agency highlights accomplishments2019

www.dec.ny.gov

Commissioner Basil Seggos

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS AND

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2019

1970‑ 2020

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LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARDThe New York State Department of Environmental Conserva-tion (DEC) was created on the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, taking the place of the Conservation Commission, which dates back to 1911. As we approach our 50th anniversary, it’s fitting that we reflect on our accomplishments and acknowledge the work that lies ahead. New York has made remarkable progress in the past 50 years, significantly reducing air, land, and water pollution, and restoring populations of wildlife from virtual extir-pation, such as the bald eagle and sturgeon.

We’ve also made great strides in tackling the clean-up of solid and hazardous waste sites. Since inception, DEC has overseen the clean-up of nearly 2,000 contaminated waste sites across the state and closure of thousands of unlined landfills.

While our air, land, and water are cleaner today, work remains. Our environment is facing several major challenges, including climate change, which poses an existential threat to our way of life.

DEC performs a wide variety of tasks to ensure our environ-ment is safe, healthy, and accessible to all. We not only work to protect our air, land, and water, we work to expand oppor-tunities for everyone to access and enjoy New York’s natural resources. We also address immediate threats like chemical and petroleum spills, flooding, and invasive species, as well as emerging environmental challenges like harmful algal blooms (HABs) and chemical contaminants.

In 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo continued to build upon our legacy as an environmental leader, protecting more than 11,000 acres of open space and enacting the Climate Leader-ship and Community Protection Act, which codifies New York’s nation-leading clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The law sets a goal for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels and transitioning to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050.

While the current administration in Washington, D.C., continue to roll back environmental protections, Governor Cuomo’s envi-ronmental investments are setting the bar for conservation, and DEC is proud to be at the forefront of this vital mission.

In the coming year, we will build on our accomplishments through the Governor’s new statewide “Restore Mother Nature” initiative, which will protect and restore wetlands and waterways, upgrade state fish hatcheries, bolster freshwater sportfish populations, restore oysters in New York Harbor, and expand shellfish restoration efforts on Long Island.

Although some of our challenges have changed over the years, our mission has never wavered. As Commissioner, I am committed to combating and overcoming the environmen-tal challenges we face and building upon our environmental legacy. And if our federal partners fail to address key environ-mental issues, it is up to us. We accept that responsibility.

Thank you for supporting DEC’s vital work and helping New York set an example of how we can—and must—protect and improve our environment for ourselves and future genera-tions. We look forward to building on these accomplishments in 2020.

Letter from the Commissioner

Basil Seggos, Commissioner

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MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

A TOP PRIORITY

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION 2019 AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 1

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION 2019 AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 32 | 2019 AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Tackling Climate Change and Cleaning the Air

Climate change impacts public health, natural resources, agriculture, trans-portation, tourism, water quality and supply, public infrastructure, energy, and nearly every aspect of our lives and the economy. Recognizing the challenge of our changing climate, New York State agencies and authori-ties are leading the way in reducing the pollution that causes climate change and bolstering resilience to protect our communities from its effects. New York is a national leader in reducing green-house gas emissions to keep the rise in the Earth’s temperature below two degrees Celsius, which is the goal of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to prevent even more severe environmental impacts.

NEW REGULATIONS/COAL PHASE-OUT

In 2019, DEC proposed or adopted more than a dozen regulations to reduce harmful air emissions and improve air quality. Emissions from in-state sources continue to decline, even as emis-sions from neighboring states continue to cause elevated ozone, or smog, levels in New York—a result of the federal government’s failure to address high-pollution sources.

In contrast, regulations adopted this year in New York setting individual carbon dioxide emission limits on all power plants will ensure the phase-out of the state’s two remaining coal-fired power plants by 2020. DEC also adopted new, stringent requirements regulating peak-use power plants that will substantially reduce emis-sions from "peaking" power plants that operate on the hottest days when ozone levels are highest. These dirty, inefficient plants are major sources of pollution. Transitioning away from these peak-use power plants is a critical component of achieving the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SITING

In July, New York State executed the nation's largest offshore wind agree-ment, and the single largest renewable energy procurement by any state in U.S. history—nearly 1,700 megawatts—with the selection of two offshore wind proj-ects. These projects will create enough energy to power more than 1 million homes, create more than 1,600 jobs, and result in $3.2 billion in economic activity. The agreement is expected to catalyze major investments by the fast-growing offshore wind sector, positioning New York to be the hub of the nation's bur-geoning offshore wind industry.

REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was the nation’s first emissions trading program and has led to signifi-cant reductions in these emissions from power plants. RGGI is a multi-state effort to cap and reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions, and has helped spur additional programs that promote clean, renewable energy and reduce harmful emissions. The investment of almost $2.2 billion in RGGI proceeds is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions regionally by 28 million tons and save consumers more than $8.5 billion.

CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT

In June 2019, Governor Cuomo signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protec-tion Act, codifying New York’s nation-leading clean energy targets: nine gigawatts of off-shore wind production by 2035; six gigawatts of distributed solar by 2025; and three giga-watts of energy storage by 2030. The Climate Leadership Act also calls for a just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and contin-ues fostering a green economy. These efforts are crucial to achieving the state’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050.

ALBANY SOUTH END NEIGHBORHOOD AIR QUALITY INITIATIVE

As part of a comprehensive effort to improve air quality in Albany’s South End Envi-ronmental Justice (EJ) community, DEC completed a state-of-the-art air quality study (visit https://on.ny.gov/southendstudy) that investigated the neighborhood’s air quality. DEC worked with the community over 15 months to collect street-level air samples at strategic locations during nearly 18 months of continuous air monitoring.

During the study, middle and high school students from the Science and Technology Entry Program at SUNY Albany collected air quality measurements with DEC scientists. The study found that more particulate matter was coming from local traffic rather than activities at the Port of Albany and that emissions from locomotives and port shipping transport were minimal in comparison to local traffic. The study revealed that trucks traveling to and from businesses and other operations located south of Ezra Prentice were responsible for most of the traffic-related pollutants at Ezra Prentice Homes.

DEC is already working with state agency and local partners to reduce these pollut-ants and evaluating ways to transfer the knowledge gained from this study to other communities across the state

MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY A TOP PRIORITY MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY A TOP PRIORITY

VOLKSWAGEN SETTLEMENT

Under a multi-state settlement with Volkswagen (VW) result-ing from the company’s intentional efforts to circumvent “clean diesel” vehicle emissions standards, New York received $127.7 million in settlement funds. A Beneficiary Mitigation Plan, Clean Transportation NY, is using the settlement to stimulate the state’s transformation to a lower-carbon transportation system. The plan targets emissions from trucks, buses, and other equipment that operate in proximity to low- and moder-ate-income communities that bear much of the burden of air pollution.

