The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.

 

In 2025, DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement fielded an estimated 101,169 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 35,575 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,673 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

 

“DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to ensure the protection of public safety and our vast natural resources, including air, water, wildlife, and New York’s one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This highly specialized and rewarding work is instrumental to upholding our stringent laws and making the great outdoors safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

 

Turkey Rescue – Saratoga County

On April 1, while patrolling on Route 29 in the Town of Milton, ECO Doroski observed a Turkey on the side of the road that appeared to have been struck by a vehicle. The ECO activated the vehicle’s emergency lights and blocked the Turkey from reentering the roadway before carefully capturing the bird and securing it in a crate. The ECO then transported the bird to a local rehabilitation facility for treatment. The x-rays determined the turkey suffered minor injuries. On April 11, ECO Doroski assisted the local rehabilitator with releasing the wild Turkey near the area it was found.

 

Injured Turkey rescued from roadway in Saratoga County (photo attached)

 

ECO Doroski assists with releasing a Turkey in Saratoga County (photo attached)

 

Belmont Lake State Park Spring Fishing Festival – Suffolk County

On April 18, ECO Francis attended the Belmont Lake State Park Spring Fishing Festival in North Babylon hosted by DEC and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The annual event draws families from across Long Island to celebrate the arrival of spring. Participants spend the day fishing in Belmont Lake, which was stocked by DEC’s Bureau of Fisheries with nearly 1,000 brown and rainbow trout from DEC’s Caledonia Fish Hatchery in Livingston County. Connetquot Hatchery and Cold Spring Harbor Hatchery also provided additional trout.

 

Days before the event, ECO Francis accompanied and assisted the DEC Freshwater Fisheries employees with stocking the lake and other freshwater fishing locations including Southards Pond in the Town of Babylon and Betty Allen Twin Pond in the Town of Huntington.

 

The fee New Yorkers pay for freshwater fishing licenses supports hatchery operations and waterbody stocking throughout the state each year.

 

ECO Francis with young anglers at Belmont Lake State Park’s Spring Fishing Festival (photo attached)

 

Unattended Open Burn – Otsego County

On April 21, ECO Willson responded to a complaint regarding an open burn in the Town of Springfield. Officer Willson arrived at the location, observed a large fire consisting of scrap materials from an onsite lumber mill, and photographed it. The owner of the mill took responsibility for the unlawful fire. New York’s burn ban prohibits the burning of brush from March 16 to May 14. The subject received one ticket for the unlawful open burn.

 

Unlawful open burn observed in Otsego County (photo attached)

 

Pesticide Detail – Westchester County

On April 22, Lieutenant Dainack and ECOs Franz, Schuck, Swansen, and Tompkins assisted employees from DEC’s Bureau of Pesticides for an Earth Day detail focused on pesticide enforcement. Bureau of Pesticides employees checked several locations throughout Westchester County with ECO support. Officers issued a total of 31 tickets for offenses including operating an unregistered pesticide business, unlabeled pesticide service containers, unlicensed pesticide applicators, failure to place pesticide markers prior to application, and contaminating non-target areas. Officers conducted more than 40 miles of those patrols on E-bikes to cut down on emissions, improve community policing, and increase mobility and visibility while traveling through neighborhoods.

 

ECOs join DEC Bureau of Pesticides for Earth Day pesticide detail in Westchester County (photo attached)

 

Striped Bass Citations – Nassau County

ECOs Franz and Pabes recently responded to reports of anglers taking over their legal limit of striped bass at a popular fishing location in the Town of North Hempstead. The Officers removed 19 illegally taken fish and issued 13 tickets to six anglers. Offenses included exceeding the daily bag limit, taking fish out of slot size, using j-hooks while targeting striped bass with bait, and failure to carry a Recreational Marine Fishing Registry. The legal recreational limit for striped bass in Nassau County marine waters is one fish per person per day, with a slot size of 28 to 31 inches in length. This regulation is intended to protect breeding stocks and applies to all marine waters south of George Washington Bridge.

