New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

DEC Headquarters in Albany
Department overview
Formed	April 22, 1970 (1970-04-22)
Preceding agencies	New York Fisheries Commission[1] New York Forest Commission New York Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission New York Forest, Fish and Game Commission New York Conservation Commission New York Conservation Department
Jurisdiction	New York
Headquarters	625 Broadway, Albany, New York
Employees	3,000
Annual budget	$2,588 million (FY 2024)[2]
Department executive	Sean Mahar, Interim Commissioner[3]
Key document	Environmental Conservation Law
Website	www.dec.ny.gov

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government.^[4] The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources; manages Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas; regulates sport fishing, hunting and trapping; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department,^[5] and is headed by Basil Seggos.^[6]

NYS DEC had an annual budget of about $2,588 million for FY 2024,^[2] and employs roughly 3,000 people across New York State.^[7] It manages over four million acres (16,000 km²) of protected state-owned land and another 910,000 acres (3,700 km²) of privately owned land on which it holds conservation easements.^[8] The department's activities go beyond land management and environmental enforcement to include the publication of a magazine and a state bird atlas, and the operation of 52 campgrounds in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.