• Green Jobs for Youth Grant: There is $4 million in Environmental Justice Green Jobs for Youth Grants now available to help youth in environmental justice communities to develop skills training and promote job placement in various green industries. The DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice is launching this second round of Green Jobs for Youth funding with a focus on skills training. Applications are due on January 28, 2026, at 3:00 pm.  
• Ongoing Public Engagement: Statewide Community Air Monitoring Initiative Meetings – DEC undertook a statewide community-based air quality monitoring effort, focused on ten disadvantaged communities with high air pollution burdens around the State. Check the 2022-23 Statewide Community Air Monitoring Initiative webpage for the latest developments on the project. 
• Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB): Check out the various projects in NYS on the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB). 

Air Mail! is the publication to announce public and stakeholder information about air quality topics. All NYS residents are environmental stakeholders – we welcome anyone to join the information sessions and other opportunities posted here. 

As we head deeper into fall and temperatures continue to drop, our thoughts turn to actions needed to winterize our homes. Simple tasks around your home can lower your monthly heating bill and reduce household emissions. Here are some helpful winterization tips and strategies to lower energy costs:  

If you wake up and find the sky outside your window looks hazy one morning, your first action of the day may be to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast. Using 8- and 24-hour average measurements, DEC reports the air quality each day, allowing New Yorkers to make safe and informed decisions.  

DEC measures air quality using more than fifty monitors across the state. You can find the locations and real-time measurements for all these sites on the NYS Air Now map. These monitors measure several pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Alongside forecasting the AQI, DEC uses this information to collect data and create reports for EPA and the scientific community.  

Curious to learn more about these monitors? Stay tuned to Air Mail! as we dive into a multi-part series on NYS’s air monitoring system. Future topics will include how the monitors work, different air monitoring programs, and specific pollutants, such as particulate matter. 

Winter is approaching, meaning it’s time for many to start thinking about holiday gift giving. If you’re still looking for that perfect present, consider any of the sustainable gift ideas below:   

• Purchase a gift subscription to the Conservationist, NYS’ award-winning outdoor magazine. A year-long subscription costs only $12.
• Make an environmental donation in someone’s honor to support ongoing conservation efforts.
• Trail Supporter Patches are a great way to help DEC maintain trails across the state.
• Make your own gifts. Edible gifts, such as cookies and jams, or handmade gifts, such as a knitted scarf and drawings, are sure to be a big hit at the holiday party.   

There are plenty of ways to keep things sustainable this holiday season and year-round. Wrap gifts in newspaper or make a reusable gift bag to limit paper and plastic waste. Consider carpooling or taking public transport to holiday gatherings to limit car emissions. While things may look a little less green with winter approaching, we can keep our actions green to keep our environment and our air clean.  

• DECinfo Locator – An interactive map that lets you access DEC documents and public data about the environmental quality of specific sites in NYS as well as outdoor recreation information.
• DEC Delivers – Stay in-the-know by subscribing to the environmental topics that interest you. We will send you information, updates, and e-newsletters on the topics of your choosing. As an Air Mail! subscriber, you may be interested in subscribing to the Air Quality Alert topic so you know when air quality levels are a concern in your area.
• DEC Does What?! – Check out our new podcast, which highlights what DEC does to protect our environment.
• AQI Forecasts – Check the daily ozone and particulate matter pollution forecast for your area of NYS. 
• NYSDEC YouTube – Keep up with what's going on with DEC staff by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Watch video clips of DEC public protection in action, learn about the Hudson River, or watch the latest episode of "On the Front Lines," DEC's video series.
• Conservationist – NYS’ premiere outdoor magazine--bringing nature to your door! Published six times a year, Conservationist is a NYS-focused magazine that is packed with informative and entertaining articles, first-rate photography, and stunning artwork. Articles cover a broad range of environmental and natural history related topics. Subscribe today to get a piece of the outdoors in your mailbox. 

• November 27: Thanksgiving – Compost your food waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.
• December 5: World Soil Day – Soil plays a big role in air quality by filtering chemicals before reaching the air.
• December 11: CERCLA of 1980, also known as “Superfund,” was enacted – A significant environmental regulation that provides federal funding for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites.
• December 14 through January 5: Holiday Bird Counts – Grab a pair of binoculars and head out to conduct some citizen science by identifying and counting birds over the holidays.
• December 31: Clean Air Act of 1970 was enacted – One of several upgrades to the Clean Air Act that put federal and state regulations in place to limit the interstate transport of air pollution. It also gave birth to some of the important pollution control programs that we still utilize today, such as NAAQS, SIPs, and NESHAPs. 

Did you enjoy reading this issue? Perhaps your friends and family would too. Share Air Mail! by using the “Share” button below. If you would like to receive Air Mail! in your own email box, sign up now! 

We would also like to know what you think. Send your Air Mail! questions and comments to the team at DAR.web@dec.ny.gov.