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News and Announcements

A group of volunteers hold a sign "Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance" while standing in front of an area recently planted with small trees

Do you know of a stream that could benefit from having more trees growing along it? The Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs Program offers free native trees and shrubs for planting along tributary streams to keep water…

Summer view of green meadow with blue sky

The Nassau Town Board in Rensselaer County is embarking on developing a local tax exemption to conserve the town’s grasslands to protect the environment and wildlife, support small farms and preserve scenic views.…

winter view of a vernal pool covered by ice

DEC seeks stakeholder input on potential updates to freshwater wetlands protection and classification regulations. This Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) is a feedback-gathering exercise, not a…

view looking up into branches of trees without leaves, with a blue sky.

Grant awards totaling $978,820 for urban forest assessment and planning in New York State included projects in the cities of Newburgh and Peekskill and other locations in the Hudson Valley.

orange flowers of butterfly-weed plant

This nation-leading legislation protects New Yorkers from potentially harmful toxins by prohibiting the use of certain neonicotinoid pesticide (neonics) treated corn, soybean, or wheat seeds and neonicotinoid…

View of upland forest, looking through the trees

NYSDEC awarded $1,035,340 in Community Forest Conservation grants to four Capital Region, Hudson Valley, and Long Island towns. The grant program provides funding to communities to protect forest resources of local…

Screenshot of DEC Delivers enews "RiverNet" News from the Hudson River Estuary Program with bulleted list of content in this issue, focusing on Conserving Natural Areas in the Hudson Valley

This issue of RiverNet, a weekly enewsletter from the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, features 2023 highilghts of the Conservation and Land Use Team's work with municipalities, land trusts, and volunteers in the…

View into tops of trees in an upland forest in spring. By L. Heady

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that applications are now being accepted for a total of $12.9 million for urban and community forestry projects through the Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunity.

northern long-eared bat hanging upside down from a rocky overhang

In observance of the internationally recognized Bat Week, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to refrain from visiting caves and mines during the fall and winter months. Bats' health is…

Landscape view of pond with vegetation on the shoreline and blue sky.

This November Chatham voters will decide whether to create the first Community Preservation Fund in the county. The fund would be dedicated to helping to preserve land from development in order to protect the rural…

White turtlehead in flower with a lake behind the flowers and a blue sky with clouds overhead.

DEC and DOH announced the availability of free technical assistance for municipalities to protect public drinking water supplies through the Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2). The multi…

Winter view of a large waterfall cascading down icy rocks into water, with a wooded slope beyond the falls.

The Land Trust Alliance, with support from the DEC, is pleased to announce a twentieth round of competitive land trust grants through the New York State Conservation Partnership Program. This successful public…