DEC to close sporting license office Feb. 1

The regional Department of Environmental Conservation office has announced plans to permanently close the sporting license office at the department’s regional Stony Brook location as of Feb. 1.

The decision was made because of the state’s current fiscal situation, said regional director Peter Scully, and the need to redistribute resources elsewhere.

Those who want to purchase hunting and fishing licenses can do so at the more than 50 private vendors across Long Island. Information on how and where to buy a sporting license is available on the DEC’s website.

Those who relied on the Stony Brook office to obtain a State Land Access Permit can get a permit online at the department’s website, which is quicker and easier than doing it in person, said regional spokesman Bill Fonda. State Land Access Permits are needed to access the more than 20,000 acres of state land on Long Island that are managed by the DEC.

There will be no layoffs involved in the closing of the office, and while it won’t necessarily save the department money, it will free up resources to use in other ways, Fonda said.

The DEC will continue to maintain the Regional Sporting License Office phone line for people with questions about accessing state lands or obtaining State Land Access Permits, though that phone line will only be monitored periodically.