DEC

Use Extreme Care: Wildfires Sparked Under Dry Conditions

October 31, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Several wildfires have recently broke out as dry conditions and fallen leaves exacerbate the fire danger. Be extremely careful with all types of outdoor fires to avoid dangerous risks due to dry weather.

The Fire Danger has been elevated to HIGH in the Catskills and most of Eastern Upstate New York and may rise higher and/or spread to other parts of the state in the coming days.

Much of the state is Abnormally Dry according to the US Drought Monitor. [Read more…] about Use Extreme Care: Wildfires Sparked Under Dry Conditions

Dry Weather, Leaf Litter Fuel Wildfires in Adirondacks, Taconics

October 28, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Two backcountry wildfires found burning this past weekend have both been brought under control officials say, but not before burning some 275 acres and bringing more than a 100 New York, Massachusetts and Southern Vermont firefighters, as well as the National Guard, to the scenes. The fires burned in remote areas near Indian Lake in the Adirondacks and in the Taconics along the New York-Massachusetts border in eastern Rensselaer County. [Read more…] about Dry Weather, Leaf Litter Fuel Wildfires in Adirondacks, Taconics

Adirondack Council’s 45th Annual State of the Park Report

October 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

From federal rollbacks of environmental protections to growing pressure on New York’s landmark environmental laws, the forces shaping the Adirondack Park are changing rapidly. The Adirondack Council’s 45th annual State of the Park report examines the decisions and decision makers that shape the Park’s wild lands, clean waters, and rural communities, indicating the need for renewed advocacy, broader engagement, and stronger conservation leadership. [Read more…] about Adirondack Council’s 45th Annual State of the Park Report

Adk Rail Trail Gateway, Champlain Canal Trail Reopen

October 16, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Recreationists in Upstate New York got some good news this week from two major multi-use trails. The new Lake Placid Trailhead, a gateway that significantly improves eastern access to the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail has opened in Essex County. Also two miles of the Champlain Canalway Trail, part of the Empire State Trail between Towpath Lane and Route 196 in the Towns of Fort Edward and Kingsbury in Washington County, has been resurfaced and reopened. [Read more…] about Adk Rail Trail Gateway, Champlain Canal Trail Reopen

Former Mental Hospital, Now An Oak Brush Plains

October 14, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Edgewood Oak Brush Plains State Forest is an 813-acre property with unique paths to explore the natural beauty and history of the Long Island property, which formerly housed Edgewood State Hospital (later Mason General Hospital), a World War Two-era psychiatric facility commandeered by the War Department to treat soldiers experiencing battle trauma and PTSD. [Read more…] about Former Mental Hospital, Now An Oak Brush Plains

Historians, DEC Collide Over Lake George Battlefield Management

October 13, 2026 by Anthony F. Hall 2 Comments

What does the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance mean to Lake George Battlefield Park? A more useful question might be: What would Lake George Battlefield Park be without the Alliance?

Established in 2002 with sixty members, the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance now has a membership roster ten times that size. [Read more…] about Historians, DEC Collide Over Lake George Battlefield Management

Conservation Dogs Protect Nature One Sniff at a Time

October 9, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s new Dogs for Invasive Species Control (DISC) program in collaboration with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference has recently begun, meaning scent detecting conservation dogs are now available to help sniff out invasive species across the state of New York. [Read more…] about Conservation Dogs Protect Nature One Sniff at a Time

New Heat Island Mapping Tools Now Available

October 5, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Communities across New York State are at risk of more severe impacts from increased heat due to climate change. Infrastructure traps and stores heat throughout the day and reduces cooling at night, which is known as the urban heat island effect. This effect can exacerbate the dangers of extreme heat events. [Read more…] about New Heat Island Mapping Tools Now Available

New York State 2035 Wildlife Action Plan Finalized

October 2, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Wildlife Action Plan for 2025–2035 is now finalized. An assessment conducted for the report found 570 species of special concern, including 269 native plants. Of these, 147 are designated as a high priority. [Read more…] about New York State 2035 Wildlife Action Plan Finalized

Butterfield Lake Boat Launch Reopens

September 25, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Butterfield Lake Boat Launch in the Town of Alexandria, Jefferson County, NY had reopened following the completion of major site improvements and ramp replacement overseen by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Known especially for sport fishing Butterfield Lake is part of the Indian River Lakes system, a chain of 18 natural lakes and a scenic 100-mile river located on the St. Lawrence River plain in Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties. [Read more…] about Butterfield Lake Boat Launch Reopens

Wildlife Habitat Enhancements At Contaminated Sites

September 24, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

There are contaminated sites all across New York State which range from large, complex systems to small, self-contained parcels.

