Why the Next NY Police Helicopter You See May be Full of Fish
The next time you see a New York State Police (NYSP) helicopter flying over your house, it may not be trying locate a fugitive, or even transporting a government official. In fact, it just may be full of fish.
New York State Police Fish-Stocking
The Hudson Valley was recently captivated by a Facebook post from the New York State Police. "Aviation mechanics were hard at work removing the skids off of one of our helicopters to place floats on it for our fish-stocking missions ahead", read the post, accompanied by several fascinating photos. What interested most people just as much as the cool transformation, though, was the fact that the NYSP are involved in fish-stocking in the first place.
While the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) used to cover responsibilities end-to-end, the state police have actually been involved for years. Collaborations with the DEC include fish-stocking as mentioned, but they also help maintain a stable aquatic ecosystem. In fact in 2019, state police helicopters assisted in adding 80,000 tons of lime to an Adirondack pond whose pH levels were compromised by acid rain. DEC and NYSP collaborations also go past fish, and help save human lives, too.
Just last month State Police helped with bucket drops during the Napanoch wildfire in Minnewaska State Park. Amazing cockpit video showed the pilot's bird-eye-view of the view before dumping their bucket and returning for another run (below).
Want to see some more impressive collaborations? Check out the forest rescue that called for another helicopter below, and keep scrolling to get some wilderness exploration of your own the next time you want to head outdoors.
