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.


Friday, October 23, 2020

Outdoor Conditions (10/23): Layer up in the backcountry

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Lake View with Snow Showers

Travel: Check 511NY for road closures and travel conditions. If you plan on hiking in the High Peaks, use 511NY to check the status of parking lots along the busy Route 73 corridor. Have back-up plans in place and, if the parking lot at your desired destination is full, move on to your back-up plan.

Weather: Check the National Weather Service or NY Mesonow for current conditions and forecasts for the locations where you plan to recreate. Check the National Weather Service Northern Adirondacks and Southern Adirondacks Mountain Point Forecasts for selected summits.

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

Just in time for Halloween, it’s Bat Week

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Set the mood for a natural Halloween while learning about bats! Each year, Bat Week provides a focus on bats, their life history, and conservation efforts. This year, Bat Week will be held October 24th-31st.Little Brown Bat hangs upside down from gray rock

New York State is home to nine species of bats. They are found all over the state, including New York City. Three species migrate to warmer locations for the winter and the others hibernate during the coldest months. You can learn more about NY’s bats by downloading the DEC bat brochure. Detailed information on three of our bats, Little Brown Bat, Indiana Bat, and Northern Long-eared Bat can be found on DEC’s Watchable Wildlife page. Click here for an Almanack post earlier this week on a red bat sighting.

Did you know that many of our favorite foods are pollinated by bats? Visit Bat Week’s education page for a downloadable cookbook featuring foods we enjoy thanks to bats! You can also find videos, posters, crafts, and activities to share with your classroom. For older students, Bat Week’s Take Action page provides links to webinars, plans to build a bat house, and a bat tracker.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Overturned canoe and lost hikers in Hamilton County

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forest ranger logoRecent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Village of Saranac Lake – Harrietstown
Franklin County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 15 at 1:12 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a report of an overturned canoe in the Second Pond boat area on Lower Saranac Lake. One person was on shore and uncertain if her companion was still in the water or on shore looking for their dog. Forest Ranger Balerno and DEC Operations staff responded and confirmed the two subjects were out of the water looking for the dog. At 2:20 p.m., Forest Rangers Evans and Balerno located the couple from Oreland, Pennsylvania, and their dog, loaded the group onto a DEC boat, and returned them to their vehicle at the launch.

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Friday, October 16, 2020

Outdoor Conditions (10/16): Take precautions during hunting season

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This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for more detailed information on access, outdoor recreation infrastructure, and conditions.

Travel: Check 511NY for road closures and travel conditions. If you plan on hiking in the High Peaks, use 511NY to check the status of parking lots along the busy Route 73 corridor. Have back-up plans in place and, if the parking lot at your desired destination is full, move on to your back-up plan.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 15, 2020

Hunter Orange Saves Lives

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small game hunters provided by DECThe DEC encourages every hunter and outdoor recreationalist to wear blaze orange, or fluorescent pink. These vibrant colors are used to prevent another hunter mistaking you for wildlife and accidentally shooting at you.

Hunters who wear orange or pink are 7 times less likely to be shot. New York State law requires armed deer and bear hunters aged 14 and 15, along with their mentors, to wear a fluorescent hunter orange or pink. The vibrant colors must be visible from all directions. A shirt, jacket, or vest must have at least 250 square inches of solid or patterned fluorescence. You may instead opt to wear a hat with a least 50 percent orange or pink

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Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Lost hikers on High Peaks trails and Catamount

forest ranger logoRecent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 5 at 7:45 p.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting two hikers lost off the Street and Nye Mountains Trail in the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Forest Ranger Lewis responded and located the hikers from Rochester at 9:51 p.m. before starting the trek back to the trailhead. At 11:18 p.m., Ranger Lewis and the couple arrived back to the trailhead at the Adirondak Loj and were cleared from the scene.

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Stillwater Fire Tower closure in effect until Dec. 20

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stillwater fire towerThe New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) closed access to the Stillwater Fire Tower on the Big Moose Tract Conservation Easement in Herkimer County.

The access across private land is closed to visitors each year from the second Tuesday in October to December 20, according to a Recreation Management Plan agreed upon with the landowner.

The lands on the Big Moose Tract are posted and patrolled during this time. Persons entering the property during this period could face prosecution for trespass.

Photo provided by Friends of Stillwater Fire Tower/Almanack archive.


Tuesday, October 13, 2020

In-Person Hunter Education Courses Resume, Online Courses Extended

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The DEC reported record-breaking sales of hunting and trapping licenses for upcoming seasons, nearly tripling prior years’ sales on opening day for big game hunting and trapping licenses, as well as Deer Management Permits. More then double were sold on the second day, and close to double on the following first two weeks.