Twenty million dollars from the VW settlement, along with a federal grant, is available for vehicle replacement projects that will help improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, and promote investment in cleaner fuel technologies. This will permanently remove older, higher polluting trucks from New York's roadways and replace them with new, cleaner trucks, including all-electric trucks with zero tailpipe emissions. VW-funded projects will emphasize investments in or near potential Environmental Justice Areas. DEC and its partners have collaborated to develop additional diesel truck and transit bus replacement programs scheduled to be implemented within the next year.

U.S. CLIMATE ALLIANCE

In response to the federal government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, Governor Cuomo directed New York to help establish the U.S. Climate Alliance, a biparti-san coalition of states representing 55 percent of the nation’s population, which is committed to uphold the Paris Agreement goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent by 2025 (compared to 2005 levels). Today, the U.S. Climate Alliance and its member states are pursuing opportunities to increase carbon storage in forests, farms, and ecosystems, and have launched a new initiative to identify best practices for land conservation and restoration to develop a carbon storage framework.

THEN & NOWAdirondack Lakes on the Road to Recovery from Acid RainBy the 1960s, it was clear that acid deposition was having devastating impacts on Adirondack forests, soils, surface waters, and fish and wildlife that depend on these resources for food and habitat, including New York’s native brook trout population. By 1970, numer-ous small lakes in the Adirondacks were found to be so abnormally acidic that fish were no longer able to live in them.

Thanks to state actions and the federal Clean Air Act of 1970 that targeted large pollution sources like coal-fired power plants, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from these sources are approximately 80 percent lower now than they were in 1990. New York's first acid deposition program was established in 1985, and was designed to measure acid deposition to assess the effectiveness of sulfur-control policies and other strategies to reduce acid rain.

In 2019, a self-sustaining brook trout population was dis-covered in Lake Colden, an Adirondack lake that had been deemed "fishless" for decades due to acid rain. The discovery is attributed to improved water quality as a result of state and federal actions to prevent the pollution that causes acid rain.

CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES – STATE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION

Since 2009, DEC’s Climate Smart Communities program has provided grants, technical assistance, and other tools and support to help local governments cut greenhouse gas emis-sions and strengthen community resilience.

In 2019, the Climate Smart Communities program accom-plished the following milestones:

● Awarded $11.7 million to municipalities through competitive grants to plan and implement projects that reduce green-house gas emissions and/or adapt to climate change;

● Awarded $202,500 through the Zero-Emission Vehicle program, adding 50 electric vehicles to municipal fleets;

● 39 additional municipalities became registered Climate Smart Communities after passing the 10-point pledge and committing to act on climate change. More than 8.3 million New Yorkers live in the 285 communities that have taken the pledge; and

● 18 municipalities became certified Climate Smart Com-munities in 2019, following a rigorous review process to document their actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Since 2014, DEC has designated 37 certified Climate Smart Communities.


MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY A TOP PRIORITY

Protecting Our Water and Communities

LAKE ONTARIO RESILIENCY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (REDI)

As part of the state's ongoing response to record flooding that hit Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline com-munities in 2019, Governor Cuomo launched REDI, a multi-agency effort tasked with studying sustainable solu-tions to strengthen infrastructure and mitigate impacts from future flooding while also bolstering the region's local economies.

Through REDI, the State has commit-ted up to $300 million to rebuild the shoreline and improve resiliency in flood-prone regions along Lake Ontario, including $236 million awarded to 132 resiliency projects in eight counties. In addition, REDI has allocated $20 million for homeowner assistance, $30 million to improve the resiliency of businesses, and $15 million toward a regional dredging effort that will benefit each of the counties along the lake.

PORT BAY HARBOR

One of the 132 REDI-funded projects is the Port Bay barrier bar in Wayne County. Following record high water levels in Lake Ontario in 2017 and a significant breach of the DEC-owned Port Bay barrier bar, a first-of-its-kind ecosystem-based resiliency study was conducted to identify solutions. DEC continues to work with coastal experts to design innovative sediment manage-ment protocols that support a resilient barrier bar and maintain recreational uses of the Port Bay harbor.

ROCHESTER EMBAYMENT AREA OF CONCERN

Pollution along the Lake Ontario Shoreline in Monroe County and the Genesee River prompted the Interna-tional Joint Commission to designate the Rochester Embayment as an Area of Concern in 1987, with beaches in the area registering high levels of coliform bacteria and frequent fouling from nuisance algae. In August 2019, DEC removed the Beach Closings impair-ment from the Area of Concern after significant water quality improvements were achieved after the adoption of the countywide Pure Waters Master Plan and implementation of the combined sewer overflow abatement program.

KEEPING PHARMACEUTICALS OUT OF OUR WATERS

Disposing of unwanted or unused med-ications down the sink, toilet, or drain pollutes waterbodies and adversely impacts aquatic life. Through the pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program, DEC has placed more than 340 pharma-ceutical collection boxes in pharmacies, hospitals, and long-term care facilities across the state to encourage the safe disposal of unused and expired drugs. To date, the program has removed more than 20 tons of unwanted medications from home medicine cabinets, reducing the potential for abuse of the medica-tions, and keeping the drugs out of local waterways and drinking water sources.

TAKING ACTION: HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS

The increasing frequency and duration of harmful algal blooms (HABs) threatens drinking water quality and recreational use of waterbodies essential to ecosystem health and statewide tourism. HABs, triggered by a combination of excess nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), low water levels, and warm temperatures, can produce dangerous toxins that may harm people and animals, force the closure of beaches and fisheries, and threaten drinking water supplies.

New York State has developed one of the most comprehensive HABs outreach and monitoring programs in the country. In June 2019, DEC launched NYHABs, an online map and reporting system featuring an interactive map updated daily with HABs reports. A new mobile-friendly reporting form also allows the public and trained sam-plers to send electronic HABs reports to DEC.

In October, the Governor directed a pilot project to collect and remove HABs in the Village of Southampton’s Lake Agawam (Suffolk County) that used a mobile algae harvester to separate algae from water, and then return the treated water back to the lake. The pilot is part of a broader effort to help DEC identify HABs-mitigating technol-ogy that can be used statewide. In 2019, grants totaling more than $49 million were awarded to numerous projects that may help reduce the occurrence of HABs.


EMERGING CONTAMINANTS

New York is committed to providing access to clean drinking water in all communities by updating and rebuilding critical infrastructure and responding quickly to contamination that threatens public health.

As part of this effort, New York is taking nation-leading actions to address emerging contaminants such as per- and polyfluo-rinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and 1,4-dioxane, which affect groundwater. Since 2016, DEC has undertaken comprehensive efforts to ensure communities impacted by these contaminants have access to clean drinking water, including Hoosick Falls, Petersburgh, Newburgh, and some Long Island communities.

