Curtis-Gale Forest, Oswego, NY   David Yarrow   Nov 13, 2002 11:33 PST  Curtiss-Gale Forest State Wildlife Management Area Oswego County, New York The Curtiss-Gale Forest covers 45 acres between Route 57 and the Oswego River just south of Fulton. Most of the site is second-growth with a plantation of Scots Pine, with understory of Striped Maple nearest Rt. 57. However, farther west toward the Oswego River, Curtiss-Gale contains about eight acres of confirmed Old-Growth Forest on a ridge overlooking the Oswego River. There are many rock outcroppings on slope leading to river. The Old-Growth Forest segment has all the characteristics of classic cathedral-type old-growth, including: ·         large old shade-tolerant trees ·         extremely well-developed treefa11 pit and mound topography ·         many large downed loge, most extremely decayed ·         spiral grain on both massive trunks of standing trees and downed logs ·         abundant moss ·         fungus ·         trees straight and very tall, 110 to 117 feet, and possibly over 120' tall ·         trees branchless for 60' or more ·         balding bark: shaggy bark (Red Maple), rusty bark (Hemlock) ·         buttressed roots ·         trees on sti1t roots (Yellow Birch) ·         stag-headed, lofty crowns Old second-growth with a great many large Grapevines (the largest vine with diameter of six inch, and estimated age of 150 years) surrounds the Old-Growth. This old-growth forest is probably the last remnant of the original forest that towered over the historic natural water route that (with several portages) connected Albany with Oswego, the main water route used by the British in colonial times to reach the interior of North America. According to Sean Fagan, who is knowedgeab1e about the Fulton area, this old-growth forest is the site of the "Windrow"—or massive b1owdown—in the opening scene of James Fenimore Cooper's classic frontier novel The Pathfinder, sequel to his The Last of the Mohicans. This site, with its huge old-growth Red Oaks and Red Maples, seems to reflect a windstorm disturbance of about 1750-1760—the time of Cooper's novel. Today, the site looks much like Cooper's awesome description of the primeval forest of central New York: "The forest... had little to intercept the view below the branches but the tall, straight trunks of the trees. Everything belonging to vegetation had struggled toward the light, and beneath the leafy canopy one walked, as it might be, through a vast natural vault that was upheld by myriads of rustic columns." (Cooper, The Pathfinder or The Inland Sea, NY: Signet, 1961, 1980, pg. 17) According to Donald D. Cox, author of Seaway Trail Wi1dguide, (Seaway Trail Foundation, P.O. Box 660, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685, 1996, pg. 141), Curtiss-Gale "may be the best example of a mature climax forest in Oswego County." Also, according to Cox, the site has Sassafras and Flowering Dogwood, but we did not see these species on our initial survey. The forest here is very diverse, and could possibly contain these species. Curtiss-Gale is a preserved site protected by a covenant in the deed. According to Cana11ing Oswego River (NYS Canal Commission, pg.13), the Curtiss-Gale Forest was donated to the state by former owners H. Salem Curtiss in 1918, and by Thomas and Ida Gale in 1936, with the stipulation that the site be used as "a wildlife and bird sanctuary." According Seaway Trail Wildguide (pg.140), Curtiss and Gale stipulated that this forest "remain forever natural and untouched." First Survey Team Visit Date: Sat. 9/14/2002 Members: Robert Henry, Tom Howard, Sean Fagan, Beth Frey Tree Species of rough1y 8-acre 01d-Growth Forest Dominant: Beech, Hemlock, Red Oak, Red Maple Associate: Large Trees: Tuliptree, Black Oak, Sugar Maple, White Ash, Yellow Birch, Black Cherry, Chestnut (common and small on slope leading to river), White Oak, White Pine (slope to river) Associate: Small Trees: Striped Maple (very common in understory), Witch-Hazel, Shadbush Tree Data: Size Data:             species               location                      cbh              dbh            height          comment Tuliptree            balding bark            9.8'                37.3"           85'           spiral grain Red Maple                                           7.4'                28" Beech                 giant tree                 11.1'              42.5"           115'         possible state champion Beech                 giant tree                 10.1'              38.6"           117'         possible state height champion, dates "1912", "1913" carved in trunk Red Oak             near Beech just above                 11.3"           43.3"       116' Partridgeberry near this tree, largest tree seen Red Oak             10.1"                         38.5"             109'               All heights measured by Robert Henry with his clinometer. Age Data:       Rings These trees are estimated to be at least 250-300 years old, and logs and stumps have lain on forest floor since 1930 or even earlier, as the site does not seem to have had much disturbance since before 1930, or even before 1918. Huge shattered Beech stump hollow only edge intact rings on .5" radius                                                            15 extremely tight White Oak branch 2" radius                                                                                                                                           70 Decayed stump, unknown species, hollow stump on 2" radius at edge, radius of stump l foot                         45 very tight Hemlock stump, rotted hollow, only edge intact on 2" radius at edge, radius of stump l foot                            90 very tight Hemlock log to north, spiral grain, log radius 15.3", rings on 2" wide outer section of stress fracture             90 extremely tight Tom Howard NYGFA Central NY Survey Team Sept. 23, 2002 David Yarrow Turtle EyeLand Sanctuary 44 Gilligan Road, East Greenbush, NY 12061 518-477-6100; fax 477-1346 www.championtrees.org www.championtrees.org/NYOGFA/ www.championtrees.org/yarrow/   Home