Find Your Adventure: Recreation Improvements, The Great NYS Fair & More!

DEC Celebrates Smokey Bear's 75th Anniversary with Events Statewide

Today is Smokey Bear's 75th Anniversary! DEC is teaming up with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council to celebrate 75 years since the 1944 launch of the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign, the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history.

New York State has 18.5 million acres of public and private forest lands susceptible to seasonal wildfires, and DEC's forest rangers are the state's lead division tasked with forest fire mitigation and the control and prevention of wildfires. In 2018, DEC forest rangers extinguished 105 wildfires that burned a total of 845 acres. 

Visit DEC's website for a list of events across the state this month celebrating Smokey Bear's anniversary.

New Recreation Improvements to Enjoy This Summer

We’ve been busy making improvements to DEC’s public lands across the state to make them more accessible and enjoyable. Read more below, then make a trip to visit one of these special places!

Montgomery County

Yatesville Falls State Forest in the town of Root has new features to enjoy the waterfall including an accessible observation platform, an improved parking area, an accessible parking spot at the overlook platform, and an information kiosk.

Cayuga County

Improvements at Mud Lock boat launch at the north end of Cayuga Lake in the town of Aurelis will help to reduce congestion and improve the safety of boaters using the site to launch and retrieve boats. Enhancements include construction of a new concrete launch ramp and floating boarding docks, redesign and paving of launch access, as well as the paving and striping of the parking area to accommodate 21 vehicles and seven single vehicles, including accessible parking.

Hamilton County

The 135-foot Big Slope Bridge is now complete (photo on the right), providing an enhanced experience for visitors to the Great Camp Sagamore trail system in the Blue Ridge Wilderness. DEC, Camp Sagamore staff, and volunteers worked to complete the bridge, including, rowing 4,500 pounds of lumber and 65 pounds of hardware by boat 0.4 miles across Sagamore Lake. Camp Sagamore is one of several historic Great Camps located in the Adirondack Mountains.

Find Your Adventure at The Great New York State Fair

The Great New York State Fair will take place August 21 - September 2 in Syracuse. This year, the Fair is hosting Family Fishing Days on Thursday, August 22 and Saturday, August 24. Admission is $1 for anyone presenting a valid New York State sporting license at the gate.

Family Fishing Days are presented in cooperation with DEC, who will operate free fishing clinics in the pond from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the New York Experience festival grounds. Everything you need is provided, including equipment and bait and kids will have an opportunity to win a prize. On Saturday, August 24 visit and have the opportunity to view the Junior Bassmaster Challenge weigh-in, learn about fishing competitions and view the boats.

After the fishing clinics have ended, stop by the new Expo Center for a free seedling from the Saratoga Tree Nursery, check out an authentic lean-to or talk to a forest ranger, and don't forget to visit the popular DEC aquarium where visitors can see fish, chat with an environmental conservation officer, and more.

Fish for Free on Lake Ontario (Including the Lower Niagara River) and the St. Lawrence River through Labor Day

Residents and visitors can fish for free through Labor Day in the New York waters of Lake Ontario (including the Lower Niagara River) and the St. Lawrence River without a fishing license now through September 2, 2019, at 5 p.m.

Fishing in the region continues to be world-class even during periods of high water, and new or experienced anglers are encouraged to head to New York's north coast.

Lake Ontario offers sportfishing with the chance to reel in a steelhead, Chinook, or walleye. On the St. Lawrence River, smallmouth bass is the most commonly caught species.

Anglers must adhere to all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Find information about fishing season dates, size limits, take limits, and other fishing requirements on DEC's website.

Visit DEC's website for more information.

Come Hike With Us in the Catskills!

Spaces are still available on some of the free, guided hikes as part of the new Hike With Us - Catskills program. Come see the Catskills like never before, and experience hiking hidden gems alongside an experienced leader. Upcoming hikes include a trip along the Escarpment Trail to Burnt Knob and Acra Point, a loop around Kelly Hollow on the south side of the Pepacton Reservoir, or breathtaking views of North South Lake on the Ashley Falls Loop. A special thank you to our partners - Catskill Center, Catskill 3500 Club, Catskill Mountain Club, Catskill Country Walks & Hike on Guides - for leading hikes and collaborating to introduce more New Yorkers to the outdoors.

Ready for the next level? Take the Catskills Fire Tower Five Challenge and receive a set of finisher pins, as well as be entered to win other great prizes.

