S7003A-2011 Actions

• May 14, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 7003A
• May 14, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
• Apr 20, 2012: REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

S7003A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7003A

TITLE OF BILL:
An  act  to  amend  the environmental conservation law, in relation to
snapping turtles; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon
expiration thereof

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to provide  for  the  regulated  trapping,
netting,  poling  or catching of snapping turtles, which can currently
only be taken by gun or longbow.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section  one  amends  Subdivision  10  of  section  11-0701   of   the
Environmental  Conservation  Law to include snapping turtles among the
small games animals permitted to be taken by an appropriately licensed
trapper.

Section two clarifies that snapping  turtles,  in  addition  to  other
specified  game, can be taken by specified means other than the use of
a gun or longbow.

Section three establishes  Department  of  Environmental  Conservation
authority to regulate the taking of snapping turtles, and set seasons,
bag limits and areas.

JUSTIFICATION:
Snapping  turtles  were historically harvested for food in the absence
of any  regulatory  measures  to  limit  harvest.  Several  commercial
collectors  reportedly  harvested thousands of turtles using a variety
of methods, including taking of turtles prior to  the  females  having
nested  for  the  year.  Several  years  ago,  snapping  turtles  were
designated as small game in the Fish and Wildlife  Law,  allowing  for
their  regulatory protection. Measures are in place to limit the daily
and seasonal take of  snapping  turtles  and  to  protect  egg-bearing
females  prior  to  nesting,  and  young turtles that have not reached
reproductive size, helping to ensure  self-sustaining  populations  of
snapping  turtles  for  the  future.  Most  individuals  who harvested
snapping turtles before they became "small game" did so  primarily  by
hand,  net,  pole  or  turtle trap. Currently, however, the only legal
method to take snapping turtles is by  shooting  by  longbow  or  gun.
This bill would authorize snapping turtles to be taken by hand, net or
trap.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.11341 of 2010.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed on and after September 30, 2014.

S7003A-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 7003--A
 I N  SENATE
 April 20, 2012
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered  reprinted  as  amended
 and recommitted to said committee
 

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to snap
 ping  turtles;  and  providing  for the repeal of such provisions upon
 expiration thereof
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.  Subdivision  10  of  section 11-0701 of the environmental
 conservation law, as amended by chapter 57 of the laws of  1993  and  as
 renumbered  by  chapter  470  of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as
 follows:

 10. A trapping license entitles the  holder  to  trap  beaver,  otter,
 fisher,  mink,  muskrat,  skunk,  raccoon, bobcat, coyote, fox, opossum,
 weasel, pine marten, SNAPPING TURTLES, and unprotected  wildlife  except
 birds,  as  provided  in  title  11  OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  subject  to the
 provisions of subdivision [6] 3 of section 11-0713 of this article.
 

S 2. Paragraph c of subdivision 3 of section 11-0901 of  the  environ
 mental  conservation  law, as amended by chapter 825 of the laws of 1973
 and subparagraph 1 as amended by chapter 407 of the  laws  of  1976,  is
 amended to read as follows:

 c.  Wild  small game and wild upland game birds shall be taken only by
 longbow or gun, or by the use of raptors as provided in title 10 of this
 article, except that:

 (1) skunk, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, fox, mink and muskrat may be taken
 in any manner not prohibited in this section or in title 11 of [the Fish
 and Wildlife Law] THIS ARTICLE, and
 (2) frogs AND SNAPPING TURTLES may also be taken by spearing, catching
 with the hands, or by the use of a club or hook,  AND  SNAPPING  TURTLES
 MAY  ALSO BE TAKEN BY TRAPPING PURSUANT TO TITLES 7 AND 11 OF THIS ARTI
 CLE.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03571-04-2
 
       S. 7003--A                          2
 

S 3. Subdivision 1 of section 11-1103 of the  environmental  conserva
 tion  law,  as amended by chapter 911 of the laws of 1990, is amended to
 read as follows:

 1. The department may by regulation permit trapping of beaver, fisher,
 otter,  bobcat,  coyote,  fox, raccoon, opossum, weasel, skunk, muskrat,
 pine marten [and], mink, SNAPPING TURTLES, or any of them, in  specified
 areas,  and  may regulate the taking, possession and disposition of such
 animals.  The periods in which trapping of such animals is so  permitted
 are open seasons for the trapping of the species for which the period is
 fixed, in the area or areas for which it is so fixed.
 

S  4.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed on and after September 30, 2014.

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