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DEC officer offers enforcement help on watershed properties; board to draft authorization and coordinate with Queensbury
Summary
A DEC environmental conservation officer offered to enforce trespass and natural-resource rules on city watershed lands if the board provides a letter of authorization; board members said they will craft a plan and coordinate with Queensbury and Warren County.
The board discussed enforcement of rules on watershed properties and reported that a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) environmental conservation officer who lives locally offered to help with enforcement while available.
Board members said the officer told them he would need a letter authorizing him to enforce trespass, fishing and other laws on the city’s watershed properties. Staff said they can draft such a letter and that providing it would allow DEC to act when staff are not present.
Board members said any enforcement should be paired with public education and coordination with the town of Queensbury and Warren County. The board discussed preparing a message for the council and for the community explaining the watershed rules and enforcement plan, and warned there could be public complaints when enforcement begins.
Why it matters: watershed property use and unauthorized access have water-quality implications for the city’s drinking source. Board members said fewer people on protected watershed lands reduces pollution risk and that enforcement plus education is intended to protect the source while setting clear expectations for the community.
