NY proposal targets sportsmen

Was wondering if this was passed?

Governor’s budget proposal targets Sportsmen

**** Nelson, Hudson-Catskill Newspapers.

Today may be the first day of winter, but there has been a chill in the air ever since Gov. David Paterson announced his proposed budget; and for hunters, fishermen and trappers, it goes way beyond the closing of the Reynolds Game Farm and the demise of New York’s pheasant stocking program.

Although not exactly hidden within the confines of his $121 billion budget proposal, the additional budget proposals affecting sportsmen weren’t exactly jumping off the pages. I had to look hard to find them, and what I seen I didn’t like. I won’t dwell on the details, but once again sportsmen are getting the shaft.
To begin with, the Executive Budget proposes to establish a trout/salmon stamp, which along with the standard fishing license, would cost anglers an additional $10. And, while it wasn’t in the budget, license fees are expected to increase as well.

What’s interesting about this proposal is that while the state is looking to raise license fees, and imposed a trout/salmon stamp, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is planning to reduce the number of fish it stocks.

Of course if you talk to the fisheries people they’ll deny it; just as the people in wildlife denied rumors that the agency was getting ready to eliminate the pheasant program. But you can’t close fish hatcheries and maintain a status quo, unless of course you discontinue the stocking of two-year old trout, which has also been mentioned.

Patterson’s budget would also establish a new marine fishing license at a cost of $19 for residents and $40 for non-residents. Accordingly, the marine fishing licensing would also serve as a registry of New York marine anglers and would fulfill requirements of the National Saltwater Angler Registry and State Exemption Program (NSAR) -- a federal mandate reauthorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which provides for the conservation and management of the fisheries, and for other purposes.

Now having a saltwater fishing license in itself isn’t a bad idea. If New York doesn’t implement a saltwater license by 2011 when the registry turns into a federal fee, the money would go directly into the U.S. Treasury and would not necessarily help support fisheries conservation efforts. In contrast, fees collected through a state’s fishing license program are returned to the state to support fishing and boating conservation and access programs.

But a better way to go would be to have a state “fishing license” that could be used for both sweet and saltwater species.
I’ve been advocating this type of fishing license for more than 25 years, but my proposal has always fallen on deaf ears. It’s only been within the last year or so that it has been given any serious consideration.

Doing so would fulfill the NSAR requirement, and wouldn’t “deep six” any of the more than two-dozen bass fishing tournament held along Hudson River estuary.

These tournaments have been a boom to the local economy for decades. They draw thousands of out-of-state anglers, who in turn spend money on fuel, food and lodging.

Not only that, but many of these tournament anglers are accompanied by their wives and children, and while Pop is out on the water, Mom and the kids are shopping and taking in the sights.
Currently these non-resident bass fishermen don’t need a license, provided of course they don’t enter any of the tributaries. But since many of them do they spring for the cost of a non-resident fishing license. Having to spend an additional $40 for a saltwater license would definitely keep a lot of these anglers from participating, and that my friend would have a negative economic impact.

But wait there’s more. Gov. Paterson’s budget proposal would also raise administrative fees for various park activities, such as camping, cabin rentals, golf, and marina usage, as well as for Empire passports, passes and permits. It would also reduce hours of operation, shorten seasons of peak operations, and reduce levels of patron and program services.

In addition, his budget proposal would increase tuition at the DEC’s four education camps from $250 to $325.
Meanwhile, I recently learned that the cost of processing the remaining 8,000 pheasants at the Reynolds Game Farm, has been estimated at $50,000. That cost includes transporting, processing, packaging and labeling the meat at two different facilities.
Dropping anchor ‘til next time.