 

ECOs Franz (left) and Pabes (right) with striped bass illegally taken in Nassau County (photo attached)

 

Walleye Poachers Caught – Erie County

On April 22, ECO Bobseine responded to a complaint regarding a group of individuals keeping walleye out of season in Freedom Park in Buffalo. The subjects left the area before Officer Bobseine arrived, but the complainant provided the license plate information of the suspect vehicle. As ECO Bobseine pulled into the vehicle owner’s driveway, he observed an individual placing a bag of what appeared to be fish into a freezer. Officer Bobseine inspected the bag and discovered two walleye caught out of season from the Niagara River. Additionally, the individual failed to possess a valid fishing license. Further investigation revealed a second subject took 11 out-of-season walleye the same evening. ECO Bobseine confiscated the fish and ticketed the subjects for taking walleye out of season and fishing without a freshwater fishing license.

 

Youth Turkey Hunts – Statewide

ECOs statewide participated in youth turkey hunts in April that provided young hunters with the opportunity to learn about safe and ethical hunting practices in New York before getting a chance to put their skills to use in the field:

 

• On April 25, ECOs mentored 14 youth hunters afield for the 17^th Annual Jefferson County Youth Turkey Hunt hosted by the Sackets Harbor Sportsman’s Club following an educational/safety session. Youth hunters got up early on the day of the hunt and spent the morning afield with their ECO mentors - six birds were successfully harvested. 

• On April 25, ECOs in Greene County partnered on a youth turkey hunt after an educational/safety session. ECOs Bevis and Palmateer mentored youth hunters afield to test their freshly learned hunting skills. A total of 12 youth hunters attended. 

• On April 25 and 26, ECOs and local volunteer mentors participated in the third annual Oswego County Youth Turkey Hunt. Five young hunters headed afield on Saturday in pursuit of the Eastern wild turkey. Despite windy conditions and uncooperative birds, two youth hunters successfully harvested birds thanks to the experience and hunting knowledge of their mentors. 

• On April 25 and 26, ECOs on Long Island hosted and participated in their Fifth Annual Youth Turkey Hunt in Suffolk County. ECOs Cacciola, Della Rocco, DeVito, McGhee, Simmons, and Vandenbos, along with dedicated hunter education instructors and civilian mentors, guided youth hunters. Over the course of the weekend, the youth harvested a total of three birds. 

DEC thanks the many volunteers, hosts, sponsors, and other participants who made these Youth Turkey Hunts a great success.

 

17^th Annual Jefferson County Youth Turkey Hunt (photo attached)

 

Third Annual Youth Turkey Hunt in Greene County (photo attached)

 

Third Annual Youth Turkey Hunt in Oswego County (photo attached)

 

Fifth Annual Youth Turkey Hunt on Long Island in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Earth Week Details – Statewide

In honor of Earth Week 2026, ECOs from across the state conducted a variety of enforcement details.

 

Examples included Officers in New York City, Long Island, and Saratoga County partnering with local law enforcement, New York State Police, and State and federal Department of Transportation Inspectors to check commercial diesel vehicles for compliance with the New York State’s emissions regulations and safety requirements. Checkpoints were set up in Flanders, Clifton Park, and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, among other locations throughout the state.

 

Officers issued numerous tickets for offenses related to air quality, solid waste transportation, New York State inspection infractions, and a diesel fuel leak to the roadway.

 

Additional Earth Week details included a pesticide enforcement in New York City where ECOs intercepted a large shipment of illegal pesticides. An ECO also assisted DEC Division of Air Resources Inspectors in inspecting cement plants in the Hunt’s Point neighborhood of the Bronx to ensure compliance with dust control that could negatively impact residents.

 

All five sites visited were compliant with DEC regulations in accordance with their permits.

