NYS Environmental Conservation Officer Kevin Wamsley reported that on May 14th, he received a call about a group of squirrels in distress in the hamlet of Verbank, in the town of Union Vale in Dutchess County. [Read more…] about Squirrels Rescued From A Sticky Situation
DEC
Late Season Muddy Trails Advisory for Adirondacks
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging hikers to be cautious and postpone hikes on trails above 2,500 feet until high elevation trails have dried and hardened.
North-facing trails have retained snow and ice late into the season this year. As snow and ice continue to melt at high elevations, steep trails pose a danger to hikers, thin soils are susceptible to erosion, and sensitive alpine vegetation is easily damaged. [Read more…] about Late Season Muddy Trails Advisory for Adirondacks
Rangers Respond to Multiple Wildfires, Search & Rescues
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Rangers Respond to Multiple Wildfires, Search & Rescues
2020 Spring Stocking Season Completed
Whether it was via truck, barge or air, DEC’s Fish Hatchery staff have officially completed this spring’s fish stocking.
DEC stocked over 4.6 million trout and salmon and 50 million walleye statewide. Of those, over 50,000 got a lift in a helicopter and were stocked in 71 remote ponds, lakes, and rivers in the Adirondacks. Hundreds of thousands of lake trout and brown trout made their way into Lake Ontario via a barge carrying a DEC stocking truck. [Read more…] about 2020 Spring Stocking Season Completed
Lake George Boat Launches Being Gated Overnight
The gates at the Mossy Point and Rogers Rock Boat Launches on Lake George will be closed overnight this boating season as part of the Lake George Park Commission’s (LGPC) Boat Inspection Program and DEC’s efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. [Read more…] about Lake George Boat Launches Being Gated Overnight
Vehicle Access to Black Pond Wildlife Area Limited
The gate to the interior parking lot at Black Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Jefferson County has been closed. The gate will remain closed through Labor Day and reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. DEC closes the gate every year to protect the WMA. [Read more…] about Vehicle Access to Black Pond Wildlife Area Limited
Anglers Cautioned to Avoid Spawning Sturgeon
Lake sturgeon can be unintentionally caught by anglers fishing in certain waters in New York during May and June when they’re spawning. The stress incurred from being caught by an angler can inhibit a lake sturgeon’s ability to spawn. It takes many years for female sturgeon to become sexually mature, and they only spawn every 4-7 years, so missing a spawning opportunity can have a big impact on the growth of a population. [Read more…] about Anglers Cautioned to Avoid Spawning Sturgeon
State Efforts Against EPA Rollbacks Applauded
The Adirondack Council has thanked New York Attorney General Letitia James, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos for standing up to the Trump administration’s rollbacks in environmental regulations and enforcement. [Read more…] about State Efforts Against EPA Rollbacks Applauded
Lake Stewards Prepare for Adirondack Boating Season
Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute will be providing free boat inspections and decontamination starting Memorial Day weekend at nearly 100 locations across the region to help the public stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. [Read more…] about Lake Stewards Prepare for Adirondack Boating Season
Some Adirondack Brook Trout Ponds Seeing Recovery
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is reporting that water chemistry values for 13 ponds in the Adirondacks have recently been evaluated and indicate that the brook trout that inhabit those waters may have the potential to reproduce naturally, which could eliminate the need for stocking. [Read more…] about Some Adirondack Brook Trout Ponds Seeing Recovery