New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

DEC Headquarters in Albany
Department overview
FormedApril 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
JurisdictionNew York
Headquarters625 Broadway, Albany, New York
Employees3,000
Annual budget$2,588 million (FY 2024)[2]
Department executive
  • Sean Mahar, Interim Commissioner[3]
Key document
Websitewww.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.

  1. ^ "Department of Environmental Conservation," New York State Archives, n.d. Accessed: October 6, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Agency Appropriations | FY 2025 NYS Executive Budget". NYS Division of the Budget. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Commissioner and Executive Team". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Environmental Conservation Law § 3-0101. "The Department of Environmental Conservation, which was established by chapter 140 of the Laws of 1970, is hereby continued, and all the powers, functions, duties and obligations possessed by the department pursuant to such chapter immediately preceding the effective date of this chapter are hereby continued."
  5. ^ "History of DEC". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Archived from the original on November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  6. ^ "Governor Cuomo Announces Administration Appointments". Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. September 28, 2014. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  7. ^ "About DEC - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation". www.dec.ny.gov. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  8. ^ "Division of Lands and Forests - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation". www.dec.ny.gov. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.