Posts Tagged ‘DEC’

Thursday, July 30, 2020

How to Identify Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed is an invasive plant which blooms across many parts of New York State, and summer is the ideal time to spot this harmful invasive. Giant Hogweed is a large flowering plant from Eurasia with sap that can cause painful burns and scarring. Adult Giant Hogweed plants are 7 to 14 feet tall with umbrella shaped clusters of white flowers up to 2.5 feet wide. Its stem is green with purple splotches, and coarse white hairs. Its leaves are large and can be up to 5 feet across. They are incised and deeply lobed. Visit the DEC’s site for more identification tips, including a table of lookalikes by clicking here.

If you suspect that you have found a Giant Hogweed plant, be sure not to touch it. From a safe distance take photos of the plant’s stem, leaves, flowers, seeds, and then the whole plant. Report your siting to the DEC by emailing photos (or calling DEC staff at (845) 256-3111) and reporting location information here:  ghogweed@dec.ny.gov. DEC staff will help you confirm if you have found Giant Hogweed, and work with the landowners of confirmed sites to provide information on the plant, and how to control its spread.Ss


Wednesday, July 29, 2020

DEC Announces New Dates for Guiding License Exam

DEC logoThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that the Licensed Guides exam for anyone currently registered is now scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 1. This exam will be offered to all applicants that previously signed up to take the exam. Out of an abundance of caution and to limit the community spread of COVID-19, DEC previously postponed examinations scheduled in March, April, May, and June. Exams for new applicants will be held Sept. 17. 

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Tuesday, July 14, 2020

The cycle of killing habituated bears continues

black bearSeveral campsites and lean-tos were temporarily closed in the High Peaks Wilderness on July 5 due to an aggressive black bear that had been roaming the area looking for human food.

A day later the state Department of Environmental Conservation captured and later killed the animal.

As DEC officials have often said to me in these situations, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

What does that mean? It means if a bear gets food from humans too many times, it will get habituated to the food. The bear will then continue to seek out food from campers, especially when natural food sources aren’t available such as during dry years. In some cases, the bear will then get too close to people and be considered dangerous. In these situations, bears don’t win. Instead, they are killed.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Proposed Rule Change for waterfowl hunting


duck decoys

Due to a slow, but steady decline in mallards across the northeastern United States, the mallard daily bag limit remains two birds (one hen) per day. Please see the Declining Mallards in the Atlantic Flyway (PDF) brochure for more information.

The Canada goose season length in the Northeast, West Central, East Central, Hudson Valley, and Lake Champlain zones remains 30 days with a limit of two per day. Please see the Status and Management of Atlantic Population Canada Geese (PDF) brochure for more information.

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Sunday, July 12, 2020

Reducing Your Waste this Summer: Tips from the DEC

Summer is the time for outdoor barbeques, picnics and parties, and while you are having fun the DEC wants to remind us to reduce, reuse, and recycle our waste correctly this summer.

They’ve released a variety of tips and suggestions in their weekly newsletter to this end. To reduce waste, opt for reusable plates, cups, cutlery and napkins as opposed to the typical solo cups and paper pates for your next outdoor feast. You can learn to make your own drinks as well as opposed to using pre-mixed beverages that come in bulky plastic containers.

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Thursday, July 9, 2020

Upcoming exams for Falconry, Wildlife Rehabilitation, and more


The DEC has announced that exams for those looking to become wildlife rehabilitators, practice falconry, or use leashed tracking dogs to locate wounded or injured big game animals will be held on Aug. 14 with a registration deadline of July 24.

In region 5, the exams will be held at DEC offices in Ray Brook  and Warrensburg, with two exam times offered: 10 am – noon and 2-4 p.m.

DEC Regional Offices and their locations can be found at the DEC website, as well as exam registration forms.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Increased Bear Activity in Adirondack High Peaks

Sunday, July 5, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) temporarily closed campsites and lean-tos in the Lake Colden area in the Adirondack High Peaks, Essex County, after a recent increase in bear activity. The sites are now reopen. Campers in other areas of the Eastern High Peaks are encouraged to follow DEC guidance for dealing with nuisance bears. Minimizing human-bear interactions can be accomplished through a few simple steps. Adirondack Explorer editor Brandon Loomis was backpacking over the weekend and experienced the increased bear activity firsthand. Read about it here (and watch a video): https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/state-captures-bear-that-raided-lake-colden-campsites » Continue Reading.


Monday, July 6, 2020

DEC Launches New Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Licensing System

lake lilaThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced their new DEC Automated Licensing System (DECALS).

