Published: December 20, 2008 11:12 pm      

HILTS: Budget cuts, new tax proposals will affect NY’s outdoors

The Reynolds Game Farm, a facility in operation since 1927, will close in New York, saving the state roughly $750,000. Gov. David Paterson announced the closure last Saturday, which downplayed the fact that this is the only farm the state has in New York — and what it will mean for the sporting community.

Instead, Gov. Paterson played up his role as jolly St. Nick as they donated nearly 8,000 of the farm’s pheasants to needy families throughout the Southern Tier via local soup kitchens. Who’s going to argue with that worthy cause? Of course, that’s why they did it, at a time when money is tight during a season of giving. But the press release ended it there and left a pile of other questions in its place.

What will become of pheasants and pheasant hunting in New York? We already know its one of the most popular small-game activities in the state, with more than 60,000 hunters spending 262,000 days afield. How many of those people will hang up the boots if we no longer have any type of a pheasant program? What will happen to groups like Pheasants Forever and the 4-H Pheasant Rearing Program?

What will happen to some mentoring programs that have been put into place that inspire the next generation of sportsmen to participate in hunting? And, what will be the spin off for the loss of revenue to the state as it translates into license sales, excise tax dollars and so much more?

Of course, there has been some misinformation floating around like Reynolds was being entirely funded through federal excise tax dollars. Such is not the case. That was confirmed through contact with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Doug Stang, assistant director for the Bureau of Fish and Wildlife. All of the pheasant farm funds come out of the Conservation Fund — that special pot of money that comes from license revenues and other sources that is used for the fish and wildlife programs in the state. The money saved from closing Reynolds will be reallocated to other fish, wildlife and marine resources programs.

While the pheasant farm was the first big hit in the battle to down-size expenditures in the outdoor arena in the coming years, some other significant proposals are currently on the Governor’s radar screen and part of his budget package for 2009-10. One thing that is bound to get Great Lakes fishermen excited is a proposal to add a trout and salmon stamp for $10. While it’s not a done deal yet (because the legislature still needs to approve the budget), there should be some cause for concern should it, in fact, become the law of the water.



Saturday, Dec. 27

- Late season for waterfowl opens in the Western Zone for ducks, coots and mergansers; and for the South and West Central areas for Canada goose. Duck season will remain open through Jan. 11, which includes sea ducks. Goose will remain open through Jan. 11 in the West Central Zone with a limit of three per day; Jan. 11 in the South Zone (of which Niagara County is a part of) with a limit of five per day. Snow goose also opens Saturday and will remain open through March 10, with a daily limit of 15 birds per day.



Dec. 31

- Final day, Province of Ontario sporting license year.

- Final day, pheasant hunting season in the Southern Tier and eastern New York.



Jan. 1

- Lake trout season opens on the lower Niagara River and in Lake Ontario for New York.

- New sporting license year begins in the Province of Ontario. Also, beginning in 2009, an Outdoors Card will be required for all non-resident hunters and fishermen, with the exception of those purchasing one-day fishing licenses.

- Seventh annual New Year’s Day Kick-off Shoot at the Tonawanda Sportsmen’s Club, 5657 Killian Road, Pendleton, 10 a.m. Cost will vary depending on number of rounds shot and what pools you enter. For more information, call 694-7375.

- Varying hare season opens in the Southern Tier. Consult your regulations guide for details on boundaries. Bag limit is two, with the season closing Jan. 31.

This is the wrong time to impose a trout and salmon stamp. At a time when the country is headed into an economic tailspin, the last thing you want to do is to turn people off or away by charging more money through things like fishing licenses and stamps. At least from a freshwater standpoint. Residents and non-residents are forking over some decent bucks to help support fisheries programs in the state. Seasonal licenses for residents and non-residents are $19 and $40, respectively. Add in $10 each to those with a trout and salmon stamp.

This does not include the one-day fishing license for $15. When I initially heard that the $10 stamp was being talked about, the first thing I thought about was making a one-day license $25 if they wanted to fish for salmon and trout —which is the No. 1 reason for non-residents to whet a line in the Empire State. However, according to Stang, part of the proposal reduces the cost of a one-day fishing license to $5 —meaning that with the trout and salmon stamp, the cost would be $15. That would still be a bargain in anyone’s book, but convincing people of that might not be easy.

As far as where the money would go should the legislature pass this proposal, they are currently not earmarked for any purpose. “As currently proposed,” said Stang, “the revenue generated would go into the main account of the conservation fund to help alleviate the projected deficit.”

For a few years, DEC has talked about a license fee increase again. There was no generalized license fee proposal as part of the Governor’s budget so it is not being looked at for 2009-2010. Should the trout and salmon stamp pass, it won’t be until Oct. 1, 2009 before it would go into effect.

While we’re on the subject of other revenue sources for the conservation fund, another big one is a proposed marine fishing license for salt water. Currently, there is no license to purchase. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any work being done by the state — or the Marine District — there is. However, everyone else is paying for it. I can’t say I’m totally opposed to a Marine license — that’s something that would help carry their weight a little bit. This isn’t the first time that a marine license has been proposed, but each time it’s been defeated. The costs being proposed would mirror the current license for freshwater — $19 for residents; $40 for non-residents. What they might want to think about is some type of a combined freshwater/salt water (marine) license for something like $30 to soften the blow a little bit. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens because these new fees are all proposals. Make sure your voices are heard by your state delegation in Albany.

Lake Ontario notes

At a Lake Ontario Stakeholders meeting in Savannah last Tuesday, in addition to things like the trout and salmon stamp being proposed and what was going to happen with staff as it relates to fisheries programs and hatcheries, a few items of concern came out. One was a proposal that would not allow any fish cleaning on the lake itself if that fish has a size limit of any kind. That would pretty much include all species of fish. While Niagara County is in a pretty good situation with fish-cleaning facilities, the majority of the lake is not. That would mean boats would have to clean fish on shore and take whatever is left back out into the lake for disposal purposes —an added expense of time and gas.

Another hot topic that was discussed was the push to allow for three rods per person in Lake Ontario. A move was afoot to increase the number of allowable rods from two to three on the lake, primarily for salmon and trout fishing. Hey, if they have to pay an extra $10, why not? The purpose was not so much for increasing the number of fish they can keep, but for figuring out what the fish want on any particular day — for guys with one or two in their boat. Michigan went to that rod limit a few years ago and it has been a success so far. However, DEC at the meeting said that there wouldn’t be a new regulation like that just for Lake Ontario — it would have to be all or none. Overall, there’s just too much opposition to that type of a regulation. We’ll have more on this meeting in the future.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and an even happier New Year! Be safe!