The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has launched the I BIRD NY Library Lending Program. The hopes to expand access to free birding equipment by offering backpacks with binoculars and reference materials about birding in New York to libraries across the State. [Read more…] about Beginner Birding Library Lending Program Launched
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Volunteer for I Love My Park Day Saturday, May 2
On Saturday, May 2, 2026 the 15th annual I Love My Park Day! Hosted by Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with New York State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation, the day provides an opportunity to volunteer and beautify more than 100 state parks, historic sites, and public lands from Long Island to Western New York. [Read more…] about Volunteer for I Love My Park Day Saturday, May 2
The Dirt on Composting Podcast Highlights New York State
The latest New York State Department of Environmental Conservation DEC Does What?! podcast, “The Dirt on Composting,” spotlights the work of DEC’s organics reduction and recycling staff who oversees statewide food scraps and yard waste management and composting efforts. [Read more…] about The Dirt on Composting Podcast Highlights New York State
Adirondack Mountain Reserve Reservation System Begins
The parking reservation system for the privately-owned Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR) has returned for the season.
The no-cost reservation system helps mitigate risk to pedestrians and motorists along the busy stretch of Route 73 in the Town of Keene. Reservations for the 2026 season will began April 17, 2026. [Read more…] about Adirondack Mountain Reserve Reservation System Begins
Revolutionary War Smallpox Hospital Reinterments on Schedule
Town of Lake George officials say construction continues on schedule for the “Repose of the Fallen” project involving the reinterment of the skeletal remains of 44 people who are believed to have been associated with a Continental Army smallpox hospital when they died during the American Revolution.
The remains will be interred in a new memorial located in Lake George Battlefield State Park that will be dedicated during a public ceremony on Friday, May 22. [Read more…] about Revolutionary War Smallpox Hospital Reinterments on Schedule
Just 3% of Adirondack Park Is More Three Miles From A Motorized Corridor
New York State’s Adirondack Park offers much less remoteness than you might imagine. In the 2010s when all areas at least three miles from a road and at least two miles from motorized lakes were mapped, it left less than 3% of the Park.
Now a coalition of environmental organizations is asking the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to develop new Policy and Guidance to measure and better protect those remote areas. [Read more…] about Just 3% of Adirondack Park Is More Three Miles From A Motorized Corridor
DEC Considering Hiking Limits in Most Popular Adirondack, Catskill Areas
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of two reports regarding Visitor Use Management (VUM) for the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness and Kaaterskill Clove region of the Catskill Park.
DEC is soliciting feedback from the public to help inform additional actions the State may take to enhance safety and the visitor experience. These actions include recreation limits at the two Park’s most popular areas. [Read more…] about DEC Considering Hiking Limits in Most Popular Adirondack, Catskill Areas
New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort
In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a sweeping plan to address one of the most challenging water quality issues facing communities across the state — Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
Harmful Algal Blooms are over-growths of algae (in New York State primarily cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae) that can produce dangerous toxins, appearing primarily but no longer exclusively during the warm months of August and September. [Read more…] about New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort
Bear Hunting Statistics Show Record Number Killed in 2025
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that hunters killed an estimated 1,759 black bears during the 2025-26 hunting seasons in New York State.
According to DEC’s tracking of the annual bear harvest since 1955, this was second only to the 2003 season, and Southern Zone estimates set a new record as well. [Read more…] about Bear Hunting Statistics Show Record Number Killed in 2025
600 Adirondack Acres Returning to Indigenous Stewardship
In one of the largest private land return initiatives in what is now New York State, a forested 600-acre property is returning to Indigenous care.