 

ECOs Della Rocco and McGhee utilize a state-issued smoke meter to read opacity levels of a heavy-duty diesel vehicle in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Illegal pesticides intercepted by ECOs in New York City (photo attached)

 

ECO Toomey participates in the inspection of a cement plant in the Bronx (photo attached)

 

Protect Our Planet – Suffolk County

On April 25, ECOs Anderson and DeRose participated in an Earth Day celebration at Quogue Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk County. The Officers showcased different mammals native to Long Island and explained to attendees their roles as ECOs in protecting New York’s environment and natural resources. They also reminded the public about their responsibility to protect wildlife and habitats while they enjoy outdoor spaces.

 

ECOs DeRose (left) and Anderson (right) attend Earth Day celebration at Quogue Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk County (photo attached)

 

Finding Fiddleheads – Jefferson County

On April 26, Lieutenant Bartoszewski responded to a report of illegal fishing on South Sandy Creek in the Town of Ellisburg. The complainant stated he observed three individuals carrying black garbage bags that were dripping with water to their vehicle, placing the bags in the trunk of the vehicle, and then returning to the creek. ECO Maxwell joined Lieutenant Bartoszewski for the investigation and located the vehicle nearby at a DEC fishing access parking lot. Using binoculars, the Officers later spotted three individuals further up the creek appearing to harvest something from the ground along its banks. Through further investigation, ECOs determined the individuals were harvesting fiddleheads from the Ostrich fern, a vulnerable and protected plant in New York State. The trio did not have permission to harvest the fiddleheads on private property as required. Once back at the parking area, ECO Maxwell ticketed the subjects for unlawfully removing protected plants and using a fishing access site for an activity other than fishing since the trio parked at the fishing access to commit the unlawful acts. A quick count of the harvested fiddleheads determined approximately 10,000 ferns were illegally harvested.

 

ECO Maxwell with confiscated fiddleheads in Jefferson County (photo attached)

 

Storm Drain Rescue – Dutchess County

On April 28, ECO Radomski responded to a call from a concerned resident reporting a Hen Mallard in distress near a storm drain in the Town of Beekman. Officer Radomski arrived at the location and observed 11 ducklings trapped in the storm drain as the hen Mallard paced back and forth nearby. ECO Radomski, with assistance from the Town of Beekman Highway Department, lifted the grating to the drain, safely netted the ducklings, and returned them to their mother.

 

ECO Radomski utilizes a net to rescue ducklings stuck down a storm drain in Dutchess County (photo attached)

 

ECO Radomski rescues and frees ducklings stuck down a storm drain in Dutchess County (photo attached)

 

Traffic Stop Leads to Turkey Violations – Steuben County

On April 29, ECO McNamara stopped a vehicle in the Town of Campbell for speeding. The occupants of the vehicle stated they were returning from Turkey hunting in Massachusetts but did not harvest any birds. The driver later changed his story and admitted to harvesting two Turkeys after ECO McNamara questioned the subjects about fresh blood and Turkey feathers on the tailgate of the vehicle.

 

Working with DEC Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigators, Officer McNamara confirmed the vehicle was in Massachusetts earlier that morning. He also located plastic bags containing Turkey breasts and thighs in a cooler inside the vehicle and a whole bearded turkey in another cooler in the bed of the vehicle. The whole Turkey did not have a tag as required by Massachusetts State Law.

 

The subject received one ticket for going over the posted speed limit and another for illegal possession of protected wildlife. The case is pending in the Town of Campbell Court.

 

Unlawfully harvested Turkey found during traffic stop in Steuben County (photo attached)

 

Orphaned Goose – Dutchess County

On May 8, ECO Zullo responded to a call from an East Fishkill Police Officer who serves as the School Resource Officer at Fishkill Plains Elementary School about a Canada Goose gosling that was observed by students during recess. Officer Zullo arrived at the location and attempted to locate the gosling’s family but was unsuccessful. The Officer then transported the baby goose to Vassar College and observed a group of goslings and two parent geese. ECO Zullo presented the lost gosling to the gaggle of geese, and it was welcomed into the brood. Video of the goose interaction can be viewed here: https://youtube.com/shorts/JcSBOyz8FW8?feature=share.

 

 

ECO Zullo and East Fishkill Police Officer with gosling found near a school in Dutchess County (photo attached)

 

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch.