CHENANGO COUNTY – The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Wednesday proposed changes that would open up parts of Chenango and 12 other counties to black bear hunting in the fall.

DEC is proposing to expand the bear hunting seasons to 13 additional Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), which include parts of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Wyoming, Genesee, Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Yates, Steuben, Schuyler, Tompkins, Tioga, Cortland, Broome, Chenango, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida, and Otsego counties, a press release states.