AMONG NEW YORK’S ACHIEVEMENTS:

● First state to designate unregulated PFAS contaminants PFOA/PFOS as hazardous substances;

● Launched the Water Quality Rapid Response Team and Drinking Water Quality Council to address critical drinking water issues;

● Passed the 2017 Clean Water Infrastructure Act and the 2020 New York State budget made $3 billion available to address critical water infrastructure needs, including up to $130 million to address contaminated drinking water;

● Awarded $27 million to help Long Island communities upgrade drinking water treatment systems and address the emerging contaminants PFOA, PFOS, and 1,4-dioxane. The grants will fund as much as 60 percent of each project's cost, up to a maximum of $3 million. In addition, the projects are expected to support local jobs in construction, supply, and service sectors;

● In 2019, the New York State Department of Health accepted the Drinking Water Quality Council’s recommendations for Maximum Contaminant Levels in drinking water for PFOA, PFOS, and 1,4-dioxane, and began the regulatory process to adopt these enforceable standards. The levels of 10 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS are the most protective in the nation, and the standard of 1 part per billion for 1,4-dioxane is the nation's first-ever level for this contaminant;

● Invested millions of dollars through the State Superfund program to install carbon filtration systems that are successfully removing PFOA and PFOS from impacted water supplies in several communities. New York State is seeking to hold responsible parties accountable for any expenses incurred;

● Surveyed more than 2,500 locations for potential PFAS contamination (e.g., airports, fire training centers, industry);

● Conducted sampling at and near facilities located close to public or private water supplies;

● With the Department of Health, proactively sampled upstate groundwater public water supplies for emerging contaminants;

● Continues to evaluate more than 2,400 landfills across the state for their impacts on drinking water; Evaluated ground-water at all active State Superfund and Brownfield sites for emerging contaminants. Sampling has been completed or planned at more than 1,400 sites and is expected to be complete in 2020. New guidance issued in 2019 requires the sampling of all environmental media for emerging con-taminants at all new remedial sites; and

● In December 2019, Governor Cuomo signed a bill banning the sale of household cleaning products and some cosmetics/personal care items that contain the chemical 1,4 – dioxane, beginning in January 2022.

HOOSICK FALLS

Hoosick Falls was the first New York community identified with major water supply impacts due to PFOA contamination. Significant response activities in 2019 included:

● Directed the release of a state-required study by respon-sible parties (Saint-Gobain and Honeywell) to evaluate options for a clean and reliable drinking water source for the Hoosick Falls water district;

● Installation of wells and testing for a groundwater source; ● Continued oversight to ensure municipal filtration system

continues to provide clean water to the community; and ● Maintaining more than 1,000 point-of-entry treatment

systems in the Hoosick Falls/Petersburgh area to provide clean water for residents and businesses.

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Cleaning Up Environmental Damage

PLUGGING ORPHANED OIL AND GAS WELLS

DEC continues to address threats from unplugged oil or gas wells abandoned by their original owners or opera-tors. Some of these “orphaned” wells may represent potentially significant threats to public safety and the envi-ronment. DEC is using new tools and techniques, including unmanned aerial systems (drones) equipped with mag-netometers to locate orphaned oil and gas wells. Once identified, DEC plugs the wells and returns the areas to their natural states. RECLAMATION OF ABANDONED

MINES USING SEIZED FINANCIAL SECURITY FUNDS

New York possesses a vast wealth of minerals that have been mined for cen-turies, including salt, limestone, garnet, and zinc. Glacial deposits of sand and gravel occur throughout the state and account for the greatest number of New York’s mines. Once a company is done mining, it must restore (reclaim) the land to a productive use.

All permitted mining companies must maintain enough funds to pay for rec-lamation if they are unable or unwilling to do so. DEC currently holds more than $300 million of financial security for 1,833 mines to ensure final reclamation is completed.

Proper reclamation of abandoned mine sites protects water quality by stabi-lizing disturbed soils and preventing erosion and sedimentation in nearby surface waters

In 2019, DEC directed the plugging of 90 orphaned oil and gas wells.

HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY AND TRIBUTARY PROTECTION

A CLEAN WATER PLAN FOR THE WALLKILL RIVER (ULSTER AND ORANGE COUNTIES)

DEC completed an intensive, three-year water-quality monitoring project on the Wallkill watershed in 2019. Staff collected water samples during wet and dry conditions throughout the summer and fall from the Wallkill and its tributar-ies to help DEC better understand its pollution sources in order to implement a clean water plan.

FLOOD MITIGATION AND RECONNECTING STREAM HABITATS

During heavy rainstorms, rushing water can cause culverts to overtop or fail, threatening not only property and wild-life habitats, but public safety as well. In 2019, DEC provided $216,310 to help communities in several Hudson Valley towns develop plans to prioritize road-stream crossing replacements.

MAPPING DAMS IN THE HUDSON RIVER WATERSHED

There are more than 1,600 known dams throughout the Hudson River watershed. While many of these dams are intact and still in use, hundreds are in poor condi-tion and are no longer useful. DEC used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and other technology to develop an accurate dam inventory and prioritize the removal of obsolete dams, which will improve water quality and eliminate upstream barriers that impact important fish habitat for species such as American eel, river herring, and trout.

DEC successfully reclaimed a total of

57.6 acres at 9 abandoned mines.

CONTAMINATED SITE CLEANUPS

GRUMMAN (NASSAU COUNTY)

In December 2019, DEC released the final remedy to fully contain and treat the plume of contamination caused by industrial waste from U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman manufacturing facilities in Oyster Bay. The remedy, developed in consultation with the State Department of Health, is a com-prehensive plan to contain and clean up the plume and hold the responsi-ble parties—U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman—accountable for its imple-mentation. The cleanup plan includes the construction of 24 groundwater extraction wells, five treatment plants, four recharge basins, and approxi-mately 24 miles of conveyance piping. The estimated cost to construct and operate the system is $585 million. This groundbreaking plan to contain and treat the plume will safeguard communities and protect Long Island's drinking water and environment for future generations.

UPPER HUDSON RIVER PCB CLEANUP AND INVESTIGATION

In August, New York State filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) for violating federal law when it issued a “Certificate of Com-pletion” to General Electric Company for its removal of polychlorinated biphe-nyls (PCBs) from the Hudson River. The EPA issued the certificate to GE in April of 2019, finding that the company’s required cleanup of PCBs from the river was complete, despite evidence that PCB concentrations remain danger-ously high in portions of the river. EPA’s own Five-Year Review found that the cleanup was not adequately protective of human health and the environment, yet the agency concluded that it did not have enough information to even determine if or when the cleanup would meet this standard. For this and other reasons, the lawsuit charges that the EPA’s issuance of the certificate to GE is beyond the agency’s legal authority and should be vacated.

BROWNFIELD CLEANUP PROGRAM

Brownfield sites offer tremendous potential for economic development, community revitalization, and job cre-ation. New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program encourages the vol-untary cleanup of these contaminated properties so they can be reused and redeveloped, benefiting the commu-nity and region. In 2019, DEC received 82 applications for the program issued 61 Certificates of Completion.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROGRAM

In April 2019, DEC awarded $4.8 million in grants to help four munici-palities clean up contamination at sites targeted for redevelopment. The Syra-cuse Industrial Development Agency, Town of Clay, City of Gloversville, and City of Cortland received funding through the Environmental Restoration Program. The Environmental Resto-ration Program was created in 1996 to provide grants to municipalities to reimburse eligible costs at municipally owned brownfield properties and help promote redevelopment. To date, the program has supported the cleanup of more than 130 sites.

