Wetlands expand in New York; Up to 1 million acres ‘unintentionally unprotected’ due to mapping
On January 1, 2025, updates to freshwater wetland regulations went into effect in New York State for the first time since they were first implemented in 1975.
For environmentalists, the changes have meant more protections for our waterways and our drinking sources, a greater ability to mitigate floods, and a way to keep critical habitats intact for species of special concern.
For some developers, the new regulations have put even more red tape –at least 500-feet away – between them and new builds.
Perhaps the most significant change to the New York State Freshwater Regulations, according to Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a local non-profit research group, is simply the way a wetland is defined on a map. The new regulations include forgoing boundaries forged from hand-drawn cartography from the 1970s, and instead opting for satellite and remote-mapping techniques that “greatly improve the accuracy of locating and delineating freshwater wetlands.”
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) “estimates up to 1 million acres of wetlands were unintentionally unprotected due to these mapping shortfalls.”
Pictured, above: Maps in Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress’ new report, Get Your Feet Wet, show the updated freshwater wetland regulations. Purple: Wetlands as defined from 1975-2024. Green: Wetlands as of 2025. See the map.
The DEC has anticipated an increase in demand due to these new regulations as defined freshwater wetlands have expanded across the state, and have recently hired new biologists in the DEC Region 3 office, which covers most of the Hudson Valley (Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties).
Additional regulations will take effect on January 1, 2028 when the minimum size threshold for a regulated wetland will be reduced from 12.4 acres to 7.4 acres. This change will substantially increase the number of wetlands that fall under DEC jurisdiction, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress concludes in the report.
Learn more with a free Zoom information session with Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at noon. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
Read the full Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress report: Get Your Feet Wet
Support Hudson Valley news + events
ADVERTISEMENT:
