Lt. Michael C. Terrell is pictured here at DECs Region 4 Headquarters in Schenectady. He is holding a framed copy of an article featured in The Conservationist magazine extolling his and ECOs Mike Arp and Vern Bauer's work in arresting a subject who illegally shot the 575 pound bear he is standing next to. Lt. Terrell enjoyed a stellar career right up until his retirement this summer after over 32 years of service to the people of New York State.
NYS Environmental Conservation Officer Lieutenant Michael C. Terrell has retired. After serving over 32 years with the State of New York, the Greene County native has hung up his badge and gun, moving on to the next chapter. Now, Mike can really enjoy hunting, fishing, and farming with his family and friends..
Mike Terrell graduated from Durham High School in 1988, then attended SUNY Cobleskill where he earned a degree in fisheries. He began working for the state as a Fisheries Technician at DEC’s sub-office in Stamford in 1990, then did a stint as a NYS Correction Officer before fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a NYS Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) in 1996. That is the year he completed the ECO Academy, then held at Paul Smiths College. Upon graduation, he was plucked from the serene and sublime of the Adirondack Mountains and billeted in the heart of New York City. It was there he embarked on the first leg of his journey as an ECO.
Mike adapted quickly to fast-paced city life among the concrete and asphalt, finding a new challenge on the untamed waterways of the New York Bight. As unlikely as it seems, ECO Terrell found a target-rich environment in the waters surrounding that concrete and asphalt, where fish poaching was not just a past time, it was big business. Mike became the leading NY conservation officer in a multi-state, federal investigation. Operation “Boomerang” involved dozens of federal and state officers, investigators, and state and federal prosecutors, in both New York and New Jersey. The investigation led to the seizure of over 100,000 pounds of striped bass, illegally netted in the Hudson River and sold on the open market. The huge commercial poaching ring had ties to organized crime, the Fulton Fish Market, and tentacles throughout the Tri-State Area. Some defendants were convicted and served time in state prison, while others faced serious criminal penalties and massive fines for large scale illegal poaching and commercialization of our fisheries resource. In recognition of his outstanding work in Operation “Boomerang,” ECO Terrell received the DEC Division of Law Enforcement’s esteemed “Drew Award.”
During three tough years as an ECO in NYC, Mike Terrell made a series of felony fisheries arrests, including one case that broke up an interstate Lake Sturgeon poaching operation resulting in a $150,000.00 penalty.
In 1998, Mike transferred to Hamilton County before returning home to Greene County in 1999. In 2001, he briefly returned to Manhattan to do his duty as a 9/11 first responder. While an ECO in Greene County in 2002, Mike was named Conservation Officer of the Year by the National Wild Turkey Federation, and garnered the coveted Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Chief’s Award in 2006. Mike continued to make quality fish and wildlife and environmental quality arrests throughout his time in Greene County.
In addition to combatting poaching, ECO Terrell also focused on protecting the environment. He literally cleaned up the Hamlet of Leeds by fighting through his own agencies’ bureaucratic inertia. It had shockingly enabled decades of unchecked and unhealthy municipal pollution of its premier waterway, the Catskill Creek. Mike remained doggedly determined and did not rest until he ended the scourge of area-wide direct-discharge of raw sewage into the Catskill Creek.
After serving Greene County for 10 years, Mike transferred to Schoharie County where he worked as an ECO until he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in April of 2019. Lt. Terrell supervised ECOs in Schoharie and Otsego Counties until his retirement. During his tenure as lieutenant, Mike returned to his alma mater, teaching Environmental Conservation Law at his beloved SUNY Cobleskill.
I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mike Terrell for a good part of his career and attest to his dedication to being a knowledgeable, professional conservation officer. Lt. Terrell was respected by his peers, subordinates, superior officers, and the public he served. Both the law-abiding as well as those on the other side of the fish and game laws maintained a healthy respect for Lt. Terrell. His unrelenting commitment to traditional conservation law enforcement was complimented by the depth of his knowledge of fish and game and environmental law.
Please join me in congratulating Lt. Michael C. Terrell upon his retirement and thank him for a job well done! We are all very fortunate to have benefited from his outstanding career of dedicated service in protecting our state’s fish, wildlife, natural resources, and the environment.
Happy Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Until Next Time!
News and Notes…
Norton Hill Wildlife Club’s 2024 Trap Shooting Schedule
Trap shooting at Norton Hill Wildlife Club at 946 Big Woods Road in Greenville begins at 10:00 am on the following remaining Sundays: August 25th, September 15th and September 29th. Cost is just $5.00 per round. Bring your own ammo. Trap shooting is open to all; you do not have to be a member to take advantage of this opportunity.
Remember to report poaching violations by calling 1-844-DEC-ECOS.
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