Moose Recovery – Adirondacks
On April 6, ECOs Favreau and Fadden assisted DEC Wildlife employees with the extraction of a dead yearling moose from a heavily forested area in the Adirondacks. DEC had fitted the moose with a GPS collar in 2022. The collar recently gave off a signal indicating the animal was no longer alive. The Officers and Wildlife employees managed to get within 500 yards of the moose carcass by snowmobile and UTV before hiking the remaining distance through two to three feet of snow. Once they reached the moose, the group loaded the animal onto a sled and pulled it back to the snowmobiles. The recovered animal was sent to DEC‘s wildlife pathology laboratory in Delmar for a full necropsy.

ECOs Favreau and Fadden recover moose. NYS DEC photo.

ECO LaCroix and K9 Web Track and Locate Subject – Clinton County
On April 9, ECO LaCroix responded to the town of Saranac to assist New York State Police with tracking a subject experiencing a mental health issue. The individual ran into the woods and ECO LaCroix and K9 Web quickly began a track for the subject, assisted by a State Trooper. K9 Web picked up the scent and led Officer LaCroix and the Trooper about a third of a mile into the woods. The Officers then transported the subject to a facility for medical treatment.

ECO LaCroix and K9 partner Web are part of the New York State Environmental Conservation Police K9 Unit, a specialized unit trained in evidence detection, handler protection, and tracking.

K9 Web after successful track in Clinton County. NYS DEC photo.

Earth Week Enforcement – Statewide
ECOs from across the state celebrated Earth Week 2023 by participating in enforcement initiatives and events focused on environmental protection and appreciation. From truck details to community cleanups, Officers were at work statewide.

Community Cleanup with a Conservation Officer – Washington County
ECOs rolled up their sleeves during Earth Week and joined other DEC personnel and volunteers to clean up trash across New York State. ECOs Thibodeau, Krug, Dewey, and Lt. Gonyeau joined youth and the Washington County Youth Bureau to clean up popular fishing areas along the Champlain and Old Barge canals. The first location was in desperate need of cleaning with 10 bags of trash and 17 tires removed. The ECOs and young people worked hard to clean the littered areas and then enjoyed pizza to end the day. In total, 30 bags of trash, 39 tires, several sinks and toilets, TVs and computer monitors, and a variety of other large items were collected from the two-mile section of canal and transported for proper disposal.

ECOs and the Washington County Youth Bureau with the litter collected. NYS DEC photo.

ECOs and young Earth Day volunteers removing litter in Washington County. NYS DEC photo.

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or to report an incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch or email central.dispatch@dec.ny.gov (for non-urgent violations).