Environmental Conservation Police Officers across New York handled everything from wildfire-causing illegal burns and fishing violations to the rescue of an illegally owned spider monkey during a busy stretch of patrols and enforcement actions this spring.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation highlighted the cases Friday as part of its latest “Environmental Conservation Police on Patrol” report detailing enforcement and outreach efforts statewide.
One of the more serious incidents happened in Ulster County, where investigators said an illegal outdoor burn in the Town of Esopus spread rapidly, igniting structures and vehicles and scorching several acres. The property owner was ticketed and is scheduled to appear in court. A separate illegal burn involving construction debris was also discovered in Sullivan County during trout season patrols.
State officials reminded residents that New York’s annual burn ban remains in effect through May 14 due to elevated wildfire risks.
Fishing enforcement also kept ECOs busy along the Hudson River and on Long Island. Officers conducting striped bass patrols in Orange and Rockland counties issued roughly 30 tickets over two days for violations including undersized fish possession, license violations, and improper hook use. ECOs confiscated six illegal striped bass during the operation.
In Nassau County, officers used a K9 unit to locate an oversized striped bass hidden in woods near Hempstead Harbor. Investigators later discovered the same angler possessed four striped bass, exceeding the legal daily limit of one fish per person.
DEC officers also reported increased enforcement efforts involving pesticide regulations in Westchester County, where two landscaping-related tickets were issued during E-bike patrols.
One of the more unusual cases involved a spider monkey being illegally kept as a pet in Erie County. DEC investigators said the owner voluntarily surrendered the primate after acknowledging she could no longer care for it. The monkey was transported to a licensed sanctuary, where staff discovered it suffered from a broken wrist and rickets believed to be linked to poor diet and inadequate veterinary care.
The agency noted that primates are illegal to possess as pets in New York and the state does not issue licenses allowing private ownership.
The statewide report also highlighted trout stocking operations in Sullivan and Franklin counties, youth conservation education programs on Long Island, Earth Week cleanup efforts in Erie County, and multi-agency swift water rescue training exercises involving ECOs, Forest Rangers, state police, and emergency response teams.
According to DEC, Environmental Conservation Police Officers responded to more than 35,000 complaints statewide in 2025, resulting in more than 15,000 tickets or arrests connected to environmental, wildlife, and conservation-related violations.
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