EMERGENCY SPILL RESPONSE

DEC Emergency personnel responded to 11,817 hazardous material spills in 2019, helping to protect state lands and waters.


Continuing Progress on State Superfund SitesUnder New York’s State Superfund program, the State identifies, investigates,

and cleans up sites where significant amounts of hazardous waste may exist. DEC continues to make significant progress on the cleanup of State Superfund sites:

919State

Superfund sites

443Class 2 sites

(investigation or cleanup ongoing)

428Class 4 sites

(properly closed/ requires management)

118Federal National

Priorities List sites

33Federal National

Priorities List sites delisted

$34.8 MILLION

Cost recovery revenue received

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NEW YORK STATE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

DEC is developing the next State Solid Waste Management Plan for the period 2021–2030, by holding stakeholder meetings in communities across New York to solicit input and gather infor-mation about the State’s solid waste management efforts. A draft of the plan will be released for public review and comment in 2020.

PERMITTING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

DEC issues permits for hazardous waste management facilities and pro-vides review and oversight of corrective action at permitted facilities.

PLASTIC BAG BAN

On Earth Day 2019, Governor Cuomo signed legislation banning the sale of single-use plastic bags in New York starting March 1, 2020, a significant step to reduce pollution and protect fish and wildlife. Single-use plastic bags often wind up as litter on lands and in waters, harming birds or wildlife that ingest the plastic. New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annu-ally, and national studies show that approximately half of these bags end up as litter. In addition to preventing plastic bag litter in our environment, this ban will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal, from petroleum used to produce the bags to emissions from the transportation of bags to landfills. As part of DEC's cam-paign to encourage New Yorkers to use reuasble bags — #BYOBagNY — DEC is working with stakeholders and commu-nity leaders to ensure the bag ban does not disproportionately impact low- and moderate-income communities by dis-tributing reusable bags in partnership with Feeding New York State, the state-wide food bank organization.

MANAGING SOLID WASTE

New York State municipalities use some of the most technically advanced solid waste management and recycling equipment available. DEC administers a comprehensive funding program from the Environmental Protection Fund to support municipal waste reduction and recycling efforts across the state.

Approximately $4.7 million was awarded in 2019 to help local governments pay for recycling education, coordination, promotion, and planning.

In 2019, DEC oversaw the operation,

closure, and/or remediation of

38 permitted hazardous waste management facilities.


FUNDING TO FIGHT WASTED FOOD

DEC is committed to reducing the amount of food waste generated and disposed of in the state by:

● Increasing food donation efforts through a $1.6 million grant program for emergency food relief organiza-tions that will increase their capacity to receive, store, and distribute fresh food at the local level; and

● Enabling municipalities to tackle food waste in their communities through a $2.4 million grant program for food waste reduction, food donation, and food scraps recycling projects.

RECYCLE RIGHT NY CAMPAIGN

Recycle Right NY is a year-long public outreach campaign designed to educate New Yorkers about how to recycle properly. The campaign was launched in January 2019 in coordination with recycling professionals in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

Educational topics included proper recycling methods for tanglers (rope, electrical cords, string lights, clothing), aluminum and steel cans, textiles, plastic bags/film plastic, batteries, sharps, and non-container glass. Other topics discussed included methods to reduce the food contamination of recycling bins and the use of single-use plastics.

Pesticides Management In 2019, DEC shared information about the proper application of pesticides and

promoted Integrated Pest Management practices at 30 separate agricultural outreach events across the state, reaching almost 1,590 farmers. DEC also:

Conducted more than

1,087 inspections

to date this year;

Reviewed

755 aquatic pesticide permit

applications to ensure pesticides are applied to the state’s water‑

bodies appropriately;

Certified

18,479 commercial

pesticide applicators and technicians, and

6,415 private

applicators;

Conducted spring and fall waste pesticide collection events, collecting 136,554 pounds

of pesticides, 14,248 pounds of paint, and 15,210 pounds of liquid waste for a total of

approximately

172,675 pounds collected for disposal; and

Provided unwanted pesticide and chemical waste collection

services to

232 registered entities, including

88 farms,

25 schools,

10vineyards.


Achieving Environmental Justice for All

DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice continues to work with communities historically overburdened with environ-mental and health issues.

GRANT FUNDING

In 2019, DEC awarded nearly $3 million to 22 community-based organizations that address environmental and public health concerns in Environmental Justice areas throughout New York. The funding supports community-based organizations that empower and involve communities to find solutions to environmental problems, engage residents to address and understand environmental challenges, and provide opportunities to improve community health, safety, and sustainability. The grants funded projects to monitor water and air, increase pollinator habitats, establish urban farming and commu-nity gardens, and examine how climate change threatens environmental and public health.

GREEN JOBS

The Green Jobs program awarded nearly $1 million to 10 community-based organizations to support job train-ing programs in clean energy, green infrastructure, and urban agriculture, targeting young New Yorkers in envi-ronmental justice communities.

DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT

As part of its recruitment efforts in support of the Governor’s Diversity Ini-tiative, DEC is working with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to diversify the agency’s candidate fields.

INDIAN NATION AFFAIRS

In 2019, DEC held the first joint meeting with EPA and Indian Nation leaders. Discussions included harmful algal blooms, collaboratively addressing illegal dumping on Indian Nation lands, climate change, water quality assess-ments, and forest management.

DEC helped develop the DEC-Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Cooperative Agreement for the coordination of the cleanup of the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern at Massena/Akwesasne. Through this agreement, DEC and the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe will work col-laboratively to restore and ultimately delist this Area of Concern, while rec-ognizing the unique jurisdictions and shared resources of the Akwesasne Territory.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

The Green Jobs program connected more than

300 youth with internship and training programs.

ENVIRONMENTAL

JUSTICE

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10 | 2019 AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION


More Than 11,250 Acres of Land Protected in New York in 2019

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

DEC has received forest certification from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council for the past 12 years in recognition of its efforts to sustainably manage more than 780,000 acres of State Forests. DEC’s forest management program promotes public recreation, supports healthy and sustainable wildlife habitat, protects water quality, and provides high-quality forest products in support of local and regional economies. Timber sales on these working forests netted $6.8 million in 2019.

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY FORESTS

DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry program is a public/private partner-ship that provides technical assistance and funding to municipalities through-out the state to protect and preserve urban and community forests. Under this program, 54 grants totaling $2.2 million were awarded for public educa-tion, tree inventory, maintenance, and tree planting.

Protecting New York’s ForestsDEC’s Division of Lands and Forests and Office of Climate Change are working with the forest products industry, forest landowners, and other experts to implement New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which calls for a carbon-free electricity system and an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2050. Keeping New York’s forest lands intact, seeking ways to increase forest land, and supporting sustainable forest management are key elements of New York’s strategy to achieve these goals.

