Almanack Contributor NYS DEC

Information attributed to NYSDEC is taken from press releases and news announcements from New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation.


Thursday, December 2, 2021

DEC offers prize drawing for those who get vaccinated this month

conservationistGrand Prizes Include Lifetime Fishing and Hunting Licenses and Deluxe Equipment

All Entrants Receive Subscription to DEC’s ‘Conservationist’ Magazine and a Tree Seedling

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the new ‘Take Your Shot for an Outdoor Adventure’ sweepstakes is now open. Launched last week by Governor Kathy Hochul, the COVID-19 vaccine incentive is intended to bolster vaccination rates among New Yorkers who enjoy the great outdoors. During the month of December, anyone that receives their first COVID-19 vaccine dose is eligible to enter the sweepstakes and a random drawing to win special prize packages tailored to anglers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Five entrants will be randomly selected to receive the Grand Prize and the opportunity to choose one of the following deluxe packages valued at approximately $2,000:

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Unprepared hikers get hit with winter conditions

forest ranger reportsRecent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Watson
Lewis County
Wilderness Search:
 On Nov. 24 at 10:17 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Lewis County requesting Forest Ranger assistance in the search for a missing person from Lowville. The county indicated they found the subject’s vehicle at Francis Lake in the Independence River Wild Forest in the town of Watson. Rangers Hanno and McCartney responded and found the missing person at 12:29 a.m. Rangers determined the subject was likely suffering from hypothermia, packaged her into a litter, and carried her out of the woods to a Lewis County Search and Rescue ambulance by approximately 1 a.m.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, November 29, 2021

Annual Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Egg Collection Complete


salmon egg collectionOver the course of two chilly days on Little Clear Pond in November, staff from DEC’s Adirondack Fish Hatchery and Region 5 Fisheries completed the annual landlocked Atlantic salmon egg take.

Staff collected a total of 748,100 eggs from 174 wild females and 156 captive broodstock, allowing DEC to meet stocking targets for 43 waters throughout New York State.

Thanks to the continued success of this annual effort, anglers can expect good opportunities to catch a leaping landlocked.

 

Editor’s note: Mike Lynch reports on a new salmon stocking study that took place this fall. Read about it here on the Adirondack Explorer’s website


Saturday, November 27, 2021

New Fishing Access Site in Lewis County

accessible fishing access in lewis countyAnglers now have boating access on a 10-mile stretch of the Black River between Castorland and Carthage that did not previously exist. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant fishing access site is located in the Town of Denmark at the confluence of the Deer and Black rivers. It features a single-lane gravel launch, with an additional area for launching canoes and kayaks. Anglers also have improved access to Public Fishing Rights (PFR) on 0.35 miles along the Deer River and approximately 0.66 miles along the Black River. Anglers can find smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and chain pickerel in this section of the Black River. DEC Region 6 Operations constructed the site with Marks Farms Natural Resources Damages settlement funds.

For more information, visit the DEC’s website


Friday, November 26, 2021

Observing Birds as Citizen/Community Science


bird feederYou may have heard about the songbird illness affecting fledgling birds in many Eastern states this spring and summer. Several of these Eastern states issued restrictions on bird baths and feeders in an attempt to curb the spread of illness. By early September, all states have lifted their do not feed recommendations due to decreasing reports of bird illness. Please note: DEC did not issue a special summer notice as the agency recommends removing feeders annually between April 1st and November 29th to prevent unwanted black bear activity. To view up to date information and recommendations, visit Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds. 

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, November 24, 2021

New York Coyote Parasite Survey

coyoteGraduate students at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) are asking for public assistance in the collection of samples as part of a study for an emerging zoonotic parasite. Samples for this study consist of gastrointestinal tracts from coyotes harvested within DEC Regions 3-7, which can be shipped to SUNY ESF where they will be screened for the parasite Echinococcus spp.

The parasite is a tapeworm that typically infects wild canids (foxes, coyotes) but can infect domestic animals as well as humans. The goal of this study is to identify the distribution of the parasite throughout the sampling range, so that areas of high parasite levels and infection risk can be found.

More information on the project can be found at the NY Echinococcus Project webpage or by emailing Corinne Conlon.

Photo by Gregory VanSplunder.


Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Stuff the Turkey, Not the Trash


adirondack tukey

Regardless of how you’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving this year, you can still keep wasted food out of the picture by reaching for your favorite tips and tricks to avoid throwing out good ingredients and your holiday meal favorites! Check out some of our tips below.
Ways to waste less food this Thanksgiving:

» Continue Reading.


Friday, November 19, 2021

Explore Low Elevation Trails During Shoulder Season

moose pond trailIt’s that time of year where the weather shifts from sunshine to rain to snow every few days. During this transition season – often referred to as shoulder seasons – explore recreation in lower elevations where trails are drier and conditions are less severe. Check out these great low elevation Adirondack Day Hikes:

» Continue Reading.


