The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources; manages Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas; regulates sport fishing, hunting and trapping; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department. and is headed by Basil Seggos.NYS DEC had an annual budget of about $1,430 million for FY 2017, and employs roughly 3,000 people across New York State. It manages over four million acres (16,000 km2) of protected state-owned land and another 910,000 acres (3,700 km2) of privately owned land on which it holds conservation easements. The department's activities go beyond land management and environmental enforcement to include the publication of a magazine and a state bird atlas, and the operation of 52 campgrounds in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.
This study examines concentrations of three groups of toxic chemical compounds, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), plus tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in edible fish species from New York's portion of Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Cayuga Creek, and Lake Ontario. St. Lawrence River fish were analyzed for PFAS only. Total concentrations on a wet weight basis for PFAS ranged from non-detect (2% of samples) to 85.5 ng/g, HBCDs from non-detect (23%) to 6.91 ng/g, PCNs from 0.059 to 5.38 ng/g, and TBBPA was not detected (
High ambient relative humidity (RH) poses a substantial challenge to the accuracy of low-cost optical sensors used for measuring the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration. In this study, we developed a novel, practical, and feasible framework for mechanistically correcting low-cost PM2.5 sensor measurements under high-humidity conditions by quantitatively separating aerosol liquid water mass (ALW) using the widely available EPA Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) data set, after accounting for the necessary optical calibration procedures that affect sensor performance at elevated RH. We introduced two key correction processes for a low-cost optical PM2.5 measurement system comprising a nephelometer and an optical particle counter: (1) optical calibration grounded in Mie theory to account for variations in sensor performance driven by aerosol size distribution, refractive index, and hygroscopic growth, and (2) determination of ALW to estimate dry-equivalent PM2.5 mass concentrations under high RH conditions. The corrected PM2.5 data exhibit strong agreement with EPA reference measurements, affirming the robustness of the proposed correction framework. Furthermore, the quantification of ALW offers valuable insights for advancing aqueous-phase aerosol chemistry and secondary aerosol formation studies. For regions without colocated CSN data, we provide practical guidance for applying these correction methods using surrogate information. Overall, the methodologies developed in this work are expected to significantly enhance the accuracy and applicability of low-cost optical PM2.5 sensors in humid environments.
Extreme ozone events along Long Island's south shore—a key downwind region of New York City—remain poorly understood due to limited spatial observations. We show that the new geostationary TEMPO satellite enables hourly tracking of urban plume transport, dispersion, and ozone formation across complex coastal environments. Using TEMPO data, we (a) traced precursor emission transport and processing, (b) reconstructed high ground-level ozone using hourly ozone production rates, and (c) evaluated targeted emission control strategies. The reconstructed ozone patterns matched surface observations well. Ozone production analysis revealed nearly equal contributions from formaldehyde and NO 2 , with spatial variability reflecting changing chemical sensitivity regimes. The sensitivity of O 3 to precursor reduction test suggested that VOC-focused controls are more effective than NO x under current conditions. These results provide a mechanistic framework for diagnosing and managing coastal ozone pollution and demonstrate the transformative value of geostationary satellite observations for regional air quality management.
Microforests (also called mini forests or tiny forests) are increasingly recognized as a promising nature-based solution for mitigating urban challenges such as flooding, biodiversity loss, air pollution, and the heat island effect. Despite their rapid global adoption, practitioners have limited access to practical, evidence-based guidance for planning, implementing, and monitoring these projects. This article presents an adaptable framework for community-based microforest establishment and long-term monitoring based on lessons learned from two contrasting case studies in the northeastern United States: a demonstration microforest at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and a series of urban microforests established by Groundwork Elizabeth in New Jersey. We describe practical approaches to site selection, soil assessment and preparation, native species selection, volunteer engagement, planting, and maintenance that can be adapted to diverse environmental and social contexts. We also introduce a standardized yet flexible monitoring framework encompassing five complementary components: forest development, soil recovery, biodiversity recovery, microclimate regulation, and community stewardship. The framework incorporates monitoring methods ranging from accessible citizen science protocols to more advanced ecological techniques, enabling organizations with varying levels of technical capacity to document ecological change and compare outcomes across projects. Rather than prescribing a single implementation model, we provide communities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and researchers with practical guidance to establish, evaluate, and adapt microforests while promoting standardized monitoring, long-term stewardship, and evidence-based urban ecological restoration.
Abstract Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are often associated with warm water temperatures and low wind speeds, but quantifying thresholds in meteorological conditions is challenging. Using 4208 cyanoHAB reports from 405 lakes in New York State (USA), we calculated anomalies in daily wind speed and air temperature for each report and the 5 d preceding it. On the day of a cyanoHAB, lakes had lower than average wind speeds and higher than average air temperatures. Notably, the magnitude of these anomalies was influenced by the trophic state of each lake, with nutrient‐limited lakes having larger anomalies on the day of a cyanoHAB. Additionally, the absence of either anomaly type reduced the likelihood of a cyanoHAB, particularly in nutrient‐poor lakes. These results enhance our understanding of the proximate drivers and thresholds regulating cyanoHABs across varying trophic states, suggesting that large‐scale changes in climate may substantially impact future cyanoHAB development.
