The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced new upgrades and functionality for the online DECinfo Locator tool that provide enhanced access to DEC documents and public data about the environment and outdoor recreation resources. DECinfo Locator has grown significantly since its debut in the summer of 2019, garnering almost 120,000 page views over the past year. 

DECinfo Locator was launched with more than 50 data layers and now boasts more than 65, with more are on the way. Data layers added over the past year include: 

• Hunting layers, including Wildlife Management Units;
• Blue Line reference layers for the Adirondacks and Catskills;
• Active Landfills;
• Air Facility Registrations;
• Water Withdrawal Annual Reports; and
• Harmful Algal Blooms. 

In addition, new reference layers including DEC Regional boundaries and borders for towns, cities, and villages were added at the request of users, more than 100 of whom responded to a feedback survey about the mapper. 

The application's functionality has also been improved with new features, including: 

• Streamlined recreational assets layer (fire towers, lean-tos, parking areas, picnic areas, primitive campsites, scenic vistas, viewing areas, and visitor centers), allowing users to see just the attractions they want to add to their maps;
• New active layers window, letting users easily see which layers are activated on their maps without referring to the application's extensive maps; and
• Additional supporting information for the mapper, including the layer descriptions page and how-to guides. Access to these resources was also improved post-launch after feedback from users. 

DECinfo Locator, a first-of-its-kind platform to make information about New York’s environment accessible to everyone, generates results specific to locations across the state, including water and air permits, enforcement actions, recreational assets, environmental education facilities, and sites in the State Superfund and Brownfield Cleanup programs. 

DECinfo Locator lets users see and download permits, former industrial site cleanup plans, water quality reports, and more based on where they live, work, or play. Selecting a map feature can bring up links to database records for petroleum bulk storage facilities, oil wells, or permitted mines. Users can also view Environmental Justice areas and Climate Smart Communities or find out what local wastewater facilities are doing to reduce their impact on New York's waterbodies. In addition, multiple information layers can be active simultaneously, allowing users to see the many ways DEC is working to protect and enhance New York’s environment and recreational opportunities. 

To access the mapping application, visit the DECinfo Locator web page. Learn more about its features from the DECinfo Locator Tutorial on YouTube.