SULLIVAN COUNTY – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State. In 2024, the Division of Law Enforcement fielded more than 105,717 calls, resulting in Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responding to more than 30,109 complaints and working on cases that resulted in 15,755 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the illegal pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

“DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators protect New York’s air, water, wildlife, and public safety, while also working to connect New Yorkers with the outdoors,” Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “As we tackle environmental threats on all fronts, I applaud the critical work DEC’s ECOs and Investigators are undertaking to enforce New York’s Environmental Conservation Law and ensure a cleaner, greener, safer, and more resilient New York State.”

Trotline Trouble – Sullivan County

On April 13, ECOs responded to a complaint in the town of Thompson regarding anglers keeping bass out of season at Gurney’s Pond. The complainant allowed the Officers to use his kayak to check the anglers. While ECOs made their way out to the boaters, they passed a trotline in the middle of the pond consisting of plastic soda bottles serving as floats. The Officers arrived at the anglers’ boat, observed additional soda bottles in the vessel matching those on the makeshift trotline, and interviewed the subjects. ECOs quickly determined nobody onboard possessed a fishing license or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) as required by law. The Officers escorted the anglers back to shore and issued tickets for fishing without a freshwater fishing license, fishing by means other than angling, and failure to possess PFDs while boating.

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or to report an incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch.