David Lombardo is reporting for Capitol Confidential the union representing New York's environmental conservation officers is calling for the state to enhance its environmental enforcement activities as a way to address climate change, calling it "the greatest threat to New Yorkers." Harold Barber, an 18-year veteran of the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s law enforcement arm, said, “The state of New York must act decisively and quickly to fill the void created by the dismantling of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency." Barber called on state leaders to step up and take a leadership role in combatting the impending danger of climate change. According to the union, the DEC’s police force has grown smaller because of “a combination of factors, including attrition and pay and benefits far below what comparable police units offer.” DEC officers were initially responsible for enforcing hunting and fishing regulations, but the job has evolved to also address pollution, to also help respond to catastrophes, such as flooding. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.