In New York State, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has regulatory and enforcement authority for Environmental Conservation Law, including two law enforcement divisions, as well as administrative and civil actions. To be effective, state enforcement personnel and policies work in concert with their local and federal counterparts, and citizens must be kept informed and involved.

The DEC includes two law enforcement divisions, as well as administrative and civil actions. The DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement employs Environmental Conservation Police Officers to enforce the law and protect the state’s natural resources including fish and wildlife.

Retired Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Captain and current columnist, Larry DiDonato, joins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley in a wide-ranging discussion about a wide range of outdoor opportunities including fishing, hunting and trapping.

Learn about how his career evolved from working in New York City versus in upper New York State. The environmental conservation issues downstate vary considerably from those in the Hudson Valley region and northwards. Larry talks about the roles of various environmental enforcement agencies and the challenges they face on a daily basis.

Larry discusses the regulatory changes with deer hunting permits and the data the DEC looks at when setting regulations is each deer management unit. He also discusses the variety of things, besides hunting, that impact deer populations including diseases, car collisions, starvation, and wildlife predation.

Fishing is another one of Larry’s passions as he avails himself of fishing opportunities throughout the seasons. Access to the Hudson River, via boat ramps, is a wonderful asset to this region allowing fishermen to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the area.

And don’t forget about trapping as another outdoor opportunity that helps support the environmental conservation efforts in New York State.

Host: Tim Kennelty and Taly Hahn

Guest: Larry DiDonato

Photo by: CCE Suffolk County

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Robin Smith, Annie Scibienski, Robin Smith

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