Projects and Activities in New York City
Freshwater Wetland, Tidal Wetland, and Coastal Erosion Hazard Area Maps available on NYCity Dept of Buildings website
New York City's Department of Buildings (NYCDOB) has posted the maps for freshwater wetlands, tidal wetlands, and coastal erosion hazard areas in the five boroughs of New York City [link goes off NYSDEC's website]. Permits from NYCDOB now require information and permits from NYSDEC for approval, and to help facilitate this, NYCDOB worked with NYSDEC to host these maps on their website.
NYC Environmental Education Program
Region Two's professional environmental education staff offers a number of environmental programs throughout New York City. The four over-arching programs are the After School Conservation Club (ASCC) program; the NYC Camps Diversity Program; strong professional development programs for educators; and providing public outreach and school programs on environmental topics. Visit the NYC EE Program page for more details and contact information.
NYC Environmental Remediation Projects
Looking for information about a cleanup site in your community? The NYC Environmental Remediation Projects page contains important information regarding select (mainly larger) remediation projects throughout NYC, including fact sheets on proposed remedial actions, records of decisions, document repositories, and other useful documents. If the site you are looking for is not listed on these pages, please refer to our Site Remedial Database Search for access to cleanup site and spill data in a searchable format.
Local Advocacy Organizations in NYC
This NYC listing includes local organizations that advocate principles consistent with environmental justice, including pollution prevention, sustainability, resource conservation and environmental health. However, in some cases the listed organizations may not advocate on behalf of the residents of Potential Environmental Justice Areas, as defined by the DEC in NYSDEC Commissioner Policy 29 on Environmental Justice and Permitting.
NYC Saltwater Fishing Guide
DEC has published a complete saltwater fishing guide that has information on how to get started and where fishing access sites are available around the New York City area. It is in PDF format, separated into smaller files for easier downloading.
Environmental Education Summer Camps
At NYSDEC environmental education camps, campers experience a balance of environmental education, sportsman education and outdoor fun. Games, lessons and hands-on activities teach kids about forests, water quality and other aspects of nature. NYSDEC runs four camps located across New York State. The camps are for boys and girls ages 11 to 17. For more information or to download an application, visit the summer camps page.
Jamaica Bay Borrow Pits Project
The Borrow Pit Restoration project is currently inactive.
Between 2000 and 2003 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) conducted a study of the potential for environmental restoration of underwater pits in Jamaica Bay using sediments dredged from the New York-New Jersey Harbor. To view the documents, visit the Jamaica Bay Borrow Pit Evaluation Project page.
Cessation of Emergency Post-Hurricane Sandy Pumpout Services in NYC
Beginning Wednesday, December 5, 2012 the NYSDEC will only respond to actual spills where there is recoverable petroleum or to situations that present a significant threat of a release (e.g., a petroleum tank which is damaged and in imminent danger of releasing oil). If you need to have storm water removed from an otherwise intact heating oil tank, you must contact your home heating oil company and/or insurance company. Actual spills must be reported to the NYSDEC Oil and Hazardous Materials Spills Hotline at 800-457-7362 (the hotline is only for reporting spills and does not provide general information).
Further guidance and information on how to clean up oil spilled inside a building can be found from the NYS Department of Health (156 kb PDF file) and from the NYSDEC's Oil Cleanup Information for Homeowners and Insurance Companies page.
Please see this Notice for NYC Residents (35 kb PDF file) for more information.
Jamaica Bay Research Center RFEI Closed
The National Park Service and the City of New York have closed the Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to solicit proposals from organizations interested in partnering in the establishment of a center for science and resilience in New York City's Jamaica Bay. This high-level research center, most likely located on public parklands within the Bay area, would focus initially on coordinating disparate scientific efforts now being undertaken there by public, private and non-profit entities.
The goal of the Center would be to support the development of strategies for future restoration and protection of the Bay's ecology and enhancement of the resilience of the urban-ecological system of the Bay and its surrounding neighborhoods. While the specific roles and responsibilities of the respective public and private partners are yet to be determined, it is envisioned that a qualified private or non-profit partner will operate the Center on a day-to-day basis.
DEC has worked as a partner with the National Park Service in this effort. The National Park Service's website [link goes off NYSDEC's website] has additional information.
