Environmental Conservation, Department of

Agency Web Site: http://www.dec.ny.gov/

Mission

The mission of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is 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.

Budget Highlights

The Executive Budget recommends $897.8 million for the Department. This is a decrease of $187 million from the 2012-13 budget. The decrease primarily reflects the change in the pace of the New York Works capital infrastructure program that is now spread over the outyears of the financial plan and reductions taken for the transfer of employees to the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS).

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 2,916 FTEs for the Department in 2013-14, a reduction of 74 FTEs from the transfer of employees to ITS.

Major budget actions include:

• Making the $2.50 waste tire fee permanent to provide continued funding for core DEC solid waste programs including cleanups of waste tire landfills.
• Appropriation of $153 million for the programs supported by the Environmental Protection Fund, an increase of $19 million supported by the deposit of $15 million in unclaimed bottle deposit receipts and $4 million from new enforcement provisions of the unclaimed deposit program. Appropriations include $12.7 million for solid waste programs, $58.3 million for parks and recreation and $82 million for open space programs.
• Appropriation of $40 million in capital for the Department under the New York Works statewide capital infrastructure program. The DEC funding will be used for the Brownfields Environmental Restoration grant program, recreational facilities updates and health and safety repairs, wastewater treatment infrastructure, the plugging and remediation of abandoned oil and gas wells, and e-business initiatives to allow DEC customers to have updated online services.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Environment and Energy (PDF)

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/22/2013

Click for additional detailed appropriation tables