Environmental Events & News for Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties (Region 3)

In This Issue:

• Mid-Hudson Valley Communities Awarded Urban Forestry Grants
• Public Comment Period
• Environmental Conservation Officer Highlights
• Give the Gift of DEC Campgrounds
• A Lifetime Sporting License or Subscription to DEC’s Conservationist Magazine
• Play Smart, Play Safe, Play Local

Mid-Hudson Valley Communities Awarded Urban Forestry Grants to Support Community Tree Projects 

DEC recently announced grant awards totaling $1.4 million for urban forestry projects across the state to help communities inventory, plant, and maintain public trees. The grants are part of DEC's Urban and Community Forestry Program, which works to increase public awareness of the importance of trees and helps communities develop and implement comprehensive tree management plans to create healthy forests while enhancing quality of life for residents.

The 10 projects in Mid-Hudson Valley to receive funding were selected from a total of 154 applications, ranked by cost effectiveness, lasting benefits, use of partnerships, inclusion of outreach and education, and support from local stakeholders. The urban forestry grants complement DEC's ongoing initiatives to address invasive species, climate change, environmental degradation, environmental justice, and urban sprawl. Over the last nine years, New York State has funded more than $11.4 million in grants to support projects with a total value of more than $18.3 million. 

Below are the grant recipients in the Mid-Hudson Valley:

Dutchess County

• City of Beacon - $35,996; Tree Maintenance
• Town of Pawling - $25,900; Town and Village Tree Inventory and Management Plan

Orange County

• City of Newburgh - $40,000; Tree Maintenance
• City of Port Jervis - $35,000; Tree Maintenance

Westchester

• Village of Briarcliff Manor - $25,076; Tree Inventory and Management Plan
• Village of Hastings-on-Hudson - $14,756; Tree Inventory and Management Plan
• Village of Hastings-on-Hudson - $40,000; Tree Maintenance
• Village of Irvington - $21,760; Tree Inventory and Management Plan
• Town of Ossining - $33,750; Tree Maintenance
• Village of Ossining - $38,000; Tree Planting

Public Comment Period

Westchester County

DEC has received a Brownfield Cleanup Program application for a site known as YMCA - White Plains, site ID #C360206. This site is located at 250 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains. 
Public comment deadline: December 25, 2020
More Information

Westchester County

DEC invites the public to comment on a proposal to address contamination related to the 500 Main Street Laundry, site ID #C360199 (New Rochelle, Westchester County) within New York's Brownfield Cleanup Program.
Public comment deadline: January 1, 2021
More Information

Rockland County

DEC has received a Brownfield Cleanup Program application for a site known as US Polychemical Corporation, site ID #C344081. This site is located at 584 Chestnut Ridge Road in the Village of Chestnut Ridge in the Town of Ramapo. Public comments about the application must be submitted by January 1, 2021
More Information

Environmental Conservation Officer Highlights

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 2019, the 288 ECOs across the state responded to 25,704 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 16,855 tickets or arrests for crimes ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations. Below are examples of the work our ECOs conduct in your region.

Putnam County – Trapped Coyote

On Dec. 3, ECO Franz was on patrol in Putnam County when he received a call about an injured coyote stuck underneath a State Department of Transportation truck. The ECO arrived at the location and met with the caller and New York State Police personnel already on scene. Underneath the truck, between two rear tires, was an injured coyote too frightened to move. ECO Franz used his catchpole to coax the animal out from under the truck. The coyote quickly scampered off into a nearby wooded area and is expected to recover. 

Dutchess County– Connecticut Deer Seized to Protect Against CWD Spread

On Dec. 4, ECO Eyler questioned a hunter about details of a buck he had posted on a social media site. The hunter reported that the deer was harvested in Connecticut, just over the state border, and brought the ECO to the deer hanging in his brother’s shed about a mile way. The deer was hanging in the shed, replete with a Connecticut Deer tag and half gutted. ECO Eyler informed the hunter of DEC’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) regulations that prohibit the transportation of white-tailed deer in this condition to New York State. The ECO gave the hunter a summons and took the deer to be incinerated. 

