New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation
| New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $220,000 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $2,114,223,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Serves at the pleasure of the Governor |
| Authority: | NY Laws - Section 3 (ENV) |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by Governor |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation
Sean Mahar | |
| Other New York Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Financial Services Superintendent • Environmental Conservation Commissioner•Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Insurance | |
The New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation is an appointed state executive position in the New York state government.
The commissioner serves as head of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. As head of the department, the commissioner oversees programs relating to the state's environment, responses to natural and man-made disasters, and outdoor recreation opportunities.[1]
Current officeholder
The current officeholders are:
- Amanda Lefton
- Sean Mahar (nonpartisan)
Authority
The commissioner of environmental conservation's authority is derived from Article 3 of the Environmental Conservation chapter of the New York Laws.
ENV Article 3, Section 3-0101-0103:
| The Department of Environmental Conservation, which was established by chapter 140 of the Laws of 1970, is hereby continued, and all the powers, functions, duties and obligations possessed by the department pursuant to such chapter immediately preceding the effective date of this chapter are hereby continued. ... The head of the department shall be the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation ...[2] |
Qualifications
Article 3, Title 1 of the Environmental Conservation chapter of the New York Laws establishes the qualifications of the office:
| No person shall be eligible for or shall continue to hold the office of commissioner ... who is engaged in the business of lumbering in any forest preserve county or who is engaged in any business in the prosecution of which hydraulic power is used or in which water is distributed or sold under any public franchise or who is an officer or holder of stocks or bonds of any corporation engaged in such business within the state.[3] |
Appointments
The commissioner is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the governor and is confirmed by the state senate.[2]
Vacancies
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that details the process of filling vacancies for a state executive office. That information for the New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Duties
- See also: Energy policy in New York
The commissioner serves as head of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. As head of the department, the commissioner oversees programs relating to the state's environment, responses to natural and man-made disasters, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Additional duties include, but are not limited to:[4]
- Coordinating and developing policies, planning, and programs related to the environment of the state;
- Promoting and coordinating the management of environmental resources to assure their protection, enhancement, allocation, and balanced utilization;
- Providing for the prevention and abatement of all water, land, and air pollution;
- Regulating the storage, handling, and transport of materials that may contribute to pollution; and,
- Undertaking public information programs to inform and involve groups and the general public of the practices of environmental conservation.
Divisions
The Department of Environmental Conservation consists of the following divisions and offices:[5]
- Air Resources
- Climate Change
- Communication Services
- Emergency Management
- Employee Assistance
- Employee Relations
- Environmental Justice
- Environmental Permits
- Environmental Remediation
- Fish and Wildlife
- Forest Protection
- Hearings & Mediation
- Internal Audit
- Internal Investigations
- Law Enforcement
- Lands & Forests
- Management & Budget
- Marine Resources
- Materials Management
- Mineral Resources
- Operations
- Outdoor Recreation
- Water
State budget
- See also: New York state budget and finances
The budget for the Department of Environmental Conservation in Fiscal Year 2025 was $2,114,223,000.[6]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $220,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $220,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $210,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $210,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $136,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $136,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $136,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $159,181, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the commissioner received a salary of $136,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $136,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner received a salary of $136,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
Historical officeholders
Commissioners of the Conversation Department
Prior to the creation of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, there were 11 Commissioners of the New York Department of Conservation between 1929–1970. Additionally, Alexander McDonald served as the state commissioner of the conservation commission from 1922–1928, before becoming commissioner of the newly created department of conservation.[18]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1929-1970 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | |||
| 1 | Alexander McDonald | 1929-1930 | |||
| 2 | Henry Morgenthau Jr. | 1931-1933 | |||
| 3 | Lithgow Osborne | 1933-1942 | |||
| 4 | John T. Gibbs | 1942-1942 | |||
| 5 | John H. Halpin | 1943-1943 | |||
| 6 | John A. White | 1943-1944 | |||
| 7 | Perry B. Duryea Sr. | 1945-1954 | |||
| 8 | Louis A. Wehle | 1955-1956 | |||
| 9 | Sharon J. Mauhs | 1956-1958 | |||
| 10 | Harold G. Wilm | 1959-1966 | |||
| 11 | R. Stewart Kilborne | 1966-1970 | |||
Commissioners of the Department of Environmental Conservation
There have been 16 New York Commissioners of Environmental Conservation since 1970.[18]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1970-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | |||
| 1 | Henry L. Diamond | 1970-1973 | |||
| 2 | James L. Biggane | 1973-1974 | |||
| 3 | Ogden Reid | 1975-1976 | |||
| 4 | Peter A. A. Berle | 1976-1979 | |||
| 5 | Robert F. Flacke | 1979-1982 | |||
| 6 | Henry G. Williams | 1983-1987 | |||
| 7 | Thomas C. Jorling | 1987-1994 | |||
| 8 | Langdon Marsh | 1994-1995 | |||
| 9 | Michael D. Zagata | 1995-1996 | |||
| 10 | John P. Cahill | 1997-2001 | |||
| 11 | Erin M. Crotty | 2001-2005 | |||
| 12 | Denise M. Sheehan | 2005-2007 | |||
| 13 | Pete Grannis | 2007-2010 | |||
| 14 | Joe Martens | 2011-2015 | |||
| 15 | Basil Seggos | 2015-2024 | |||
| 16 | Sean Mahar (acting) | 2024-present | |||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, New York 12233-4500
Phone: 518-402-8013
Email: [email protected]
See also
| New York | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Department of Environmental Conservation, "Commissioner Basil Seggos," accessed Jan. 31, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 NY Env Cons L § 3-0101-0103 (2019)," accessed Jan. 31, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "NY Env Cons L § 3-0109 (2019)," accessed Jan. 31, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "NY Env Cons L § 3-0301 (2019)," accessed Jan. 31, 2021
- ↑ Department of Environmental Conservation, "DEF Program Directory," accessed Jan. 31, 2021
- ↑ New York State Division of the Budget, "Fiscal Year 2025 Enacted Budget Financial Plan," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States," Sept. 30, 2020
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 27, 2014
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Department of Environmental Conservation, "Present and Past DEC Commissioners," accessed August 13, 2013
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
 |
State of New York Albany (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
