic areas within their boundaries as Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs). State agencies may also designate CEAs an state owned, managed, or regulated lands. For final approval, all CEAs must be mapped and announced through public notice and a public hearing.
Why are Critical Environmental Areas Important?
The designation of a Critical Environmental Area provides some regulatory protection for a site and functions as an indicator to developers, local officials, and other govemmental agencies that the site is of significant environmental value.
Coy Glen is the only CEA in Tompkins County. Coy Glen is an important botanic and geologic site, and is home to uncommon ecological communities and rare species. Many rare species reside in the hilltop forests of Coy Glen and the gorge walls provide habitat for scarce liverworts, mosses, and ferns.
Dilemma
Obviously this is a little known, very unique area.
The problem is, for me, that if NYFalls.com creates a page, with photographs and info that would entice people to trek the gorge themselves, traffic would increase, putting the CEA at risk.
How can NYfalls showcase something like this without making it a weekend family fun spot, ruining the ecology like Stony Brook park has been put through? I call this the Olmsted Dilemma.
For Private landowners, I have always planned on an invite only policy, that if I’m asked to profile I would. Provide a gallery,
location by county only, and a bit of a description and background info. One primary focus would be to register the location as private and that trespassing is not allowed. That way people don’t have to rely on hearsay before they drive to a private falls and be confronted with Posted signs, which if they drove all that way, may be more inclined to ignore.
This could be the policy for land such as these, as I can tell people generally where (county/city level) and instead of all the access details, provide more information about protected species, land, water and why it is important not to bring the whole family for a picnic here. Essentially classify it as “restricted access” and not promote visitation at all.
I’m still not sure what the public access policy of this area is yet though.
