Fish And Wildlife Guidance Documents

License Issuing Officers

• Policy Memorandum: License Issuing Officer Application Review for Applications Previously Convicted of a Criminal Offense (PDF) (September 2016)

Sediment Quality Assessment Guidance

• Screening and Assessment of Contaminated Sediment (PDF) (June 2014)
• Public Comment Responsiveness Summary (PDF) (November 2013)

Permit Guidance

• Guidance on Protection of Shorelines (PDF) (September 2007)
• Permitting Guidelines for Breach and Removal of Nuisance Beaver Dams (PDF) (September 1997)

Freshwater Wetlands

• Policy Memorandum 87-1: Confirmation of Freshwater Wetlands Determinations and Delineations (PDF) (August 1987)
• Policy Memorandum 15-01: Change to Portion of Policy FW 87-1 to Change the Expiration of Freshwater Wetlands Determinations and Delineations (PDF) (October 2015)
• Memorandum: Interpretation of Standards for Issuance of Freshwater Wetlands Permits (PDF) (July 1988)
• Freshwater Wetlands Delineation Manual (PDF) (July 1995)
• Freshwater Wetlands Mapping Technical Methods Statement (PDF) (April 1986)
• Freshwater Wetlands Regulatory Guidelines on Compensatory Mitigation (PDF) (October 1993)
• General Permit for Habitat Management by NYSDEC (PDF) (March 2016)

Cooling Water Intake Guidance

• Entrainment Survival Guidance (PDF)
• Velocity Cap Efficacy Guidance (PDF)

Hazardous Materials Guidance

• Fish and Wildlife Impact Analysis for Inactive Hazardous Waste Sites (PDF) (October 1994)

Wildlife Management Areas

• Public Use of Wildlife Management Areas (PDF) provides a list of allowable and restricted activities (March 2018)

Renewable Energy

• Guidelines for Conduction Bird and Bat Studies at Commercial Wind Energy Projects (PDF) (June 2016)

Environmental Impact Statements

• Final Environmental Impact Statement for Policy on Contaminants in Fish (October 1985)
  • Final EIS (PDF)
  • Appendices 1-6 (PDF)
  • Appendices 7-10 (PDF)
  • Appendices 11-14 (PDF)
• Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Program of Liming Selected Acidified Waters (October 1990)
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Proposed Action and Revised Liming Program in NYS (PDF)
  • Background of the Liming Program in NY- Part 1 (PDF)
  • Background of the Liming Program in NY- Part 2 (PDF)
  • Background of the Liming Program in NY- Part 3 (PDF)
  • The Acid Deposition Problem and Its Impact (PDF)
  • Environmental Setting (PDF)
  • Significant Environmental Impacts- Part 1 (PDF)
  • Significant Environmental Impacts- Part 2 (PDF)
  • Significant Environmental Impacts- Part 3 (PDF)
  • Significant Environmental Impacts- Part 4 (PDF)
  • Mitigation Measures to Minimize Adverse Environmental Impacts (PDF)
  • Unavoidable Adverse Impacts; Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Resources; Growth Inducing Aspects of the Program; and Effects of Use and Conservation of Energy Resources (PDF)
  • Alternatives to the Proposed Program (PDF)
  • List of Preparers; Literature Cited (PDF)
  • Appendices 1-2 (PDF)
  • Appendix C- Part 1 (PDF)
  • Appendix C- Part 2 (PDF)
  • Appendix D (PDF)
  • Appendix E (PDF)
• Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on Habitat Management Activities of the Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife (December 1979)
  • Final PEIS (PDF)
  • Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) (PDF) to update 1979 PEIS (December 2017)
  • Statement of Findings on SFEIS (PDF)
• Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on Public Use Development Activities of the Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife (January 1979)
  • Final PEIS (PDF)