Two upstate New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regions are closing snowmobile trails and mud gates to seasonal access roads on Forest Preserve, State Forest, and Conservation Easement lands due to spring thaw and muddy conditions. All gate closures are expected by Friday, March 20.

Motor vehicle use during the spring mud season damages roads, resulting in road opening delays. DEC will reopen the roads once they are dry enough to safely handle motor vehicle traffic and necessary maintenance is completed. Please visit DEC’s Backcountry Information for the Adirondack Park webpage for updates on road openings or for other areas contact local DEC Office.

Affected counties:

DEC Region 5: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties

DEC Region 6: Herkimer, Jefferson, Oneida, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties

DEC reminds outdoor enthusiasts that a Recreational Use Advisory for Backcountry Regions remains in effect. DEC is committed to providing updates to backcountry conditions but urge recreationists to reconsider backcountry excursions while conditions remain unstable. Each year, experienced backcountry hikers unnecessarily risk their lives attempting to cross dangerous water crossings in order to avoid a longer trip in the backcountry. DEC advises all recreationists to know your route and multiple alternatives, be prepared to wait for water levels to lower, and plan on longer-than-anticipated detours.

“Mud Season” presents unique challenges for recreation in early spring. Weather is often volatile: rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow, and even thunderstorms can occur, sometimes on the same day. Trails are muddy, and high, fast-moving waters make stream crossings on trails dangerous. For tips on how to have a safe and enjoyable experience, visit DEC’s Spring Recreation webpage.

For information about alternative recreation areas, visit DEC’s Find Places to Go webpage.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced several proposed regulation changes to increase harvest of antlerless deer by hunters. These proposed actions will improve DEC’s ability to manage deer populations to help ensure a healthy herd while also preventing potential increases in deer-vehicle collisions, reduced forest regeneration, and other negative impacts of deer overabundance.

“Deer populations are growing throughout much of New York State,” DEC Commissioner Lefton said. “Increased harvest of antlerless deer by hunters is necessary to keep deer populations healthy, in balance with available habitat, and at levels that are acceptable to all members of the public.”

During recent hunting seasons, less than 15% of licensed hunters harvested one antlerless (primarily female) deer and only about 3% of hunters harvested two or more antlerless deer. The proposed regulations are intended to encourage and incentivize hunters to harvest more antlerless deer to help better manage deer populations.

Over the past few years, DEC evaluated a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory options to increase harvest of antlerless deer. The process incorporated results from a series of focus groups, a statewide survey of deer hunters, and input from professional deer biologists and managers across the Northeast. Based on that evaluation, DEC proposes several actions.

Modifying the Deer Management Permit (DMP) issuance process to increase DMP availability

Some Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) have no DMP quota, resulting in unlimited DMP availability. DEC’s proposed regulations would create a second pathway for DMP issuance in units without a quota, allowing hunters to simultaneously apply for two DMPs in WMUs without a quota and two DMPs in WMUs with a quota through the typical lottery process. This would enable hunters to potentially obtain up to four DMPs when buying a license and all hunters who apply for DMPs in units without a quota would receive them.

Additionally, hunters who harvest and report antlerless deer using DMPs in any of the WMUs without a quota would automatically receive bonus DMPs, allowing them to continue harvesting antlerless deer.

Currently, Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 1C, 3S, 4J, and 8C have no DMP quota. The proposed regulation would enable DEC to add and remove WMUs to the list of units without a DMP quota as population management needs change. For 2026, DEC would add 19 WMUs (3M, 3P, 3R, 6P, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7R, 8A, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 8R, 8S, 9A, 9F, and 9G) to the list of those with no DMP quota.

Allow an unlimited number of DMPs to be transferred between hunters

Under current State regulations, hunters can only have two DMPs transferred to them from other hunters. The proposed regulations would allow hunters to have an unlimited number of DMPs transferred to them from other hunters.

Expand the nine-day season for antlerless deer in mid-September

Currently, WMUs 1C, 3S, 3M, 3R, 4J, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8J, 8N, 9A, and 9F have a nine-day season for antlerless deer in mid-September. The proposed regulations would add 10 WMUs (3P, 6P, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7R, 8H, 8R, 8S, and 9G) to the list of those enrolled in this September season.

Establish an “Earn-a-2^nd-Buck” System

Currently, deer hunters can harvest two antlered deer per year – one using their Bow/Muzzleloader Either-Sex Tag and a second using their Regular Season Deer Tag. The proposed regulations would require hunters to harvest and report an antlerless deer before receiving a tag to harvest a second antlered deer. To accommodate this, DEC is proposing to reclassify the current Regular Season Deer Tag as an “Antlered Deer Tag” that could be used during all deer seasons with appropriate license privileges. All hunters would receive this first Antlered Deer Tag upon hunting license purchase.