Road Trip to Adventure: Amsterdam to Willie Wildlife Marsh

Just 30 minutes outside Amsterdam, Fulton County, is Peck Hill State Forest with a 1.5 - mile trail known as the Willie Wildlife Marsh Trail. This is accessible to people of all ages and abilities with viewing platforms, interpretive stops and boardwalks that explore the wetland habitats.

Recently, DEC staff Jonathan DeSantis and Sallam Al-Salami were recognized at the American Trails International Awards Program for their work replacing three marsh boardwalks and creating a 0.4-mile wheelchair-accessible trail to a viewing platform and picnic area. Thank you to Student Conservation Association Adirondack and Excelsior Conservation Corps. for their help building these features!

Partner Profile: NY/NJ Trail Conference Trail and Summit Stewards

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a volunteer-powered organization that builds, maintains and protects public trails on more than 2,150 miles of trails stretching from New York City to the Delaware Water Gap, to the Catskills and more. Since 2013, the Trail Conference has been committed to educating and assisting the public in  safe, enjoyable, and responsible use of hiking trails through the Trail and Summit Steward Program. In 2019, Summit Stewards are stationed on Giant Ledge/Panther Mountain, Slide, Blackhead and North Point to help address the concerns of these peaks, as well as providing education to those hiking them.

Thank you to New York-New Jersey Trail Conference for it's help protecting New York's natural resources!

DEC Launches New 'DECinfo Locator' to Increase Transparency and Access to Data and Reports

DEC recently launched DECinfo Locator, an interactive map that provides access to DEC documents and public data about New York's environment and outdoor recreation resources. This first-of-its-kind DEC mapping application generates results specific to locations across the state and includes 50 interactive data layers. Several information layers can be active at the same time, allowing users to see the many ways DEC is working to protect and enhance the state’s environment and recreational opportunities.

Among other uses, the public can:

• Generate maps to check out both your favorite fishing location and learn about the water quality there
• Look up the rules for a nearby Wildlife Management Area
• Access a web page with details about allowed uses on a nearby Conservation Easement

To access the mapping application, visit the DECinfo Locator web page. Learn more about its features from the DECinfo Locator Tutorial on YouTube.

Upcoming Free Events

Leave No Trace Hot Spot Events - August 7th-14th: The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and its Subaru Traveling Trainer team are partnering with ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club), DEC, and other regional organizations to host a series of events over the course of the week focusing on the heavily-visited Eastern High Peaks Wilderness. The Hot Spot will address the challenges associated with high concentrations of visitors to the region, including damage to alpine plants, trail erosion, human waste, and negative human/wildlife interactions. Find all the ways you can get involved. All events are free and open to the public.

Hike With Us - Catskills:

Aug. 11: 9:00 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: Rochester Hollow
Aug. 18: 10:00 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: Burnt Knob & Acra Point
Aug. 24: 10:00 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: Kelly Hollow
Sept. 7: 9:30 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: Cabot Mountain Lookout
Sept. 7: 9:30 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: Alder Lake
Sept. 7: 10:00 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: North South Lake Ashley Falls Loop
Sept. 14: 10:00 AM - Hike With Us - Catskills: Onteora Lake

Guided Walks:

Aug. 10: 10:00 AM - Five Rivers - Watchable Wildlife: Beaver Tree Trail
Aug. 10: 2:00 PM - Five Rivers - Guided Walk: Wow, It's Hot
Aug. 10: 7:30 PM - Five Rivers - Family fun: Night Hike - Night Owls
Aug. 17: 9:30 AM - Reinstein Woods: Forest Bathing
Aug. 17: 1:00 PM - Reinstein Woods: Woods Walk: Nature Guide's Choice
Aug. 21: 10:00 AM - Reinstein Woods: Senior Stroll

Wildlife Watching:

Aug. 24: 2:30 PM - Reinstein Woods: Birding 101
Sept. 5 & 12: 7:30 AM - Five Rivers - I BIRD NY - Early Birders

Free Fishing Clinics:

Aug. 9: 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Rod and Reel Fishing Clinic - Pier 5 @ Brooklyn Bridge Park (East River)
Aug. 15: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Town of Brookhaven Family Saltwater Fishing & Crabbing Clinic
Aug. 16: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Drop in Hudson! Nutten Hook
Aug. 17: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Brooklyn Bridge Park Free Fishing Clinic
Aug. 29: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Pop-Up Fishing Clinic - North 5th Street (East River)