The nearly 3 million acres of New York Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks provide a host of benefits, including clean air and water, a vast carbon sink, and recreational opportunities for more than a million visitors per year. However, some forest preserve lands are experiencing overuse, which is threatening the resources, the user experience, and public safety. To address this overuse, DEC is undertaking several measures, including the creation of the Strategic Planning Advi-sory Group to examine overuse in the Adirondack High Peaks and constructing new sustainable trails to Mt. Van Hovenberg and Cascade Mountain.

PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES

PROTECTING

NATURAL RESOURCES

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Controlling Invasive Species

Working with experts at our forest health diagnostic laboratory, along with public and private partners, DEC con-tinues to evaluate invasive species and deploy rapid-response teams whenever new threats are detected.

SPOTTED LANTERNFLY

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an inva-sive pest from Asia that feeds on a variety of agricultural products, includ-ing grapevines and hops, as well as tree of heaven, maple, walnut, fruit trees, and other species. If established in New York, SLF would impact our agricultural, forest product, and tourism industries. There were 19 reports of adult SLF in New York in 2019, predominately in the southeastern and New York met-ropolitan areas. Working with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets and federal partners, DEC conducted outreach, check station inspections, and surveys throughout the state, con-centrating in the areas where the few adult flies have been found, to prevent the establishment of a breeding popu-lation in the state.

SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE INFESTATION ON LONG ISLAND

As part of New York’s ongoing, aggres-sive efforts to combat the spread of the invasive southern pine beetle on Long Island, DEC is conducting ecological forest operations in Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest, which includes thinning forest stands in designated areas to increase the health of the forest and make it more resistant to this invasive pest.

OAK WILT

DEC continues to manage oak wilt, a fungal disease that rapidly kills red oak trees. In 2019, two infection sites were treated in Ontario County and one was treated in Schenectady County. Two new infection sites were detected in Yates County.

HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID

The invasive hemlock woolly adelgid continues to damage and kill native forest and ornamental eastern hemlock trees. Hemlock mortality and decline is most severe in areas that have been infested the longest, such as the Catskills and Finger Lakes regions. In cooperation with State Parks and Cornell Cooperative Extension, preda-tory beetles and pesticide treatments have been applied in certain areas to slow or reduce hemlock mortality.

EMERALD ASH BORER

The emerald ash borer is a significant invasive insect species whose range has expanded to nearly every corner of the state. DEC is conducting research activities into biological controls, locat-ing resistant ash trees, and restoring the forests impacted by the borer.

PARTNERSHIPS FOR INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT

New York State funds eight Partner-ships for Regional Invasive Species Management across the state, which bring together various stakeholders to conduct surveillance activities and plan and implement prevention and man-agement programs to control invasive species.

GIANT HOGWEED AND KUDZU

DEC continues to combat giant hogweed and kudzu (a climbing, invasive vine native to East Asia), dra-matically reducing the number of sites throughout New York.

WATERCRAFT INSPECTION STEWARD PROGRAMS

In 2019, DEC expanded its boat steward coverage across Western New York, the Catskills, and the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. Stewards educate the public about aquatic invasive species and conduct voluntary boat and equip-ment inspections to help prevent the spread of invasive species. More than 247,000 interactions between boaters/anglers and stewards were recorded this season.

HYDRILLA

DEC and its partners responded to three new hydrilla discoveries (an aquatic invasive plant) in 2019 and maintained long-term infestation control projects in several waterbodies across the state. In 2019, the Croton River Hydrilla Control Project, the largest hydrilla project overseen by DEC, marked the first time that no hydrilla was found in the river and Croton Bay during post-treatment surveys.

PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES

Protecting Species and Habitat

PREVENTING CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an untreatable and fatal nervous system disease that affects deer, elk, and moose. It is transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal's body fluids or by eating contaminated sources of food or water. There are currently no cases of CWD in New York State.

In 2019, DEC adopted regulations pro-hibiting the importation of carcasses of CWD-susceptible animals and strength-ening the oversight of facilities with captive CWD-susceptible animals. For the second year, DEC collaborated with the Pennsylvania Game Commission to notify deer hunters in both states about each state’s deer carcass import restric-tions. DEC sent letters this past year to more than 7,300 Pennsylvania residents who hunt in New York, and the Pennsyl-vania Game Commission sent letters to 9,300 New York residents who hunt in Pennsylvania.

To date, DEC recovered

180,000 mussels of at least

14 species for relocation.

FRESHWATER MUSSEL RELOCATION IN THE GRASSE RIVER

Freshwater mussels are important for the ecosystems of both the Grasse and St. Lawrence Rivers. A PCB-removal project is scheduled for a seven-mile portion of the Grasse River. Since the dredging and capping of the PCBs would be fatal to the exist-ing mussel population, DEC relocated freshwater mussels from this section before PCB removal could begin. Divers searched for areas with a high mussel density, removed all the mussels encountered, and released them back into areas of the river where remediation will not occur.

BIG YEAR FOR YOUNG EELS

More than 1,000 citizen scientists counted an estimated 240,000 juvenile American eels migrating into Hudson River tributaries at 14 sites this year. In the 12 years since the eel project began, volunteers have caught, counted, and released more than 900,000 eels into upstream habitats.

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c. 1985



Marine Fisheries

OCEAN ACTION PLAN

The Ocean Action Plan focuses on improving the health of our ocean eco-systems and their capacity to provide sustainable benefits to New Yorkers. The plan includes:

● Monitoring endangered Atlantic sturgeon in the New York Bight to better understand offshore and inshore sturgeon habitat;

● Providing guidance on the place-ment of offshore wind projects to mitigate impacts to protected marine species and economically valuable fisheries; and

● Monitoring and reducing marine debris.

PROTECTING MENHADEN, SUPPORTS MARINE LIFE

Governor Cuomo signed legislation in April 2019 that prohibits the harvest of Atlantic menhaden with commercial purse seine nets. Menhaden have been utilized as a baitfish in many fisheries and are a primary food source for many species, including striped bass, blue-fish, sharks, dolphins, and whales.

SHARK SMART NEW YORK: RESEARCH, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND ETHICAL FISHING

DEC and State Parks hosted an outreach meeting at Jones Beach to discuss sharks and public safety issues with Long Island beach managers. In addi-tion, shark safety/information literature was developed and distributed at bait and tackle shops, beachfront parks, and on DEC’s webpage.

SHELLFISH PUBLIC MAPPING TOOL

DEC regulates both the recreational and commercial harvest of shellfish in New York waters. Water quality is monitored year-round to determine the sanitary status of more than 1 million acres of shellfish growing areas off the shores of Long Island and New York City. DEC created a Public Shellfish Mapper so the public can easily identify which waters are closed to shellfish harvesting.