Friday, November 19, 2021

Outdoor Conditions (11/19): Five Pond Wilderness update


outdoor conditions logoThe following are the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for comprehensive and up-to-date information on seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.

Moose River Plains Complex: The entrance gates to Moose River Plains will be closed the day after Big Game Hunting Season in the Northern Zone (December 13). The gates will re-open to snowmobile traffic when there is adequate snow pack.

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Rangers assist hypothermic hunter in Fine


forest ranger reportsRecent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Village of Lake Placid
Franklin County
Wilderness Rescue:
 On Nov. 12 at 12:55 p.m., Central Dispatch received a call from Franklin County 911 regarding a distressed hiker. At 1:24 p.m., the hiker was with Caretaker Bastian at the Lake Colden interior outpost. Forest Rangers Evans and Bode helped the hiker down to Marcy Dam at 3:45 p.m. At 5:44 p.m., the hiker was turned over to Lake Placid Ambulance and taken to the hospital for further treatment.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, November 16, 2021

DEC opens comment on Draft Unit Management Plan for Tug Hill East


tug hill east map

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that the agency will accept public comments on the draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for Tug Hill East through Dec. 15, 2021. The draft UMP covers 22,886 acres of land in seven State Forests, one unique area, and 13 detached Forest Preserve parcels in the Lewis County towns of Lewis, Martinsburg, Osceola, Turin, and West Turin, the Oneida County town of Ava, and the Oswego County town of Redfield.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, November 13, 2021

DEC Announces Completion of Grasse River Habitat Restoration


East elliptio mussel East elliptio mussel provided by DEC

A significant Grasse River restoration project to help address a legacy of contamination and improve habitat in the region has been completed. This habitat restoration milestone is the result of a landmark DEC agreement (PDF) with Arconic in July 2020, and DEC’s ongoing collaboration with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York State Museum, and other partners committed to the Grasse River’s ecological renewal. This work was completed in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-led cleanup of the Grasse River, a federal National Priorities List site.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, November 12, 2021

Outdoor conditions (11/12): Flowed Lands lean-to closed for rehab


outdoor conditions logoThe following are the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for comprehensive and up-to-date information on seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.

High Peaks Wilderness: The Flowed Lands lean-to (on the west side of Flowed Lands) will be unavailable until further notice. The closure is expected to last several months. Lean2Rescue is rehabilitating the lean-to. To date they have deconstructed the existing lean-to and installed a new foundation and base. The structure will be reassembled this winter. The Calamity and Griffin lean-tos north and south of this location are available.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, November 11, 2021

Rangers catch man who defaced Catskills lean-to

lean-to graffiti
Graffiti Arrest:
 On Nov. 2, DEC Central Dispatch received a call about a social media post showing graffiti on a lean-to on State lands at Hunter Mountain. Rangers Fox and Dawson began an investigation with DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation (BECI). On Nov. 4, Lt. Pachan and Ranger Dawson received information that the suspect was currently at the John Robb lean-to attempting to clean up the graffiti. Rangers Fox and Dawson responded to the scene and notified BECI investigators. Rangers learned that the subject drove up the mountain on Hunter ski resort roads and got stuck in a snowbank at the top of the Kaatskill Flyer chairlift. Ski resort staff and Ranger Dawson freed the vehicle from the snowbank, and the Officers escorted the subject down to the ski lodge where they met responding BECI investigators. The 39-year-old Brooklyn man was arrested and transported to the New York State Police (NYSP) barracks in Hunter. He was charged with a Class A misdemeanor for making graffiti and violations for defacing rock and natural materials on state land and defacing a DEC structure. The suspect is due back in court on Dec. 15.

lean-to cleanup

John Robb lean-to graffiti cleaned up by Rangers


Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Deceased hunter found outside of Tupper Lake

forest ranger reportsRecent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Piercefield
St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Search:
 On Nov. 2 at 8:36 p.m., a woman called Ray Brook Dispatch to report her husband overdue from hunting on the western side of Tupper Lake in the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest. Forest Rangers, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs), NYSP, and volunteers were part of the search team. On Nov. 3, Rangers used Type 1 and Type 2 searches, while ECOs searched the shoreline and water, and NYSP K-9 units searched the ground. On Nov. 4, with a Ranger acting as crew chief, 178 search, fire, rescue, and police personnel continued the search, including eight NYSP drones and a NYSP helicopter. Around 12 p.m., a search crew found the hunter’s body. He had been dragging a deer he shot while hunting. At 2:39 p.m. the subject’s body was recovered, flown out, and turned over to the coroner.

» Continue Reading.



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