The DEC has reopened in-person Hunter Education Courses, including Bowhunter Education, and Trapper Education courses, granted they will be following strict social distancing guidelines along with other precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. The DEC turned the Hunter Ed program into an online certification course once Covid-19 began, which resulted in a dramatic 105-percent increase in participants completing the course compared to their traditional in-person courses offered the previous year.

Both Bowhunting and Hunter education courses are available at the DEC’s website by clicking this link. Or, if you would like to find more information on a traditional field-based course, you can visit the DEC’s website by clicking this link.


Monday, October 12, 2020

DEC Releases Recreation Plan for Croghan Tract

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crogan tract mapThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a final Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement. The Croghan Tract Conservation Easement is comprised of 12,816 acres of private forestland in the towns of Croghan and Watson in Lewis County.

Included in the final RMP is an inventory of natural and man-made resources and various opportunities for public recreation:

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Sunday, October 11, 2020

DEC Seeks Public Input on Proposed Endangered Species Protections

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is accepting public comment on a revised regulatory proposal to strengthen protections for threatened and endangered wildlife in New York.

The proposal promotes sharing information between landowners and DEC staff during permit reviews for projects on lands where endangered or threatened species may be located, helping improve the pace of permit decisions and to better avoid negative impacts to vulnerable wildlife populations.

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Saturday, October 10, 2020

Note about mothballs

Use Pesticides Responsibly, Read the Label! Every year, DEC’s Bureaus of Pesticide Management and Law Enforcement receive dozens of complaints regarding the use of mothballs to repel domestic animals and wildlife in urban settings. Label directions state mothballs are to be used in tightly closed containers to kill clothes moths and other fabric pests. Mothballs are not effective in keeping “unwanted visitors” out of vegetable and flower gardens, interior walls of buildings and/or drop ceilings. Besides, the use of mothballs in any manner other than what is listed on the pesticide label is illegal and dangerous!

Why Should I Be Concerned?
  • Mothball active ingredients are either paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene.
  • The vapors from mothballs are toxic.
  • Incorrect use and long-term exposure may cause health problems, harm children, and contaminate soil, water, and plants

To learn more about mothballs, visit the National Pesticide Information Center. Questions? We’re here: pestmgt@dec.ny.gov or 518-402-8748.  


Friday, October 9, 2020

Outdoor Conditions (10/9): Recreate smart this Columbus Day weekend

This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for more detailed information on access, outdoor recreation infrastructure, and conditions.

Emergency Situations: If you get lost or injured; keep calm and stay put. If you have cell service, call 911 or the DEC Forest Ranger Emergency Dispatch, 518-891-0235.

DEC anticipates high use in the Adirondacks this Columbus Day weekend. If you plan to visit the Adirondack region this weekend to hike, camp, or participate in other outdoor recreation activities, please be aware of the following:

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Thursday, October 8, 2020

DEC forms partnership to bolster invasives efforts

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Hemlock with HWA egg masses_Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationAgreement Targets Invasive Species Research, Control, and Mitigation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced new partnerships with the New York Invasive Species Research Institute (NYISRI) and Cornell University to develop and support projects and research to help limit the spread of invasive species.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Lost hikers in Bolton, Schroon, Arietta

forest ranger reportsRecent DEC Forest Ranger Actions:

Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 1 at 5:42 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 65-year-old hiker from Long Meadow, Massachusetts, reporting he had injured his ankle near MacIntyre Falls. The hiker said his hiking party braced his injury and he would hobble down the trail with them. Forest Ranger LaPierre responded, hiking up the trail to the man’s location while Forest Rangers Evans, Burns, Gliddi, and Booth came in with a six-wheel ATV. Once on scene, Ranger LaPierre splinted the injury and assisted the hiking party to the Whales Tail Junction where they were met by the secondary group of Rangers and driven out to the trailhead to their vehicle.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Youth Big Game Hunt coming up this weekend

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New York’s annual Youth Big Game Hunt is scheduled for Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 10-12.

During this special opportunity, licensed 14 and 15-year-olds may use a firearm to hunt big game while accompanied by an experienced, licensed adult hunter. All eligible junior hunters may take one deer (either sex) and one bear. During the youth hunt, antlerless deer taken with a firearm may be tagged with a regular season tag, DMP, or Deer Management Assistance Program tag. Antlered deer may only be tagged with the regular season tag. Though junior hunters may have multiple deer tags, they may only take one deer with a firearm during the Youth Big Game Hunt.

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The Adirondack Almanack

The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities

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