About DEC

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) was created on July 1, 1970 to combine all state programs designed to protect and enhance the environment into a single agency.

DEC is headed by a commissioner, who is assisted by executive managers. The department has 24 divisions and offices and is further organized into bureaus to fulfill the functions and regulations established by Title 6 of New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (6NYCRR). Some programs are also governed by federal law.

DEC's Mission

Mission: "To conserve, improve and protect New York's natural resources and environment and to prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution, in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well-being."

DEC's goal is to achieve this mission through the simultaneous pursuit of environmental quality, public health, economic prosperity and social well-being, including environmental justice and the empowerment of individuals to participate in environmental decisions that affect their lives.

Central Office and Regional Offices

DEC's Central Office is in Albany. Each of DEC's nine regions has an office that serves the communities within that region. A total of approximately 3,000 DEC staff work in either the Central Office or a regional office.

• DEC Program Directory: Contact Information by Topic - For contacts and descriptions of DEC programs
• DEC Statewide Offices: Contact Information by Location - For DEC's local offices throughout the state, who can answer questions about local businesses, recreation areas, rules affecting your property, and can investigate reports of local environmental damage

Locating Your Regional Office

To locate your region, use the Statewide Directory or see the list below of counties that are in each region.

Region 1: (Long Island) Nassau and Suffolk counties

Region 2: (New York City) Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island

Region 3: (Lower Hudson Valley) Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties

Region 4: (Capital Region/Northern Catskills) Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties

Region 5: (Eastern Adirondacks/Lake Champlain) Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties

Region 6: (Western Adirondacks/Eastern Lake Ontario) Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties

Region 7: (Central New York) Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga and Tompkins counties

Region 8: (Western Finger Lakes) Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties

Region 9: (Western New York) Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara and Wyoming counties

History of DEC

On April 22, 1970, Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed legislation to create the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and marked our first Earth Day. On July 1, 1970, we opened the doors to this newly formed agency.

New York has made remarkable progress in reducing air, land and water pollution, protecting 1.5 million acres of open space for future generations, and assisting the recovery of the bald eagle and sturgeon from virtual extirpation.

While New York's air, water and land are cleaner today, we still face several environmental challenges, including climate change which poses an existential threat to our way of life. As we look back and take stock of our accomplishments, we also look forward to building upon our successes and tackling these challenges in the next 50 years.

You can read the full timeline (PDF) tracing DEC's history and various environmental milestones throughout the decades.