I grew up raising and showing horses on a farm in Fort Covington, and spent most of my free time fishing, swimming and enjoying the outdoors. This is where I found passion for studying, protecting, enhancing, and preserving the environment. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Keuka College in New York in 1993 focusing my studies on ecology/biology and invertebrates (animals without backbones). I went on from Keuka to earn a master’s degree in Environmental Science with certification in Geographic Information Systems (GIS- mapping) from the University Of New Haven in Connecticut in 2000 where I spent a lot of time in marshes and mud up to my elbows. Before I even finished my thesis, I began working as a biologist at a private environmental research and consulting firm in Mobile, Alabama. Within 5 months I was promoted to GIS Manager/Staff Biologist. In 2001 I relocated back to New York, the Hudson Valley region, and continued my work as a GIS Manager/Project Manager. To my great pleasure I began with the District in December of 2008! I offer the district extensive environmental experience including watershed management, stream monitoring and restoration, wetland biology and restoration, water quality sampling and monitoring, freshwater ecology, zoology, biology, environmental data analysis, erosion control, environmental chemistry and GIS. I am thrilled to be back in Franklin County and looking forward to see you in the office!

My name is Tricia Decosse and I am a graduate of Paul Smith’s College. I grew up in the North Country and spent much of my time working on dairy farms and my own family’s beef farm. When it was time to go to college, I decided to step away from agriculture for a little while and study wildlife. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management with a concentration in wildlife. While in college, much of my time was spent hiking, fishing, and….oh ya, studying of course, but I still had a passion for agriculture. That is what brought me to this job. I can use my knowledge of agriculture and the environment together to work towards protecting our resources.

            As of right now, a great deal of my work has been with the Agricultural Environmental Management Program. I am constantly giving and receiving ideas from local farmers and I learn something new everyday. And to my parent’s dismay, I often use our farm to experiment with these new ideas. (I can’t be passing on any ideas without trying them myself!) I look forward to using my own education and experiences to help the county and protect our natural surroundings.

© copyright 2005

Updated: Feb 2008