Agriculture and Natural Resources
Brett Chedzoy, [email protected]
The hilltops of Schuyler County are dotted with a variety of large forests owned by county, state and federal governments, as well as forest industry and Cornell University. Schuyler is the only county in the state boasting all of those forest ownership types. A unique forest in this group is Cornell’s Arnot Teaching and Research forest, most of which is located in the southeastern corner of our county. University ownership of the property began in 1927 when the heirs of the Matthias H. Arnot estate gave the core of the current forest to Cornell. Additional acreage was acquired from the Federal Resettlement Administration in 1956, bringing today’s forest to 4,200 acres. Its rich history includes a camp for the Civilian Conservation Corps of the Depression era, a German officer POW camp following WWII, a Soil Conservation Service (predecessor to today’s Natural Resources Conservation Service) research station, and a 4-H camp.
Clearing by fire and axe of the original forests at the Arnot started in 1873. Like the surrounding area, much of the old growth forest was converted to crop fields and pastures by the late 1800’s. At its height, nearly 150 families lived across the property on multiple farms. The Arnot’s farming community history can still be seen today in the form of old stone home foundations, stone fences, roads, and even a small cemetery. In the spring, daffodils and lilacs mark many of the old homesteads. Like most
land in Upstate New York that isn’t kept open through farming or continual clearing, this former vibrant agricultural landscape today has once again the appearance of an aging forest. However, about 100 acres of contiguous grasslands are maintained at the top of the property to provide high meadow habitat for birds, butterflies, woodcock and other wildlife. The diverse landscape is currently home to more than 400 species of plants and 135 species of birds, as well as numerous amphibians, reptiles and mammals. One of particular note is the Coal Skink. This relatively large lizard is rare to find on the northern end of the Appalachian range, but can be seen from time to time in old log piles around the Arnot. Chunks of harvested trees from timber management activities on the forest are now intentionally left in place to provide “lizard castles” for the Skink. Today the Arnot is actively managed by the Department of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to provide a place for Cornell faculty and students to carry out elements of CAL’s three-part mission: “Teaching, Extension and Research, in service to the citizens of New York”. The current Arnot Forest results from a long history of changing land-use patterns, and presents an opportunity to study the long-term consequences of these changes.
Cornell’s Arnot Forest: One of Schuyler
County’s Best Kept Secrets!