Collectively, these sites encompass thousands of acres of diverse habitats, including streams, wetlands, grasslands, and forests. [Read more…] about Wildlife Habitat Enhancements At Contaminated Sites

Free Accessibility Options Expand for Great Camp Santanoni, Frontier Town Campground

September 18, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

There are now new accessible mobility device options for two popular sites in the Adirondacks. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) have expanded the existing Great Camp Santanoni Accessibility Program with a new wheelchair-accessible transport service device in Newcomb, in Essex County, NY.

Frontier Town Campground in nearby North Hudson will also now offer free use of both an adult- and a youth-sized electric wheelchair suitable for the paths and paved areas of the campground. [Read more…] about Free Accessibility Options Expand for Great Camp Santanoni, Frontier Town Campground

New Deer Hunting Season at Saratoga Spa State Park

September 9, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) will open an undeveloped section of Saratoga Spa State Park to white tail deer hunting for the 2026-27 season as part of a deer management program. [Read more…] about New Deer Hunting Season at Saratoga Spa State Park

Silent Sentinels: Lake George Navigation Buoys

September 1, 2026 by Anthony F. Hall Leave a Comment

Lake George’s network of navigation buoys represents one of the lake’s most important safety systems, guiding thousands of boaters around hidden hazards every boating season.

From the main lake to the Narrows, buoys mark underwater rocks, shoals, channels and speed zones, helping boaters safely navigate one of New York’s most beautiful — and deceptively challenging — lakes. [Read more…] about Silent Sentinels: Lake George Navigation Buoys

Avalanche Pass Trail Reopens After Massive Landslide

August 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the reopening of the popular Avalanche Pass Trail in the High Peaks Wilderness Area in the Adirondack Park. In July 2025, intense rock and mud slides from Mount Colden swept across the width of the pass, making the trail unusable and temporarily flooded. DEC closed the trail, conducted an assessment of the damage, and began the trail work planning and approval processes to reopen Avalanche Pass. [Read more…] about Avalanche Pass Trail Reopens After Massive Landslide

Adk Stream Crossing Restored After Boquet Barrier Removed

August 19, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

This summer the Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) finished a stream restoration at the Moss Road crossing of the North Branch Boquet River in the Town of Lewis, in Essex County, NY, by removing two old, undersized culverts to restore a natural river channel.

The culverts that had constricted the river and blocked fish for decades are now gone, and a natural channel carries the river through the road crossing. The project reconnected some 50 miles of Adirondack river and coldwater tributary habitat. [Read more…] about Adk Stream Crossing Restored After Boquet Barrier Removed

Free Inclusive Learn-to-Fish Event at Utica Saturday

August 14, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County 4-H and the City of Utica, will host a free Learn-to-Fish event on Saturday, August 15, at Utica Harbor Point.

Learning to fish encourages outdoor recreation, promotes stewardship of fisheries, and introduces participants to safe and responsible angling. [Read more…] about Free Inclusive Learn-to-Fish Event at Utica Saturday

High Peaks Avalanche Pass Trail Rebuild Underway

August 12, 2026 by North Country Public Radio Leave a Comment

Last summer, heavy rain triggered a massive landslide on Mount Colden in the Adirondack High Peaks. The landslide dumped downed trees, rocks, and mud into Avalanche Pass. Since then, the trail through Avalanche Pass has been closed to hikers.

State and volunteer crews have been working this summer to clean up and rebuild the trail. [Read more…] about High Peaks Avalanche Pass Trail Rebuild Underway

Bronx Beavers: Rewilding the Bronx River

August 10, 2026 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Wildlife cameras and conservationists along the Bronx River captured footage of a North American beaver (Castor canadensis) near the Mitsubishi Riverwalk in the Bronx Zoo, marking the first confirmed resident since a previous short-time resident disappeared in 2018.

Biology student and Bronx River Alliance intern R.J. Hawkins found the new beaver on trail cameras set April to May. A fresh tree gnawing and saplings cut down also proved a beaver was living and working in the area. [Read more…] about Bronx Beavers: Rewilding the Bronx River

New York’s Dams, Dam Removals & DEC

August 7, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s latest episode of “DEC Does What?!” podcast discusses the department’s oversight of more than 6,000 regulated dams across New York State. [Read more…] about New York’s Dams, Dam Removals & DEC

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