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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today officially debuted a redesigned public website that improves accessibility and the user experience, particularly on mobile devices. The site is significantly easier to use with cellphones, streamlines navigation, includes more powerful search capabilities, and offers new multimedia features to provide a more engaging visitor experience.

DEC’s prior website was launched in 2005 on a now-antiquated platform that was not optimized for cellphones and other small-screen devices. The redesigned site offers a more responsive design and intuitive functionality, whether visitors are using a desktop, laptop, tablet, or handheld device. Features include streamlined navigation and new content presentation capabilities that allow DEC to better integrate video and other visual media. Updated DEC website URLs are all plain text, improving the ability of search engines to find and connect users to content. To ensure visitors can still find favorite web pages from the old design, DEC has established redirects to the new web pages. 

Expanded, task-focused navigation makes it easier for visitors to find regulatory, environmental protection, licensing, and environmental education content and resources more quickly. Larger call-to-action sections make it easy to purchase licenses, search for job openings, sign up for topic-specific newsletters through DEC Delivers, or subscribe to DEC’s Conservationist Magazine.

Finding permit information and submitting requests for permit action is also improved on the new website. For instance, a new State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) submission form lets local, regional, and state governmental agencies quickly provide details for SEQR reviews and approvals.  

DEC’s website includes a wealth of information, such as DECinfo Locator—an interactive map that lets the public access DEC documents and public data about the environmental quality of specific sites in New York State, as well as outdoor recreation information. With more than 90 data layers available, this is the first application that shows both environmental quality monitoring and natural resource information together in one place.  

To experience the website redesign, learn more about DEC’s programs, or find your next outdoor adventure, go to DEC’s website.

DEC Seeks Public Assistance in Reporting Deer Escaped from St. Lawrence County Captive Deer Facility

Residents and Hunters Asked to Report Any Deer
Observed or Taken with Ear Tags

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 6 announced that a white-tailed deer recently escaped from a facility in the town of Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County. The deer is marked with ear tags and DEC is asking residents and hunters that observe or take a deer with ear tags in this township or the surrounding area to contact DEC’s Watertown Wildlife office at 315-785-2263.

In addition, to protect deer, elk, and moose from chronic wasting disease (CWD), DEC would like to collect samples from this animal once caught. CWD is a fatal disease and poses a serious threat to wild populations of cervids with the potential to impact the benefits associated with deer and moose in New York State, including hunting traditions and sustainable use of venison, economic benefits derived from big game hunting, and wildlife viewing and photography.

CWD has not been identified in New York since 2005, when both captive and wild deer from Oneida County were verified as having the disease. New York is the only state in the U.S. to have successfully eliminated CWD from the landscape after it was discovered. DEC and the State Department of Agriculture and Markets have been collecting CWD samples from both wild and captive deer for more than 15 years throughout New York State and such sampling is an important part of the State’s ongoing effort to monitor for the presence of this prion-based disease, which currently infects 31 states and three Canadian provinces.

Contact the nearest DEC regional wildlife office or Environmental Conservation Police Officer to report any deer suspected to have CWD.

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A Note About Blaze Orange: Prior to the 2021 hunting seasons, a regulation change was put in place requiring deer and bear hunters to wear florescent clothing (orange or pink) in either the form of a hat or at least 250 square inches of clothing. While it can be assumed that hunters shown in photographs without florescent clothing were obeying the law when they shot their game, it can also be assumed they were not. We understand that hunters shed layers in warm weather and when dragging bucks and bears out of places like the Adirondacks; it happens with our own hunting group. However, going forward, please try to share photos of hunters with the required attire. Thanks!