Busted for fiddleheads: DEC says nearly 10,000 ferns illegally harvested from Jefferson County

JEFFERSON COUNTY- Three suspects were busted earlier this spring by the New York State DEC for illegally harvesting fiddleheads in the North Country.

On April 26, Environmental Conservation Officers responded to a complaint along the banks of South Sandy Creek in the town of Ellisburg.

A caller told dispatch that they had observed three individuals hauling black garbage bags back and forth to their vehicle. The bags appeared to be dripping wet.

Upon further investigation, DEC determined that the subjects were harvesting fiddleheads from the Ostrich fern, which is deemed a vulnerable and protected plant in New York State.

It is reported the trio did not have any permission to harvest these fiddleheads on private property, which is required.

The subjects were ticketed for unlawfully removing protected plants and utilizing a fishing access site for means other than fishing.

The DEC estimates that nearly 10,000 fiddleheads were harvested in this one case alone.

***The DEC Environmental Conservation Law DOES NOT provide the names of accused suspects in their bi-weekly reports***

ECO Maxwell with confiscated fiddleheads in Jefferson County.