New York State Conservation Council, Inc.

8 East Main Street , Ilion , NY 13357

PRESS RELEASE:    For Immediate Release

 Contact:     

 315-894-3302 or   Harold Palmer, President 607- 638-9013

                             Wally John, Legislative Vice President 518-479-2485

                                                Date Issued:   December 19, 2005

DEC WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES PROGRAMS NEED MORE MONEY

Harold Palmer and Wally John, members of the New York State Conservation Council (NYSCC) testified before the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Hearing on the Implementation of the 2005-06 Environmental Conservation Budget on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 .

NYSCC President Harold Palmer testified about capital projects relating to fish and wildlife. Palmer stated, “The New York State Conservation Council is concerned about the Division of Budget delaying the release of capital funds as a budget-balancing tactic. Delay often adds an inflation factor to the final cost of a project, which in turn can be used to further delay the start or completion of a construction project”.

Fish hatchery re-appropriation monies need to be released and spent as part of the $25 million in repairs and equipment needed to maintain our fish hatcheries.  Fishing access sites and boat launches are also key projects. No new money was appropriated in FY 2005 for the requested 20-plus projects in different communities around the state.  Re-appropriation money includes over $15 million in federal funds for property acquisition and construction projects in the marine district.  

President Palmer spoke about the Conservation Fund, which is primarily funded by the sale of resident and non-resident hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses that are used to pay for the cost of personnel in the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources.  He concurred with the Conservation Fund Advisory Board’s Testimony presented by Wally John (CFAB member from Region 3 and Legislative Vice President of the NYSCC), that the Conservation Fund would not be able to meet expenses in the near future.  “The license fee revenues will not meet expected expenses for the current budget year, let alone next year,” reported John.  John said in answer to the Committee Members questions:  “The problem has been persistent annual reduction in General Fund appropriations during each budget year, since the license fee increase was enacted in 2002.  A license fee increase can only cover inflation over a number of years. The funding level can be stable only if General Funds are not reduced”.

Palmer noted that New York State is the only state that does not allow teen-agers ages 14 and 15 the right to hunt deer and bear with firearms. He stated, “Some sportsmen are going to other states so their youngsters can hunt deer with them. The NYSCC is asking that junior hunters 14 and 15 years of age be allowed to hunt big game with a parent or legal guardian. They will go through hunter education class and learn safe gun handling from instructors and a parent or guardian. Not like most youth today that learn how to shoot people in video games or on TV”.

There is a lack of Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) to meet the growing problems of poaching and pollution. We have the same number of ECOs in 2005 that we had in the mid-1980’s.  Palmer also noted that, “The DEC pathology lab needs more staff, including an additional pathologist to handle all the different diseases and illnesses occurring in New York State . They also need a mobile lab that could go to the sites of any of these occurrences, such as CWD, botulism in Lake Erie , etc.”

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