With assistance and funding from The Nature Conservancy, the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center (6NICC) purchased the land from Paul Smith’s College for $1.1 million. [Read more…] about 600 Adirondack Acres Returning to Indigenous Stewardship
Court Temporarily Halts Adirondack Marina’s Dock Installations
On March 18, 2026 the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department, in Albany has granted a motion by Adirondack Park advocates for a preliminary injunction preventing LS Marina, LLC (LSM) from installing new docks and dock covers at its two marina sites located on Lower Saranac Lake. The injunction will remain in effect pending resolution of the appeal. [Read more…] about Court Temporarily Halts Adirondack Marina’s Dock Installations
Statewide Residential Brush Burning Prohibition Has Begun
The annual statewide ban prohibiting residential brush burning begins March 16 and runs through May 14. Since 2009, DEC enforces the annual brush burning ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities and first responders during heightened conditions for wildfires.
Even though some areas of the state are damp or remain blanketed in snow, warming temperatures can quickly cause wildfire conditions to arise. [Read more…] about Statewide Residential Brush Burning Prohibition Has Begun
DEC Issues Advisory for Adirondacks and Catskills Hikers
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is advising the public to exercise an abundance of caution when recreating in the Adirondack and Catskill backcountry areas, including the High Peaks Wilderness Area, and consider alternative plans or adjusting your travel dates.
Warmer temperatures and rain have contributed to intense, severe, and dynamic conditions across the Adirondacks and Catskills. Key winter routes are now impassable due to washed out bridges, thawed water crossings, and flooding. [Read more…] about DEC Issues Advisory for Adirondacks and Catskills Hikers
Mallard Ducks: An Environmental History Leading to Decline
Most people in New York when asked to picture a duck, they’re thinking of an eastern mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) – the green head, the quack, the pond. But just 90-100 years ago, mallards were not known to breed in New York State. Since the ban of live decoys in the 1930s, mallards have been released and taken over as the preeminent duck of the northern Atlantic Flyway.
After all-time highs in the early 2000s however, we have seen significant declines in eastern mallards. [Read more…] about Mallard Ducks: An Environmental History Leading to Decline
Oak Wilt Quarantine District Expanded in Yates, Ontario Counties
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has expanded the oak wilt quarantine districts in Yates and Ontario counties in the Finger Lakes after finding new trees infected with oak wilt. [Read more…] about Oak Wilt Quarantine District Expanded in Yates, Ontario Counties
Visualize NYS Water Usage With New DEC Website
Millions of gallons of water are withdrawn for use each day from the lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and ground waters in New York. To help visualize statewide water use, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has developed a new Water Use Dashboard, an interactive GIS tool that displays statewide water use data from 2018 to present. [Read more…] about Visualize NYS Water Usage With New DEC Website
Great Camp Santanoni Cultural Landscape Report Planned
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) was awarded a $28,825 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program to complete a cultural landscape report of the Camp Santanoni Historic Area.
AARCH has selected Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC of Northampton, Mass., to develop the Cultural Landscape Report for Camp Santanoni. Cultural landscapes reflect the intersection of the natural environment with human interaction, mapping our relationship with the land over time. [Read more…] about Great Camp Santanoni Cultural Landscape Report Planned
Environmental Conservation Police Statistics for 2023-2025
In 2025, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 101,169 calls.
These resulted in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 35,575 complaints. [Read more…] about Environmental Conservation Police Statistics for 2023-2025
2025 Progress Towards Planting 25 Million Trees by 2033
Governor Kathy Hochul launched the 25 Million Trees by 2033 initiative during her 2024 State of the State Address to recognize the importance of trees and forests for climate mitigation and community health.
DEC has established an online Tree Tracker, where New Yorkers can record trees they plant. Here are some statistics from the tracker for trees planted in 2025: [Read more…] about 2025 Progress Towards Planting 25 Million Trees by 2033
After Poor Performance DEC Maps New Fisheries Plan for Lake George
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of a five-year (2025–2029) Fisheries Management Plan for Lake George in Washington, Essex and Warren County in hopes of reversing poor performance of the former management plan.
DEC found overall poorer health in the lake trout population despite fishing regulations and also determined that existing Atlantic salmon stocking is failing to create a viable, sustainable fishery. [Read more…] about After Poor Performance DEC Maps New Fisheries Plan for Lake George