NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

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NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Conserving, improving, and protecting New York's natural resources and environment

The official page of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Social Media Use Policy: https://dec.ny.gov/about/website-usage-and-policies/social-media

⚠️ Due to unsafe conditions associated with dense fog, Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway is closed for the res...
10/16/2026

⚠️ Due to unsafe conditions associated with dense fog, Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway is closed for the rest of the day.

Normal hours will resume this weekend.

Need some inspiration for your halloween costume this year? Dress up as an invasive species! 👻Managing invasive species ...
10/16/2026

Need some inspiration for your halloween costume this year? Dress up as an invasive species! 👻

Managing invasive species in the State of New York can sound like a frightening task, but there’s a way you can help! If you come across an invasive species, report it to iMapInvasives. Using data submitted by community scientists like you, experts can track distributions over time and use this information to inform management decisions.

To submit a report:
🍂 Take good quality photos
🍂 Note the location including the address, intersecting roads, landmarks, or GPS coordinates (preferred)
🍂 Visit www.iMapInvasives.org or download the mobile app to fill out a report form

10/15/2026

DEC is thrilled to announce the protection of the 748-acre Shoreham Pine Barrens State Forest today! This spectacular landscape, edged in nearly 2/3 of a mile of coastline, meets a forest of windswept oaks and maples. The salt marsh supports the coastal web of life, serving as a nursery ground for fish and shellfish. Protecting this land supports clean water and wildlife, ensuring a place for people to explore and connect with nature. And it means securing a future where nature and community thrive together for generations to come.

DEC is excited to announce Round 4 of the Community Forest Conservation grant. Municipalities can apply for funding that...
10/15/2026

DEC is excited to announce Round 4 of the Community Forest Conservation grant. Municipalities can apply for funding that will be used to conserve local forests. Community forests provide benefits including:
🥾 recreation
💧 clean water
😎 cooler temperatures
🌊 flood protection
🐦 wildlife habitat
🪵 forest products

❗ Applications are due by 3:00 PM on Wednesday, December 16, 2026, in SFS Grants Management.

Check out the comments below to learn more about this grant opportunity 👇

Hey, ! Here’s your backcountry report. Conditions can change rapidly going into the weekend.☃️ It’s still fall but snow...
10/15/2026

Hey, ! Here’s your backcountry report. Conditions can change rapidly going into the weekend.

☃️ It’s still fall but snow is falling! The High Peaks have already seen dustings of snow, and this weekend we expect to see some more of that white stuff even at lower elevations.
☀️ The sunset is before 7 PM! Forgetting a headlamp is one of the most common causes of search-and-rescues. Remember- 2 is 1, and 1 is none.
🧥 Layer properly to stay warm with moisture-wicking (non-cotton) inner layers, insulating mid-layers, and water/wind-resistant outer layers. Anticipate losing 5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain!

Notices:
❗️ Hidden Cove Lean-to on Long Lake will be undergoing repairs, please do not disturb staged materials.
❗️ Upper Works Parking Area will soon be getting a new vault toilet (yay).
❗️ 10/24 – 12/7 Elk Lake Conservation Easement will be closed to all hikers.
For more Backcountry Updates, see the link in the comments.

General Notices:
👀 Bear cans are required by overnight users in the Eastern High Peaks until November 30.

There’s a few weeks left to complete the 2026 I BIRD NY Challenge! Identify 10 birds anywhere in New York State, record ...
10/15/2026

There’s a few weeks left to complete the 2026 I BIRD NY Challenge!

Identify 10 birds anywhere in New York State, record your observations, submit them online or by mail to DEC, and receive a patch, certificate, and become entered to win birding related prizes. You have until November 1 to submit your observations. This year’s ambassador bird, the Great Horned Owl, is the featured bird on the patch.

The Great Horned Owl is found throughout the state and can be identified by its prominent ear tufts (or horns), “hoo-HOO-hoo-hoo" hoots, and their reddish-brown feathers.

Link to learn more about the I BIRD NY Challenge is in the comments 👇

📸: Great Horned Owl by Nicole Pane

10/14/2026

Did you know that forest soils store carbon in different ways, including in living soil organisms and decomposed matter, and in several soil horizons (layers), including organic and mineral horizons?

DEC is partnering with the New York Natural Heritage Program to conduct a 5 year study about old-growth forests in New York’s Forest Preserve. In summer of 2025, a team of researchers examined soil samples collected from many soil pits on public lands of the Catskill and Adirondack Parks. This research will help us understand how much carbon is stored across different soil layers in old-growth forests.

🔗 To learn more about the old-growth forest study, check out the link the comments section.

Consider leaving the leaves this fall! 🍁 🍂 Many beneficial insects—including bees, butterflies, and lightning bugs—and a...
10/14/2026

Consider leaving the leaves this fall! 🍁 🍂

Many beneficial insects—including bees, butterflies, and lightning bugs—and amphibians spend the winter sheltered under leaf litter. Some insects even use leaves to create their cocoons, such as the luna moth, and many native bees spend the winter nestled inside plant stems. To provide a home for native species and attract birds and other wildlife to your yard:
🍂 Avoid mulching leaves where possible, or mulch the leaves in the center of your lawn to promote lawn health and keep leaves whole along the edges for insects and amphibians
🍂 Wait until next spring after the threat of frost is past to cut or remove dead flower and plant stems
🍂 Leave rocks and logs to create habitat for frogs and salamanders
🍂 Consider raking leaves into areas near trees (but not against the bark), into garden beds for winter cover, or into a designated leaf pile on your property

🛑 Wait-did you notice any spots or lesions on your leaves this year? Many of these are caused by native and widespread tree diseases and raking up and removing the leaves can reduce the severity of symptoms next year. So, if your leaves look diseased this year, it’s okay to remove them. If your leaves and trees are healthy this year, you’re safe to leave the leaves!

Check out the comments to learn more about leaving the leaves and tree health 👇

📷: Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org (polyphemus moth cocoon); Sturgis McKeever, Georgia Southern University, Bugwood.org (polyphemus moth); Mike Raupp (luna moth cocoon); Arnold T. Drooz, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org (luna moth adult); Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org (American Bumblebee); Sara Morris, flickr.com (Ceratina); Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University (nine-spotted lady beetle); Tom Murray (twice-stabbed lady beetle)

The October/November issue of Conservationist Magazine is out and the cover features beautiful original artwork by Brand...
10/12/2026

The October/November issue of Conservationist Magazine is out and the cover features beautiful original artwork by Brandon Lazore, Onondaga Nation.

Inside this issue:
✅ Special Section: The Indigenous Connection
✅ Women Who Hunt
✅ Waterfowl Spotlight

You can also read our FREE article "Justice In The Woods", inside an Environmental Conservation Police Officer's 18-month investigation to catch a serial deer poacher. Visit the link in our comments to read the article! ⬇️

DEC's I FISH NY team on Long Island gathered recently at Deep Pond, Wading River to host a workshop with a Suffolk Count...
10/10/2026

DEC's I FISH NY team on Long Island gathered recently at Deep Pond, Wading River to host a workshop with a Suffolk County-based Cub Scout pack. The Cub Scouts learned the basics of fishing, from casting lines to practicing patience and respecting nature. From first casts to first catches, the kids showed determination as they fished for sunfish, largemouth bass, and yellow perch. There were a lot of smiles, a few tangled lines, and lots of laughs and excitement along the way. They had a reel-y great time and gained confidence, outdoor skills, and memories that will last a lifetime. Way to go, Scouts!

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Albany, NY
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Wednesday 8:30am - 4:45pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:45pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:45pm

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