SUMMER FLOUNDER LAWSUIT

Over the last few years, New York has relentlessly pursued more equitable access to commercial summer floun-der (fluke) for New York’s anglers. In January 2019, Governor Cuomo announced that New York State is suing the federal government over the unfair fluke quota.

SHELLFISH RESTORATION

DEC is implementing Governor Cuomo’s Long Island Shellfish Restoration Initia-tive to improve water quality, restore shellfish populations, and bolster the economies and resiliency of coastal communities. In 2019, the program had already stocked half of the approxi-mately 1.6 million adult clams planned for the new Bellport Bay shellfish sanctuary, 1 of 5 shellfish sanctuaries established under this $10.4 million initiative.

ARTIFICIAL REEF EXPANSION

In 2019, New York completed the second year of the largest artificial reef expansion in New York State history as part the state's ongoing initiative to develop a stronger, more diverse marine ecosystem and provide shelter for fish and other marine life off New York's shore. The materials for the expansion were strategically placed to improve New York's diverse marine life and boost Long Island's recreational and sport fishing and diving industries.

The Artificial Reef Program is an unprecedented effort that deploys large volumes of recycled materials that have been cleaned of contaminants from the New York State Thruway Authority (old Tappan Zee Bridge materials), NYPA/Canal Corporation (Erie Canal vessels and two turbines), Department of Transportation (steel trusses, pipes and rock), and New York City Department of Transportation (parts of the City Island Bridge). DEC’s artificial reef program, which manages the state's 12 artificial reefs (two reefs in Long Island Sound, two in the Great South Bay and eight in the Atlantic Ocean) also deployed a pier, bridge support concrete, and concrete barriers from the decom-missioned Mill Basin Drawbridge to Hempstead reef in January and February 2019.

THEN & NOWLake Sturgeon RestorationThe lake sturgeon is New York’s largest freshwa-ter fish, and by the early 1900s, its populations were devastated by overfishing and habitat destruction. At that time, only one percent of the population was estimated to have remained and minimal natural recovery led to lake sturgeon being listed as a threat-ened species in New York in 1983. In 1992, DEC began an active restoration program that involved the stocking of more than 200,000 fingerlings and the restoration of spawning habitat. Since that time, the recovery program has grown to include federal, tribal, university, and not-for-profit partners. Lake sturgeon populations are now well along the road to recovery with many of those stocked sturgeon now producing offspring of their own. Our investment in this ancient member of New York’s natural environment has paid off and the time when we can remove them from the list of threatened species is in sight.

THEN & NOWBald Eagle RestorationBy 1970, bald eagles had significant reproduction prob-lems due to pesticides, especially DDT, and heavy metal contamination that caused eagle numbers to plummet to one active, but unproductive, nest in New York. In 1973, the bald eagle was listed as Endangered under the new federal Endangered Species Act. In the 1970s, DEC began a hacking program to bring the eagle back, which entailed raising eagle chicks imported from Alaska in cages with minimal human contact for eventual release into the wild. The success of the hacking effort since the first birds were released in 1976 has been extraordinary, with 294 current active nesting sites in New York. With the ban of DDT and the success of hacking programs in numerous states, the bald eagle was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007. Though there continue to be problems for eagles such as collisions with motor vehicles, electrocutions along powerlines, and lead poisoning, eagles have made a remark-able recovery in New York and have a bright future.


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The 22nd Basic School for Uniformed Officers

opened with

30 ECO and 14 Forest Ranger candidates

reporting for duty.

PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY

ENFORCING THE LAW: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION POLICE OFFICERS (ECOS)

OPERATION SECURING THE SEAWAY

DEC Police coordinated Operation Securing the Seaway, a multi-agency maritime radiological interdiction/detection and enforcement exercise. Focused on the north-eastern portion of Lake Ontario and the west end of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the exercise involved 10 law enforcement vessels and approximately 45 law enforcement and homeland security personnel from state, federal, and local agencies.

CRIME SCENE AND FORENSIC UNIT TRAINING (ONEIDA COUNTY)

ECOs and investigators completed a course in Advanced Investigations for Hazard-ous Environments at the New York State Preparedness Training Center. Participants learned how to investigate chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, high-yield explo-sive, toxic chemical, and hazardous crime scenes, and how to collect and preserve evidence for further testing.DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SAMPLING TEAM

Sixteen new sampling team members comprised of ECOs and investigators attended a 40-hour health and safety class conducted by the New York Operating Engineers Training Fund. This training provided members with hands-on HAZMAT skills to safely respond to crime scenes involving hazardous materials, and to properly document and obtain forensic evidence used in environmental investigations.

22nd BASIC SCHOOL FOR UNIFORMED OFFICERS

Prospective ECOs and Forest Rangers must attend a 29-week training academy to prepare them for the job.

Potential Infographic: In 2019, the 22nd Basic School for Uniformed Officers graduated 44 female and male recruits.

IN 2019:DEC’s Environmental Conservation Officers

responded to

28,138 calls and issued 16,855 tickets

Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Forest Rangers

While DEC in its current form started 50 years ago, New York’s Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Forest Rangers can trace their history back to 1880 and 1885, respectively. For well over 100 years, these brave men and women have fought to protect our forests, fish, and game.

In 1880, the first eight Fish and Game Protectors were appointed to enforce laws to protect deer, birds, and fish, and to bring legal action against poachers who violated those laws. The Environmental Conservation Officer title, in the various forms of its evolution over the decades, is the oldest statewide enforcement job in New York State.

In 1885, New York established the Forest Ranger services to oversee the newly created Adirondack and Catskill forest preserves. Rangers were originally known as Fire Wardens, and became Forest Rangers soon after the creation of the Conservation Department in 1911.

DEC’s Environmental Conservation

Officers attended

2,146outreach events educating and

informing hundreds of thousands

of New Yorkers

ECO K9 Units deployed

119 times resulting in nearly

130 ticketsbeing issued

NEW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT UNIT

The goal of this newly created unit is to effectively manage all aspects of the Division’s involvement in a wide range of emer-gency responses and to develop focused planning and training for emergency management personnel. The unit focuses on increased communication and coordination with other DEC units, and with state and local emergency management part-ners such as the NYS Office of Emergency Management and the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

PROTECTING

PUBLIC SAFETY

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More than 2,262 acres burned in 631 wildfires in 1970. In 2009, DEC implemented a ban on open burning during the early spring, significantly reducing the number of wildfires. In 2019, only 212 acres burned in 74 wildfires.

● Be prepared with proper gear and attire, including sturdy, comfortable boots.

● Use maps, guides, or DEC’s website to plan where you’re going and when you expect to return.

● Leave trip plans with family or friends. Update them with any changes.

● Be realistic about your fitness level—don’t overestimate your abilities and don’t underestimate mother nature.

● Check the weather for the day of your trip, that night, and the next day so you can be prepared if your return is delayed.

● Prepare for survival. Know what to do in case of emergencies and be prepared for them to happen.

● Hike in a group and stay together. Pace your hike to the slowest person.

● Turn back if weather becomes extreme or if exhaustion is setting in. Don’t push your limits.

