Tim Huss

A life-long resident of Suffolk County Tim Huss served as a member of NYSDEC’s Division of Law Enforcement for over 39 years. He recently retired from the Central Pine Barrens Commission where he served as Chief Enforcement Officer. He currently serves as a member of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board. Tim’s articles have appeared in local newspapers and outdoor magazines, and most recently in New York Archives.

About Tim Huss

Long Island Revolutionary History: A Suffolk County Tour

July 6, 2023 by Tim Huss 2 Comments

As we celebrated another birthday for America this July 4th I was reminded of the rich history and vital role that New York played in the founding of this nation. This is no less true within the sandy shores and glacial uplands of Long Island.

Drive south on William Floyd Parkway today, through the Suffolk County communities of Yaphank, Mastic, Shirley, and Mastic Beach, and it might be hard to imagine that this area was once the site of a great struggle between a world power and the early American settlers who came to yearn for independence. [Read more…] about Long Island Revolutionary History: A Suffolk County Tour

Cranberry Bogs of Long Island: Some History & Natural History

October 15, 2022 by Tim Huss 2 Comments

Nearly everyone has enjoyed the several products derived from the fruit of the cranberry, but few people are familiar with the ecology of this interesting plant or the role it has played in many local economies and histories.

Today the cranberry industry is an important. part of the agricultural economy only in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. But many other parts of the country were at one time involved in cranberry production. [Read more…] about Cranberry Bogs of Long Island: Some History & Natural History

Fallen Game Wardens of New York State

June 5, 2022 by Tim Huss 4 Comments

Thirty-two-year-old John Woodruff of Scotia, New York was a rugged outdoorsman and a crack shot with a firearm, so it was no surprise to those who knew him when he left his job at the real estate office of J.A. Lindsley on State Street in Schenectady to join New York’s Game Protector force. The prospect of an exciting career as a Game Protector was something that appealed to many men who sought to make a living in the outdoors.

John Woodruff’s goal was achieved when he was appointed by New York State Conservation Commissioner George D. Pratt on November 1st, 1919, having finished first on the competitive civil service exam. Had John Woodruff known how short-lived his career would be, and the fate that was about to befall him, he may have had misgivings about the road he had chosen to travel. In April 1921, after missing for a year and a half, the mysterious fate of Game Protector John Woodruff would culminate with the discovery of his remains buried in the bed of Rotterdam Creek in Schenectady County. [Read more…] about Fallen Game Wardens of New York State