DECALS is an overwork of the previous licensing system designed to incorporate more user-friendly information to help users locate vendors, receive instant copies of a license, and enter and view harvest information and more.

As the system progresses and new features are added and updated, DECALS will include events calendars with upcoming season dates including youth hunts, clinics, and free fishing days. Full integration with the DEC’s Hunter Education Program which would make it easier to register for courses and automatically update certifications, and auto-renewal options for all annual licenses.

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Thursday, July 2, 2020

DEC joins invasive species awareness campaign

Adirondack Watershed Institute steward watches over the Second Pond boat launch near Saranac LakeThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in cooperation with seven Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces, have teamed up on the second annual Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Landing Blitz, a regional campaign to inform boaters and others about the risks of introducing and spreading these invasive pests.

During this coordinated outreach effort, partners throughout the Great Lakes region are educating the public at hundreds of water access sites through July 5.

AIS are non-native aquatic plants and animals that can cause environmental and economic harm and harm to human health. Many AIS have been found in the lakes, ponds, and rivers of New York, and can be transported from waterbody to waterbody on watercraft and equipment.

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Saturday, June 27, 2020

DEC extends online hunter education course

In order to get your hunting license, all aspiring hunters must complete a mandatory DEC hunter education course.

This course will continue to be available through Aug. 31, according to an announcement made by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) commissioner Basil Seggos.

The DEC is also making available an online bowhunter education course, available on July 15.

Since April, 24,000 hunters have completed the online hunter education course successfully. This is about a 20 percent increase from those who usually take the course, and of those who took it, 40 percent were women. This is also an increase from the typical in-person course, where 27 percent of students were women. Almost half of all who took the online course were 30 years or older.

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Friday, June 19, 2020

DEC Issues Guidance to Reduce Bear Conflicts

In June, black bear movement increases as the breeding season begins and yearling (one-year-old) bears disperse to find their own space. Inevitably some of these bears, particularly yearlings, wander through places these animals would not normally inhabit, like suburban or urban neighborhoods.

Bears have an acute sense of smell and may attempt to consume anything they perceive as edible, including improperly stored garbage, birdseed, livestock, pet food, and barbecue grill grease traps. Once a bear has discovered a food source, it may return or seek similar foods at neighboring properties, learning bad behavior that can damage human property and may lead to the death of the bear.

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Thursday, June 18, 2020

Black Bass Fishing Season Opens June 20

champlain bass tournamentThe 2020 season for Largemouth and Smallmouth bass opens this Saturday, June 20 and runs through Nov.30. Most waters also allow a catch and release season which starts Dec. 1 and continues until regular fishing season opens.

Anglers can use artificial lures during the regular season. Some waters have regulations particular to them, and New York State anglers should be sure to check out the DEC’s fishing regulations guide before heading out to the water.

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Monday, June 15, 2020

Breeding Bird Atlas Update

Do you birdwatch in Upstate New York? If so then you can contribute to the Breeding Bird Atlas, (the BBA).

On its third iteration, the purpose of the BBA is to observe breeding birds of New York State from 2020-2024 in order to observe comparisons between the past and future NY BBAs to see how locations and population sizes change over time. The data collected is important for conservation programs for birds and their habitats. Everyone is encouraged to participate from 2020-2024, amateur and advanced birdwatchers alike can contribute as little or as much as they want.

Learn more about the BBA to get started.


Photo Credit: Beth Cooper


Thursday, June 11, 2020

More Than Ever, We Need Rangers to Be Ambassadors for the Forest Preserve

The Coronavirus pandemic is asserting its influence on Adirondack summer recreation, amplifying worries about public safety and the increased number of visitors, especially in the High Peaks.  There are many questions: will there be more hikers this season?  Fewer?  Will choked trail heads be COVID vectors? Will novice visitors seeking to escape both the coronavirus and social isolation mean an increase in unprepared hikers and rescues?  Will a decrease in the usual resources such as open facilities, trail stewards and shuttles cause our visitor management challenges to be overwhelming?  No one knows.  Understandably, concern is high.   

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020

The Virtual River: A DEC Educational Program

The DEC’s Hudson River estuary education staff has created The Virtual River, an educational program consisting of videos, interactive lessons, and activities for kids. The content is all ages so parents and children alike can get something out of the lessons. For more information about the Hudson River estuary education staff check out this link. Otherwise, get started on your tour through the virtual river by watching the following videos:

American Eels
Seining for Fish
Turtles
Vernal Pools and Salamanders



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