The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced that prescribed fire season is currently underway in regions across the state, while spring trout fishing season will begin on April 1.

Prescribed burns will be conducted on DEC-managed land through early May. Prescribed fire is a tool used to improve habitat for lands and wildlife and is regulated by law and regulation that requires technical expertise to ensure burns are safely conducted.

“Prescribed fires are an important tool to keep New York State lands thriving and reduce fire risk,” said acting DEC commissioner Amanda Lefton. “In addition to removing wood and timber litter that fuels wildfires and threatens public safety and structures, prescribed burning helps DEC achieve specific ecological goals, including eliminating invasive species and ensuring growth of fire-dependent ecosystems.”

Prescribed burns will take place in the following regions:

Region 1

• Otis Pike Pine Barrens State Forest — Suffolk County
• Ridge Pine Barrens State Forest — Suffolk County
• Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest — Suffolk County
• David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens State Forest — Suffolk County
• Dwarf Pine Plains Pine Barrens State Forest — Suffolk County

Region 3

• Lafayetteville Multiple Use Area — Dutchess County

Region 4

• Albany Pine Bush Preserve — Albany County
• Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area — Albany County

Region 6

• Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area — Jefferson County

Region 7

• Cicero Swamp Wildlife Management Area — Onondaga County
• Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area — Onondaga County
• Long Pond State Forest — Chenango County

Region 8

• Cameron State Forest — Steuben County
• Canisteo River Basin Unit Management Plan — Steuben County
• Helmer Creek Wildlife Management Area — Steuben County
• Rush Oak Openings Unique Area — Monroe County
• Sonyea State Forest — Livingston County
• Coon Hollow State Forest — Schuyler County
• West Cameron Wildlife Management Area — Steuben County
• West Hill State Forest — Steuben County

In preparation for the spring fishing season, DEC officials have been stocking ponds and streams across the state from mid-March through early June with 1,873,980 catchable-size brook, brown and rainbow trout.

“While anglers willing to brave the cold can enjoy catch-and-release fishing for inland trout all year, the April 1 opener of the harvest season is still a much-anticipated date in New York,” said Lefton. “This is the true beginning of a long-awaited spring and a perfect time to get outside and enjoy time along a waterway near you.”