New York Mixed Bag: DEC announces new state record blue crab – Outdoor News

Southold, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced that a new record has been established for blue crab. The agency has recognized recreational crabber Marc Zaluski, of Water Mill, for capturing the state record blue crab.

The crab was captured in a crab pot set in Peconic Bay on the Long Island Sound May 25. It measured 8 3⁄16 inches, spine-to-spine, and replaces the previous blue crab record, which was captured in 2023 and measured 7 3⁄16 inches. All state record applications and measurements are verified by biologists at DEC’s Division of Marine Resources.

DEC’s Marine Recreational Angler Records Program recognizes exceptional saltwater fish and blue crab caught in New York, including long-standing state records for the heaviest fish and annual awards for the longest fish of a qualifying species. Learn more about the programs at: https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/dmrmarinerecordsrules.pdf.

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DEC Announces Temporary Public Land Closures In Two Counties

Ellisburg, N.Y. — DEC recently announced the temporary closure of three popular destinations in Jefferson County, and also an access point to the Boutwell Hill State Forest in Chautauqua County.

In Jefferson County, visitors will be unable to access the three areas for a three-to-four-day period between Aug. 1 and Aug. 14, 2024, to allow for scheduled maintenance of the parking areas. These are the South Sandy Creek Boat Launch, Lakeview Wildlife Management Area, in Ellisburg; Vaadi Road and NYS Route 12 Seven Bridges Parking Areas in the Perch River WMA, in Brownville; and the Isthmus Fishing Access Site on Lake Ontario (formerly Golden’s Marina), in Lyme.

In Chautauqua County, on June 28, DEC temporarily closed a section of Arab Hill Forest Road, located between Lewis Road and Housington Road, at Boutwell Hill State Forest. This closure is necessary to accommodate the rehabilitation of the Homestead Trail. The closure is expected to last through late August.

Dog Survives Rattlesnake Bite On Tongue Mountain In Warren County

Bolton, N.Y. — A 15-pound dog belonging to an unidentified hiker was saved by an antivenin (antivenom) injection after it was bitten by a rattlesnake on the Tongue Mountain Range in Warren County.

As reported by The Chronicle, in Glens Falls, the hiker wrote in a social media post that on May 27 on the way down from Fifth Peak they encountered a “rather big snake blocking the trail,” adding that it was “black with a blue and orange rattling tail.” The dog, which was not leashed, approached the snake and was bitten.

The hiking party carried the dog off the mountain and contacted an emergency veterinarian in South Glens Falls, which later found one vial of antivenin after two hours had passed. The dog was transferred to an animal hospital in Latham for further treatment. The hiker said the first treatment cost $1,500, with the second expected to range between $3,000 and $6,000.

A DEC spokesperson told The Chronicle that a distance of at least 6 feet should be kept when encountering rattlesnakes in the wild. Unless provoked, rattlesnakes are rather docile and will move on. The Tongue Mountain area is one of several near Lake George known to harbor rattlesnakes, which are a protected species.

DEC’s Releases Freshwater Wetland Protection Proposals

Albany — DEC is proposing regulations to protect freshwater wetlands across New York State. The draft regulations are now available for public comment until Sept. 19, and would safeguard an estimated one million additional acres of unprotected wetland habitat by expanding the number of wetlands regulated by DEC.

Freshwater wetlands are lands and submerged lands—commonly called marshes, swamps, sloughs, and bogs—that support aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation. The proposed rule would take effect in January 2025 and clarify jurisdictional status of smaller wetlands of “unusual importance” that meet one of 11 specific criteria contained in the newly amended Freshwater Wetlands Act.

Public comments can be submitted via e-mail to [email protected] (subject: “Wetlands Part 664 Comments”) or via mail to NYSDEC, Attn: Roy Jacobson, Jr., 5th Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4756. The public can also provide comments during public hearings scheduled for Sept. 10 and Sept. 12. Registration for the hearings and the proposed rule and supporting documents can be viewed and downloaded on DEC’s website.

Four Peaks Tract Acquired In Essex County Adds 595 Acres To ADK Forest Preserve

Jay, N.Y. — New York State recently acquired 595 acres of forest in the town of Jay, Essex County, known as the Four Peaks Tract, from the Adirondack Land Trust. The acquisition adjoins the Beaver Brook Tract, and will be part of the Wilmington Wild Forest.

The Four Peaks tract includes the potential to expand recreational opportunities from the Beaver Brook trail network (known locally as Hardy Road), which features 8.5 miles of single-track bike trails. Currently, the Beaver Brook Tract can only be publicly accessed in Wilmington. The new acquisition is almost entirely in the town of Jay and allows for access to the Beaver Brook Tract from Jay, creating potential for an additional trailhead and connector trails.

Future recreational development on the tract will require the Adirondack Park Agency to classify these lands prior to undergoing DEC’s unit management planning process.

Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2024/07/22/new-york-mixed-bag-dec-announces-new-state-record-blue-crab/