New York State Division of Lands and Forests Bureau of Private Land Services Forest Protection Administration and Research Files

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New York State Division of Lands and Forests Bureau of Private Land Services Forest Protection Administration and Research Files

Held by the New York State Archives

Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives

New York State Education Department

Cultural Education Center

Albany, NY 12230

Summary:

This series documents the Department of Environmental Conservation and its predecessor agencies' efforts to observe, record, and eradicate insect infestations, diseases, and other environmental conditions that threaten forest plant life. Included are staff field reports which document environmental problems such as tent caterpillar, gypsy moth, and blister rust. Also included are correspondence with federal officials, private companies, citizens, and scientists; "New York Forest Pest" reports; memorandums, newspaper clippings, scientific journal articles, and reports; charts; and topographic maps containing plotted data.

Creator:

New York (State). Division of Lands and Forests. Bureau of Private Land Services

Title:

Forest protection administration and research files

Quantity:

4 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:

1933-1998

Series Number:

B1777

Arrangement

Alphabetical by disease, pest, or other environmental condition.

Scope and Content Note

This series documents efforts by the Department of Environmental Conservation and its predecessor agencies to observe, record, and eradicate insect infestations, diseases, and other environmental conditions that threaten forest plant life. The series includes correspondence between State agency officials and federal officials, private companies, private citizens, and scientists. Also included are copies of monthly "New York Forest Pest" reports, known earlier as "Insect and Disease" reports. Additional records include memoranda, newspaper clippings, copies of scientific journal articles and other published reports, scientific data in the form of charts, and topographic maps containing plotted data.

A significant component of the files are field report forms compiled by agency staff. These include "Forest Disease and Insect" reports, frequently accompanied by "Forest Pest Location" maps, and "New York Pest Conditions Forest Health" worksheets. The "Forest Disease and Insect" reports are the most prevalent and contain the following data: problem (including common name), host species, date of observation, region, county, reporter(s), acres affected and level of damage (light, moderate, or severe), trend, regional mortality loss estimate, and control projects or methods. Examples of environmental problems documented in the files include: butternut canker, forest tent caterpillar, European spruce sawfly, white pine weevil, beech bark disease, gypsy moth, balsam canker, white pine blister rust, drought wind damage, and winter ice damage.