In addition, as part of a “earn-a-2^nd-buck” system, DEC would reclassify the Bow/Muzzleloader Either-Sex Deer Tag as a Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag. Hunters who purchase the bowhunting and muzzleloader privileges would receive a Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag for each privilege.

Hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer on any eligible antlerless deer tag (i.e., Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag, DMP, or Deer Management Assistance Program Tag) receive a second Antlered Deer Tag which could be used during all deer seasons with appropriate license privileges.

Additional Proposal

A minor change to clarify how mechanical broadheads with moving blades may be deemed non-barbed to comply with the statutory prohibition on use of barbed broadheads for big game hunting. Broadheads with blades that appear barbed, but freely swing forward to a non-barbed position upon withdrawal of the arrow, are not considered barbed. This regulation would clarify that “freely swing” infers no external force beyond gravity.

DEC strives to manage deer populations at levels that are in balance with available habitat and in alignment with public desires by encouraging and empowering hunters to harvest antlerless deer, the primary component of the deer population that drives population growth. DEC assesses public desires for deer population size and deer impacts to forests to determine deer population objectives for each area of the state. Refer to DEC’s Management Plan for White-Tailed Deer in New York State (PDF) for more information.

Details of the proposed regulations are available at Proposed, Emergency, and Recently Adopted Regulations webpage. Additional answers to commonly asked questions are available on DEC’s website.

DEC is accepting comments on the proposed regulations through May 17. Comments can be to wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov (subject: “Antlerless Deer Hunting”) or to: NYSDEC, Attn: Jeremy Hurst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.

Applications Open in Late Spring; Applicants Encouraged to Enroll with USDA Now to Obtain Farm ID

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today previewed a new grant program that will soon make more than $46 million available to support tree production, forest management, and forest product industries. The Advancing Forest Markets (AFM) Grant Program is in the final stages of development and will be instrumental in supporting Governor Kathy Hochul’s 25 Million Trees initiative and open space conservation goals. This program is expected to offer a variety of funding opportunities to entities that enroll with the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency and obtain a Farm ID.

“To plant 25 million trees and expand and maintain healthy, resilient forests in New York State, new collaborations are needed to support the reforestation supply chain and sustainable forest management,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This novel grant program will ensure that the trees available to New Yorkers are affordable, accessible, and high quality and also help incentivize tree growers and forest producers to meaningfully expand operational and production capacity.”

Eligible applicants include state agencies, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, for-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, Indian Nations or Tribes, individual private landowners, and others that qualify to and enroll with the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. Applicants must engage in the following Forest Market Areas:

• Collect, process, store, and sell tree seeds;
• Produce and sell tree seedlings;
• Harvest, process, and sell wood products;
• Produce and sell other forestry products like nuts and maple syrup; or
• Conduct forest management planning and related activities.

When the grant opportunity opens, applicants may apply for funding to increase their stock of native, New York-grown trees and tree seeds; make tree seedlings and saplings more affordable to retail customers; or increase forest-based operational capacity to produce or sell forest products. Examples of potential qualifying actions include but are not limited to proposals that:

• Hire additional staff;
• Increase operational capacity;
• Increase marketing for new products or markets, such as mass timber, wood residue-based renewable fuels, nanocellulose, and/or biochar;
• Increase information sharing, sector collaboration, and networks related to tree seed collection, processing and storage, tree production, reforestation, silviculture, or forest products;
• Expand the availability of trainings, workshops, and workforce development programs related to tree seed collection, tree production, reforestation, silviculture, harvesting best practices; and
• Increase development and dissemination of related educational and guidance materials.

Due to the limited timeframe of the grant period, funding may not be used for direct implementation of forestry projects that break ground or disturb site vegetation.

Additional details on these opportunities will be described when DEC releases the Guidelines and Bid Instructions in late spring.  All work undertaken as part of the program must be completed by January 2028. Visit DEC’s website for more information.

These programs support Governor Kathy Hochul’s ‘25 Million Trees by 2033’ initiative to recognize the importance of trees and forests for community health. DEC encourages all New Yorkers to record trees they plant in the public Tree Tracker. DEC’s 25 Million Trees webpages also provide valuable resources for planting, community planting events, and other resources to support the initiative and DEC’s partners.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under agreement number NR233A750004G035.