DEC Contact: Benning DeLaMater (518) 402-8000 July 24, 2019
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DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer HighlightsECO Actions for Early July |
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. Waterfowl Identification Presentation at Montezuma Audubon Center – Wayne County On July 11 and 12, Lt. Mark Colesante and ECO Scott Sincebaugh presented a waterfowl identification course for students participating in the week-long environmental day camp at the Montezuma Audubon Wildlife Center, a state-owned facility operated by DEC and the National Audubon Society. In addition to learning about the vast array of waterfowl in New York, campers were provided the opportunity to earn their hunter education certification, bow hunter education certification, and trapper education training. ECO Scott Sincebaugh and Lt. Mark Colesante with future waterfowl identification experts (photo attached) ECOs Josh Crain and Kevin Thomas with future bowhunters (photo attached) On July 12, ECO Tom Koepf responded to a construction site in Mountaindale for a complaint of someone illegally cutting down a utility pole. Workers at the site stated that there was a work order in with NYSEG to remove the pole, which no longer had wires attached, but that someone had prematurely knocked down the pole and buried it. When ECO Koepf arrived, he observed the pole covered with dirt but the transformers were protruding from the ground. The ECO also observed a small petroleum spill. Koepf called construction managers and later that day met with a subject who admitted to cutting and burying the pole on July 11, because he didn’t want to wait for NYSEG to perform the work. Tickets were issued to the subject for unlawful disposal of solid waste, illegal discharge of petroleum, failure to immediately contain a petroleum discharge, and failure to notify DEC of a petroleum spill. DEC Spills Technician Brian Weeks responded to the site and informed the subject that he needed to immediately hire a cleanup contractor to clean the site and test for possible contamination. Overnight Over-the-Limit and Undersized - Albany County On July 12, ECO Wes Leubner patrolled Thompson’s Lake boat launch in response to a complaint of people fishing at night taking trout under the legal size (12 inches on Thompson’s Lake) and over the lake’s limit of three trout per person, per day. ECO Leubner arrived just after dark and observed a group of boats out on the lake night fishing. ECO Leubner contacted ECO Melissa Burgess to assist, and together the ECOs waited for the boats to return to the launch. The officers’ patience paid off as the occupants were found to be in possession of seven undersized trout and 14 trout over the legal limit. In addition, two of the fishermen did not have current fishing licenses, and one of the boats was not properly registered. Overall, eight tickets were issued to the group and the illegally possessed trout were seized. Capsized Vessel - Lake Ontario On July 13, Lt. Bruce Hummel and ECO Eoin Snowdon answered a United States Coast Guard (USCG) distress call for an overturned vessel approximately 12 miles off shore from Point Breeze. With a severe storm approaching, Hummel and Snowdon, along with the USCG and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department Marine Unit, responded. USCG retrieved four occupants from the overturned vessel’s hull, while ECOs checked the surrounding waters for any other possible victims. The Delaware-based crew had been participating in a cross-lake sailboat race when a sudden and intense storm caused conditions on the lake to become volatile quickly, resulting in the vessel capsizing. All four vessel occupants removed from the water declined medical treatment. Fishing License Checks Result in Warrant Arrests – Montgomery and Clinton Counties On July 14, ECO Brian Willson and Lt. Jason DeAngelis checked a man and woman fishing at Lock 11 in the town of Florida. Neither subject had a valid fishing license and the man had four warrants for his arrest from both Amsterdam city and town courts for misdemeanors involving theft, trespassing, and child neglect. The man was taken into custody and turned over to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. He and the woman were also issued tickets for fishing without a license. Fawn in a Fence - Erie County On July 14, ECO Scott Marshall responded to a call of a fawn stuck in a fence in the town of Clarence. ECO Marshall arrived to find that a fawn had attempted to jump over a fence and got its hind quarters caught between the slats. The officer contacted ECO Tim Machnica for assistance, and together they removed the fawn while Fuzzy Fawn Rehabilitation came to take the animal for treatment. The animal appeared to have only lost circulation to its back legs and was dehydrated. The fawn is expected to be released near the site of its rescue after several days of care. Fawn stuck in the fence (photo attached) |
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