Follow the Hiker Responsibility Code

FOREST RANGERS

RANGERS HELP FIGHT WESTERN WILDFIRES

Twenty DEC wildland firefighters helped battle two large wildfires in Cal-ifornia in 2019. DEC began assisting western states in battling large wildfires 40 years ago. On average, one or two crews have been sent, as needed, to assist with wildfires every year since. In addition to helping contain the wildfires and minimize damage, these crews also gain valuable experience that can be utilized fighting wildfires and managing incidents in New York.

HIGH PEAKS WILDERNESS PREVENTATIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE INITIATIVE

Forest Rangers held a preventa-tive search and rescue initiative last winter in the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness. Rangers, staff from the Adirondack Mountain Club, and vol-unteers from Keene/Keene Valley Backcountry Rescue educated hikers entering the backcountry on proper winter gear and winter hiking pre-paredness to help ensure a safe and enjoyable outdoor winter experience. Nearly 40 percent of hikers at Cascade Mountain were unprepared due to improper clothing or footwear. The goal of this effort was to decrease the number of unprepared hikers, which will reduce the number of search and rescue missions.

WINTER STORM HARPER EMERGENCY RESPONSE

In early January, Winter Storm Harper dumped multiple feet of snow on much of the country, including New York State. Rangers deployed a total of 26 snowmobiles to 8 staging areas across the state and along many major road-ways. Forest Rangers and ECOs also assisted the State Office of Emergency Management Operations Center in Albany and regional operations centers with the coordination of emergency response resources.

PROMOTING

OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM

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PROMOTING OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM

Expanding Hunting and Fishing Opportunities

FREE SUMMER FISHING ON THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER AND LAKE ONTARIO

Residents and visitors alike were able to fish for free in the New York waters of Lake Ontario (including the Lower Niagara River) and the St. Lawrence River throughout the summer, following devastating flooding in the area—no state fishing license was required.

DEC built or rehabilitated boat launch sites and fishing access sites through-out the state, including upgrading the Mud Lock boat launch on the north end of Cayuga Lake to reduce congestion and improve boater safety.

EDUCATING FUTURE HUNTERS AND ANGLERS

The National Archery in the Schools Program is a cooperative effort between state agencies, school systems, and private organizations to help engage young people in outdoor activities. Classes help students learn focus, self-control, discipline, and patience through the lifelong sport of archery.

During the 2018–2019 school year, approximately 41,000 students from 416 schools across New York State partici-pated in the program.

DEC’S HUNTER EDUCATION PROGRAM IS ENCOURAGING WOMEN WHO HUNT IN NEW YORK

At DEC’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop, 124 women took courses in bowhunting, big game hunting, fishing, archery, crossbow, rifle, shotgun, trapping, backcountry camping, Adirondack ecology, kayaking, bird watching, and much more.

The Hunter Education Program offered four Women’s Hunter Education classes across the state, certifying more than 80 women to hunt.

The WomenHuntFishNY photo contest, launched in 2018, received more than 2,000 photo entries for hunting and over 3,000 photo entries for fishing this past year.

DEC CampgroundsIn June 2019, DEC opened the Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area in the Town of North Hudson. The campground serves as a gateway to the Adirondacks and was designed to provide accessibility to people of all ages and abilities, and includes many Americans with Disabilities Act-compli-ant features.

DEC made improvements to several campgrounds, including accessibil-ity and sustainability improvements at North-South Lake in the Catskills, upgraded infrastructure and acces-sibility at Nick’s Lake in the western Adirondacks, and water and electrical reconstruction at Devil’s Tombstone in the Catskills.

Nearly

1.6 million peoplevisited DEC campgrounds

during 2019,

generating an estimated

$10.1 million in revenue.

Expanding Access for Recreation

RECREATIONAL ACCESS TO THE HUDSON ESTUARY

THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS WERE FUNDED, IN PART, THROUGH DEC GRANTS:

● Accessible boat docks and an adaptive canoe/kayak launch at Haverstraw Bay County Park in Rockland County; and

● New kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, and adaptive equipment for the Downtown Boathouse and the Manhattan Commu-nity Boathouse along Manhattan’s west side.

OTHER RECREATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS INCLUDED:

● New Upper Esopus Fire Tower at the Catskills Visitor Center, and

● New accessible observation platform, quarter-mile trail, and improved parking in Yatesville Falls State Forest in Mont-gomery County.

Sustainable Recreation/Ecotourism DEC recognizes the need to protect the Adirondack and Catskill Parks and promote sustainable use. The agency is working with local partners and other stakeholders to:

● Reduce traffic and parking congestion in areas along Route 73 in the Adirondack High Peaks region;

● Highlight the great—and underused—opportunities else-where in the parks to divert users away from overcrowded areas;

● Promote sustainable use through the Leave No Trace program to help visitors understand how their actions affect the resource, and learn how they can protect it; and

● Launch a new High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group comprised of key stakeholders with expertise in local gov-ernment, recreation, natural resource protection, business, tourism, and other priority areas. This group will collabora-tively provide advice on how to balance the critical issues associated with the increased public use of High Peaks resources in order to protect these resources for future generations.


c.1930


ONGOING ADVENTURE NY EVENTS/PROGRAMS

As the largest landholder in the state, with nearly 5 million acres of land open for the public to enjoy, DEC is committed to providing access to our state’s abundant natural spaces and providing inclusive programming that offers opportunities for those new to outdoor recreation to experience nature in a welcoming environment. Programs include:

First‑Time Camper Program:This program affords New York fami-lies who have never camped before an opportunity to experience one of the state’s great outdoor traditions. New campers are provided with camping supplies to get them started and instruction and programming. More than 77 people participated in 2019.

Outdoors Day:DEC held 10 statewide Outdoors Day celebrations, allowing more than 3,000 participants to sample various outdoor activities like camping, fishing, pad-dling, archery, birdwatching, and hiking.

First Day Hikes:DEC and partners hosted 20 First Day Hikes on January 1 with nearly 600 participants.

I Love My Park Day:DEC participated in the annual stew-ardship effort, I Love My Park Day, with activities at 30 sites.

Campground Ambassador:Ten DEC campgrounds sponsored Campground Ambassadors, who intro-duced campers to new activities and programs.

Outdoor recreation at the Great New York State Fair: During the State Fair, DEC offered information and interactive activities on outdoor recreation. An interactive display on camping, hiking, and fishing was part of the I Love NY tourism exhibit in the Expo Center, and on two desig-nated days, visitors could fish in the NY Experience pond. Thousands of visitors participated and learned more about numerous outdoor recreational oppor-tunities in New York.

Adventure NY: Promoting the Great Outdoors

SEE THE CATSKILLS LIKE NEVER BEFORE

In Ju ly 2019, Governor Cuomo launched the ”See the Catskills Like Never Before” summer tourism cam-paign to highlight outdoor recreation and other tourism opportunities in the Catskills. The campaign’s signature pro-grams included the new Catskills Fire Tower Five Challenge, which encour-aged experienced hikers to visit the region’s five public fire towers, and Hike with Us – Catskills, which included 15 guided hikes targeted to new hikers. More than 800 participants finished the Catskills Fire Tower Five Challenge and 70 people attended the guided hikes.

