The New York State Green Building Tax Credit, established in 2000, could mean a deduction in either business or personal income taxes. The standards necessary to receive the credit include energy efficiency, improved indoor air quality, and the reduced environmental impact of buildings. So, go out and buy those compact fluorescent light bulbs and a solar panel, renovate your house to be more energy efficient, and the state will give you some money. Sounds like a true win-win situation.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) implemented an emergency regulation to prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a disease that is devastating fish populations. First discovered in the Great Lakes in 2003, the virus causes hemorrhaging on the scales of fish, bulging eyes, anemia, and rapid death. It can be transmitted from one fish to another, but does not affect humans. The regulation prohibits the use of baitfish taken from one body of water to be used in a different body of water. Environmental conservation officers can seize bait that does not comply with this regulation. So, if you buy your bait, keep your receipts to verify its origin.