Environment DEC
From the September 2009 issue
Miscellaneous News Items
Exam for Environmental Conservation Officer
The application deadline for the exam
is October 13
The exam for environmental conservation officer (ECO) is scheduled for November 14, 2009, with an application deadline of October 13, 2009. Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications to take the test. Requirements and other relevant information can be found on DEC's website as well as on the NYS Civil Service website.
New State Record Brown Bullhead
Glenn Collacuro of Mahopac broke a state record by landing a 7-pound, 6-ounce, 22-inch brown bullhead while fishing Lake Mahopac in Putnam County last month. Caught with a sawbelly, or alewife, Collacuro's catch surpassed the old record for largest bullhead (also caught at Lake Mahopac) by more than a pound and marks the fourth state-record fish species to be broken this year.
Glenn Collacuro shows off his 7-pund,
6-ounce state-record brown bullhead.
Brown bullheads average about one to two pounds in New York State, making Collacuro's catch even more impressive. Inhabiting most of the state, bullheads are most active during low-light periods and are highly sought after because they are so tasty.
Collacuro submitted details of his winning fish as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program. Through this program, anglers enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and a distinctive lapel pin commemorating their achievement.
For additional information on the Angler Achievement Awards Program, call 518-402-8891 or e-mail fwfish@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Public is Reminded Again about Emerald Ash Borer
Western NewYork State, showing the first known emerald ash borer site, as well as 50 and 100-mile radii. Click on the map to see a larger, statewide version.
A quarantine is in place to prevent the spread of the destructive emerald ash borer (EAB). The quarantine prohibits the movement of ash trees, ash products and firewood from all wood species within and beyond Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties without certification or compliance agreements issued by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. The quarantine is the result of a June 2009 EAB infestation discovered in Randolph, Cattaraugus County. The EAB is a small beetle that infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black and blue ash.
The state order also restricts movement of the regulated wood products into or through the quarantine district by requiring several provisions, including but not limited to documentation listing the origin and destination of shipments and prohibiting transporters from unnecessarily stopping while traveling through the quarantine district. For more informnation, see DEC's emerald ash borer web page.
