Forever Wild - Zaepfel Nature Center: Improving its Pastures and Trails - Special-E-Fects

" Forever Wild - Zaepfel Nature Center: Improving its Pastures and Trails" from the Friday, June 29, 2001 issue of the Special-E-Fects, Ellicottville, New York

The Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation (CLDC) announced that it will be renaming the area currently referred to as Enchanted Lake. The CLDC has singed a license agreement with Mr. James A. Zaepfel to utilize his name in connection with the land that Mr. Zaepfel donated to the CLDC in November 1999.


"When Mr. Zaepfel donated the 829 parcels that he owned in the Town of Napoli to the CLDC, he did it unconditionally," said Rick LeFeber, Executive Director of the CLDC. "As a result, we were able to develop a strategy that 1st and foremost addressed the needs of existing homeowners and the Health Department. Once those issues had been addressed and rectifies, we were in a position to identify and develop the best use for the remaining 950 acres."

With the help of Joann Kurtis of USDA Seneca Trail RC&D, Executive Director of the Pfeiffer Nature Center, Rick White, Rich Edlund, and Art Schaub of USDA NRCS, plus a whole compliment of state and federal biologists, ornithologist, wildlife rehabber and geologist, the CLDC has identified the means to protect, promote and utilize the potential of this property. The CLDC now has a wide variety of projects and programs being developed and implemented at this site which will employ this natural resource to its fullest potential.

"The Board of Directors of the CLDC recognize Jim Zaepfel and his stewardship and generous donations by naming the area the James A. Zaepfel Nature Sanctuary and Research Center," commented Rick LeFeber.

Five hundred acres are currently designated for inclusion in the Federal Wetland Reserve Program which will create a "forever wild" area. The CLDC intends to put 5 miles of trails within that area so the public will have quiet enjoyment and viewing of the approximate 200 species of birds that frequent the wetlands.

Improving Pastures and Trails

Wildlife habitat improvements and trail development were the main topics of a recent meeting at Zaepfel Nature Center. In attendance were the Directors of the Nature Center Richard and Lynn LeFeber, Ecological Consultant Richard White and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Staff: State Biologist Michael Townsend, Area Conservationist Robert Hartrick, District Conservationist Richard Edlund and Soil Conservationist Arthur Schaub.

Directors of Zaepfel, under the guidance of Richard White, were interested in establishing native warm season grasses on suitable sites within the Zaepfel property. These grasses were the original grasses in the Northeast and provide superior bird habitat for nesting and winter cover. Twelve available acres were found to have suitable, well-drained soils for warm season grass establishment. Forty-three acres of lower drainage class soils now dominated by invasive Reed Canary Grass was designated for NRCS's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Pending upon application approval, this acreage will be converted to a cool season grass/ legume mix more favorable to wildlife.

The WHIP program provides technical assistance and cost share funding to improve sites for wildlife. these renovated pastures will be used for habitat comparison studies. Differential bird species use of the two grassland types will be monitored and evaluated. Enhancement of existing trails and creation of a new trail will create a network of access through the nature center. The existing snowmobile trail in the southern portion of the easement will remain as well. Eagle / Osprey nesting platforms, wood duck boxes and wildlife viewing blinds were all discussed and approved.

State biologist Mike Townsend was enthusiastic and supportive of the educational and wildlife orient goals at the Zaepfel site. He Suggested that eventually Zaepfel site could become full managers of the Wetland Reserve Program Easement with NRCS as a partner, Primarily for program review and approval.

Sweet Tree Maple Planting

Zaepfel Nature Center recent collaborate with Cornell University sugar maple researchers to establish an experimental plot of sugar maples bred for increased sap sugar concentration. the trees were distributed to participants attending the Agro forestry and Forest Management Learning Communities Workshop held at Cornell's Arnot Experimental Forest April 24-26, 2001. This workshop was coordinated by Louis Buck, Senior Extension Associate of Cornell's Department of Natural Resources and her assistant, Heather Bryant. The event was attended by 32 natural resource professional from six Northeastern states. Lewis Staats developed the high sap sugar maples at Cornell's Uihlein Sugar Maple Research and Extension Field Station. Instruction on establishment, maintenance and operation of a sugar bush was provided by both Lewis Staats and Chuck Winship. Art Schab from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and David Swaziak from Cornell Cooperative Extension represented Cattaraugus County from the workshop.

Richard and Lynn LeFeber, Directors of Zaepfel Nature Center assisted Art Schaub in planting maples. The trees should provide a nice view from the nature center's future main facility in addition to generating valuable date for the future of New York's maple sugar industry.

Louise Buck, Heather Bryant and Chuck Winship of the Cornell Agro forestry Workshop Group visited the Zaepfel maple site on the 12th of June. The Zaepfel site is one of the many sugar maple research plots thought out the Northeast providing valuable information to ensure that future of the maple sugaring trade. One of the few, unique, small scale northeast rural industries still surviving.