Responding to a Freedom of Information Law request, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has provided the Adirondack Enterprise with a list of DEC positions that are slated to be eliminated by the end of the year. The list includes 134 positions, including 45 from the state-run Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in the Catskills. The DEC has about 3,150 employees before the layoffs, according to the state Division of Budget.

Apart from the Belleayre changes, where the state is saying it is adamant about shifting all but 13 employees from fll to part=time and seasonal employment, the only regional cuts are in Albany and Saratoga.

These proposed cuts are part of Gov. David Paterson's workforce reduction plan that includes laying off about 900 state employees to save $250 million.

The DEC cuts are in addition to the 260 employees who took advantage of the early retirement incentive offered this year. If the layoffs happen, that would mean the DEC's workforce would lose 394 employees statewide this year, between the layoffs and early retirement program.

This layoff list is likely not the final one. More positions could be affected because employees with seniority have the ability to "bump" other people with less seniority, state Division of Budget spokesman Erik Kriss said.

Next up, DMV, Parks and other departmental cuts closer to our Columbia-Greene home here...

For the full list and story, click HERE.