In addition to following up on tips like this one provided to DEC, ECOs are conducting checkpoints this hunting season on roadways in communities along the state border to help keep CWD out of New York. Officers check hunters returning from an out-of-state hunt with a carcass of a deer, moose, elk, or other cervid known to carry CWD because hunters are required to follow State regulations that prohibit the transportation of certain parts of the carcass into New York. DEC allows the following parts of the carcass to be transported into the State: deboned meat, cleaned skull cap, antlers with no flesh, raw or processed cape or hide, cleaned teeth or lower jaw, and finished taxidermy products. Visit our website for additional information about CWD. 

If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred, please call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).  

Give the Gift of DEC Campgrounds

This holiday season, give the gift of a camping experience! DEC gift cards and electronic gift certificates for stays and services at all 52 DEC campgrounds are now available for purchase online. DEC camping gift cards are physical cards mailed to the designated recipient. Electronic gift certificates will be emailed to the purchaser for printing and/or emailing to the recipient.

Learn more about DEC-operated campgrounds, including a listing of campgrounds and schedules, on DEC’s camping webpage. To make reservations at a camping facility, call ReserveAmerica at 1-800-456-CAMP (2267) or visit the ReserveAmerica website.

Give the Gift of Wildlife Conservation with a Lifetime Sporting License or Subscription to DEC's Conservationist Magazine

Are you looking for gift ideas this holiday season? DEC's lifetime sporting licenses make a great gift for outdoors enthusiasts. In addition, for a limited time DEC is offering a one-year subscription to its award winning Conservationist magazine at half price.

Lifetime Licenses are available to New York State residents who have resided in New York for at least one year prior to purchase (proof of residency required). Lifetime licenses may be purchased at any license-issuing agent, by phone (866-933-2257) or online with a current NYS DMV driver or non-driver ID containing a valid New York State address. Allow 14 days for delivery of Lifetime Licenses purchased online or by phone.

Lifetime Licenses may be purchased as gifts for residents under the age of 16 with the recipient's proof of age (birth certificate, passport) and proof of residency (parent/legal guardian proof of residency). Gift lifetime licenses must be purchased in person at any license-issuing agent. Lifetime fishing, trapping, or hunting licenses and privileges allow the licensed hunter to enjoy all the privileges of equivalent annual license items, but are valid for a lifetime (with appropriate hunter/trapper education requirements) - even if the holder moves out of state.

Published six times a year, Conservationist is a New York State-focused magazine packed with informative and entertaining articles, first-rate photography, and stunning artwork. Articles cover a broad range of environmental and natural history related topics, including fishing, hiking, recreation, travel, hunting, and nature studies. A year-long subscription to the Conservationist is on sale for just $6, half the usual subscription price. As a bonus, subscribers receive an additional issue for a total of seven issues.

To order a Conservationist subscription online, visit DEC's website and click on the Conservationist icon or call 1-800-678-6399.

Play Smart * Play Safe * Play Local

New York State’s PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL campaign encourages residents to engage in responsible recreation during the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. New York State DEC and State Parks recommendations for getting outside safely incorporate guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health for reducing the spread of infectious diseases. This guidance urges New Yorkers to recreate locally, practice physical distancing, show respect for all outdoor adventurers, and use common sense to protect themselves and others.

Take the Pledge to PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL: Enjoy the Outdoors Safely and Responsibly.

1. I pledge to respect the rules and do my part to keep parks, beaches, trails, boat launches, and other public spaces safe for everyone.
2. I will stay local and close to home.
3. I will maintain a safe distance from others outside of my household.
4. I will wear a mask when I cannot maintain social distancing.
5. I accept that I may have to adjust how I enjoy the outdoors to help keep myself and others healthy and safe, even if it means changing my plans to visit a public space.
6. I will be respectful of others by letting them pass by me if needed on a trail and keeping my blanket 10 feet apart from others on the beach.
7. I will move quickly through shared areas like parking lots, trailheads, and scenic areas to avoid crowding.
8. If I'm not feeling well, I will stay home.

Use DECinfo Locator to find a DEC-managed resource near you and visit the State Parks website for information about parks and park closures. Use the hashtags #PlaySmartPlaySafePlayLocal, #RecreateResponsibly, and #RecreateLocal on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share how you get outside safely, responsibly, and locally.