First Day Hikes, Outdoors Day, I Love My Park Day Participation: 2019: 57 events

4,056 participants2018: 42 events3,281 participants


PUBLIC EDUCATION,

OUTREACH, AND INVOLVEMENT

c. 1975



Educating the Next Generation

ESTUARY EDUCATION

Students and teachers in 90 percent of the school districts that border the tidal Hudson have participated in hands-on field research, river science curriculum training, and classroom and community education programs that bring to life the estuary and its diverse ecosystem, including the Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor program.

SUMMER RESIDENTIAL CAMP PROGRAM

In 2019, DEC’s residential summer camp program welcomed 1,307 boys and girls, ages 11–17, for broad-ranging environmental edu-cation lessons and hunter education programs. The four camps—Pack Forest and Colby in the Adirondacks, DeBruce in the Catskills, and Rushford in Western New York—operate for seven weeks each summer.

GUIDED SCHOOL/YOUTH PROGRAMS

DEC environmental educators teach school groups about environmen-tal concepts and local natural history through hands-on lessons at DEC envi-ronmental education centers or through in-class presentations. Educators conduct programs for Boy/Girl Scouts and other youth groups and arrange for group service projects such as tree plantings and trail maintenance.

AFTER SCHOOL CONSERVATION CLUB

DEC educators and interns conduct this 10-week after-school program for elementary students in under-served communities in New York City, Albany, and Buffalo. Hands-on lessons include wildlife observation, watersheds, animal habitats, and other natural history topics. In 2019, the 13 participating schools reached 6,271 students.

TEACHER WORKSHOPS AND EDUCATOR SUPPORT

DEC educators provide information and guidance to local schools, nature centers, and youth groups on how to introduce children to nature and how to incorporate STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) into lessons.

DEC coordinates three national environ-mental education programs, reaching nearly 1,500 educators through 79 workshops:

● Project WILD (Wildlife in Learning Design)

● Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)

● Project Learning Tree

PUBLIC FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

DEC offers programs for families on a variety of natural history and environ-mental topics, staffs booths at large fairs, coordinates participation in local festivals, and answers the public’s questions on a wide range of topics, including injured wildlife, household hazardous waste disposal, places to hike and hunt, and rare bird sightings.

DEC LAUNCHES NEW INTERACTIVE MAP WEBSITE

This past July, DEC launched a new interactive map on its website, called DECinfo Locator, that lets users search for sites and locations in New York State and access documents and data about those sites. With more than 55 interactive data layers, DECinfo Locator lets users view and download permits, former industrial site cleanup plans, water quality reports, and more. Selecting a map feature can bring up links to database records for petroleum storage facilities, oil wells, or permitted mines. Users can also view potential Environmental Justice areas and Climate Smart Communities, or find out what local wastewater facilities are doing to reduce their impact on New York's waterbodies. Several information layers can be activated at once, allowing users to see the many ways DEC is working to protect and enhance the state's environment and recre-ational opportunities.

PUBLIC OUTREACH

CONSERVATIONIST MAGAZINE

DEC’s bimonthly magazine has 70,000+ subscribers.Three issues of Conservationist for Kids reached 275,000 4th Graders in New York State

www.theconservationist.org

AUGUST 2019

NEW YORK STATE

$3.50

Reef Diving for Sunken TreasuresWhite Deer Here in New YorkOur Abundant Canada Geese

PUBLIC EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND INVOLVEMENT PUBLIC EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND INVOLVEMENT

COMMUNICATION PRODUCTS

240+ reports, posters, signs, and brochures for the public

WWW.DEC.NY.GOV

33 million visitors

– with approximately

89,000 visitorseach day

SOCIAL MEDIA

Followers increased

for these accounts to:Facebook – 100,000

Linkedin – 9,140Instagram – 32,100

Twitter – 20,200YouTube – 890,

with 61 new videos added

DEC DELIVERSDEC’s email subscription

platform increased to

318,000 subscribers.Each subscriber signed up for an average of 10 topics.

In total, subscribers received 82+ million messages with a

17 percent open rate.

THEN NOW

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c.1930

c.1960

c.1970

DEC WORKING FOR YOU

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.DEC.NY.GOV

Basil Seggos, Commissioner

Judy Drabicki, Acting Executive Deputy Commissioner

Sean Mahar, Chief of Staff

Louis Alexander, Deputy Commissioner, Hearings and Mediation

Christian Ballantyne, Deputy Commissioner Regional Affairs

Tom Berkman, Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel

Martin Brand, Deputy Commissioner, Remediation and Materials Management

Judy Drabicki, Deputy Commissioner, Natural Resources and Public Protection

Erica Ringewald, Deputy Commissioner, Public Affairs

Jared Snyder, Deputy Commissioner, Air Resources, Climate Change and Energy

Jeffrey Stefanko, Deputy Commissioner for Administration

James Tierney, Deputy Commissioner, Water Resources

Megan Allard, Director, Office of Internal Investigations

Doug Bernhard, Director, Division of Operations

Mark Cadrette, Associate Director, Employee Relations

Rob Davies, Director, Division of Lands and Forests

Laura DiBetta, Director of Outdoor Recreation

Catherine Dickert, Director, Division of Mineral Resources

Harold Evans, Director, Office of Communication Services

Andrew Fischler, Director Office of Internal Audit

Steve Flint, Director, Division of Air Resources

James Gilmore, Director, Division of Marine Resources

Mark Klotz, Director, Division of Water

Maureen Leddy, Director, Office of Climate Change

Corey Lehman, Acting Director, Emergency Management

Nancy Lussier, Director, Division of Management and Budget

James McClymonds, Chief Administrative Law Judge, Hearings and Mediation

Jane McLaughlin, Director, Office of Legislative Affairs

Rosa Mendez, Director, Office of Environmental Justice

Eileen Murphy, Director, Congressional and Federal Affairs

Bernard Rivers, Director, Division of Law Enforcement

Mike Ryan, Director, Division of Environmental Remediation

John Solan, Acting Director, Division of Forest Protection

David Vitale, Director, Division of Materials Management

Daniel Whitehead, Director, Division of Environmental Permits

Tony Wilkinson, Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife

Maureen Wren, Director of Media Relations

Carrie Meek Gallagher, Regional Director, Region 1

Steve Zahn, Regional Director, Region 2

Kelly Turturro, Regional Director, Region 3

Keith Goertz, Regional Director, Region 4

Robert Stegemann, Regional Director, Region 5

Randall Young, Regional Director, Region 6

Matthew Marko, Regional Director, Region 7

Paul D’Amato, Regional Director, Region 8

Abby Snyder, Regional Director, Region 9

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c. 1930

agency highlights accomplishments2019

Documents