2016 CONFERENCE: Field Trip
Tuesday, September 13│12:30 PM - 5:00 PM
In our full afternoon field trip, you will take in the dramatic scenery and ecological uniqueness of the Adirondack Mountains. The Adirondack Park is a six-million acre patchwork of public and private lands in northeastern New York that encompasses a unique blend of forests, wetlands, waterways, and communities. Representing the largest protected area in the contiguous United States, the Adirondack Mountains boast more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails, over 3,000 lakes and ponds, and 1,200 miles of rivers. Our tour will provide stunning views of the forested mountains, sparkling streams, vast lakes, and abundant marshes and bogs while showcasing projects and best practices in addressing the interrelationship of transportation and ecology.
This year’s field trip will complement the conference presentations and workshops with multiple site visits along some of the most scenic travel corridors in the northeast. Throughout the afternoon we will stop to examine and discuss wide ranging topics on ecology and transportation. We will explore a recently completed culvert replacement project that provides fish and wildlife passage and allows for increased hydraulic capacity for storms; a new bridge designed with riparian features that support aquatic and terrestrial movement of wildlife and storm flow; innovative wildlife monitoring techniques used to evaluate crossing usage; pioneering transportation and pollinator strategies in our highway rights of way; stream restoration techniques implemented in response to several major storm events; environmentally sensitive winter maintenance practices including a study underway looking at chloride levels in waters near travel corridors; novel use of Un-personed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in monitoring and guiding invasive species control efforts along travelcorridors; and much more. Throughout the field trip, we will highlight many of the important aspects that NYSDOT considers in the Adirondack Park as part of the new Travel Corridor Unit Management Planning process, a first of its kind with potential application well beyond the Adirondacks.
At each stop and throughout the ride experts will share their knowledge and facilitate discussions to drawn upon the wealth of knowledge of the group, encouraging participants to share their own experiences and applications used in their respective states and organizations. This melding of ideas is certain to generate new ideas and excitement and expand the ever-growing network of contacts and colleagues in the transportation and sustainability profession.
This year’s field trip will complement the conference presentations and workshops with multiple site visits along some of the most scenic travel corridors in the northeast. Throughout the afternoon we will stop to examine and discuss wide ranging topics on ecology and transportation. We will explore a recently completed culvert replacement project that provides fish and wildlife passage and allows for increased hydraulic capacity for storms; a new bridge designed with riparian features that support aquatic and terrestrial movement of wildlife and storm flow; innovative wildlife monitoring techniques used to evaluate crossing usage; pioneering transportation and pollinator strategies in our highway rights of way; stream restoration techniques implemented in response to several major storm events; environmentally sensitive winter maintenance practices including a study underway looking at chloride levels in waters near travel corridors; novel use of Un-personed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in monitoring and guiding invasive species control efforts along travelcorridors; and much more. Throughout the field trip, we will highlight many of the important aspects that NYSDOT considers in the Adirondack Park as part of the new Travel Corridor Unit Management Planning process, a first of its kind with potential application well beyond the Adirondacks.
At each stop and throughout the ride experts will share their knowledge and facilitate discussions to drawn upon the wealth of knowledge of the group, encouraging participants to share their own experiences and applications used in their respective states and organizations. This melding of ideas is certain to generate new ideas and excitement and expand the ever-growing network of contacts and colleagues in the transportation and sustainability profession.
