ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the planning and environmental review processes for Allegany State Park, New York's largest state park, with an emphasis on natural resource management. It discusses the relationship of plan alternatives to impact on regional and park biodiversity. The draft master plan for the Park will contain resource management alternatives ranging from less management than presently allowed to an alternative that provides opportunity for active management over most of the Park. The process for developing alternatives consists of data inventory, analysis including interpretation, criteria identification, overlaying and synthesis. The diversity goal for Allegany State Park has been defined as maintaining "a variety of habitats of enough size to provide diverse recreation opportunities while protecting the variation and population of all species native to the park and the region". The many biodiversity issues identified during the planning process have brought greater attention to biological conservation within resource management plans.
