New York Mixed Bag: Reminder: DEC summer camps registration begins March 23 for youth ages 11 To 17 – Outdoor News
Albany — Online registration for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 2025 Summer Camps program will open Sunday, March 23, at 1 p.m.
Parents and guardians can register youth for a week of camp, manage their account, and complete required forms and waivers through a link from the DEC Summer Camps webpage. Additionally, sporting clubs, civic groups, and environmental organizations who sponsor one or more children for a week at camp can also access their accounts. .
DEC Summer Camps program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11 to 17 at four residential camps for kids: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County); Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County); and Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County). Opening of specific camps is dependent on staff availability. All four camps will offer seven one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning June 29.
For more information, visit here. Or, email [email protected].
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CNY Fly-Tying Symposium Set For March 23
Whitesboro, N.Y. — The second annual CNY Fly-Tying Symposium and Outdoor Celebration will be held March 23, at Harts Hill Inn, in Whitesboro (Oneida County). The symposium will feature more than 20 advanced fly-tyers sharing their favorite local patterns and tying tips and will serve as a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited’s Trout in the Classroom program.
Trout in the Classroom is a Trout Unlimited environmental education program that serves as a gateway stewardship experience that fosters a new generation of advocates for salmonids, the family of ray-finned fish that includes trout, salmon, char, graylings, and select others, and the watersheds in which these fish live. The symposium, which is sponsored by master fly-rod maker and equipment retailer JP Ross Fly Rods.
Proceeds will benefit the Mohawk Valley Trout Unlimited’s Trout in the Classroom program. For more information email: [email protected].
Limited Access To Lake Eaton Campground In Effect Through May 15
Long Lake, N.Y. — DEC has announced limited access to the campground and day use areas at Lake Eaton Campground to allow for culvert repair work, which began March 1 and is expected to run through May 15.
Lake Eaton is a popular trout and salmon fishing destination.
Ice anglers and early season trout anglers looking to launch a boat should note that the construction can affect general day use, lake access, and snowmobile travel. The project is planned to be completed for the opening of the camping season. Construction crews will be present and visitors should maintain a safe working distance at the site.
DEC Announces Temporary Closure of Cameron Pond In Steuben County
Cameron, N.Y. — DEC will close temporarily Cameron Pond to outdoor recreation to allow for dam maintenance work. The pond is in the town of Cameron, Steuben County, and will close March 17 for extensive dam maintenance, repair, and improvements.
Under DEC oversight, a contractor will perform work to reduce the risk for flooding, preserve natural habitat, and protect public safety. Public use of the pond and immediate recreational area surrounding the pond will be prohibited while work is underway. Other areas in Cameron State Forest will remain open during this time. DEC will announce the reopening of Cameron Pond later this year upon completion of the maintenance work.
Rollins Confirmed as Trump Admin AG Secretary, Sgamma Nominated For BLM
Washington, D.C. — Lawyer Brooke Rollins was confirmed earlier this month as secretary of agriculture, placing a close ally of President Donald Trump into a key cabinet position at a time when mass deportation plans could lead to farm labor shortages and tariffs could affect agricultural exports.
Rollins, who served as chief for domestic policy during Trump’s first administration, was confirmed overwhelmingly by the Senate in a 72-28 vote.
Rollins will now lead a department tasked with overseeing nearly all aspects of the nation’s food system, including standards on farming practices and livestock rearing, federal subsidies to farmers or agribusinesses, and setting nutrition standards for schools and public health officials nationwide.
Rollins promised to “modernize” USDA in line with Trump’s vision for the department that included faster procession of disaster aid for farmers and tackling animal diseases.
The Trump administration recently nominated Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Coloradobased oil industry trade group Western Energy Alliance, to lead the Bureau of Land Management. The post has wide influence over lands used for energy production, grazing, and recreation.
An MIT graduate, Sgamma has been a leading voice for the fossil fuel industry, calling for fewer drilling restrictions on public lands that produce about 10% of U.S. oil and gas. At press time, Sgamma had yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
