Requires the department of environmental conservation to prepare a report on the economic impact of hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife-associated activities in New York.

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S653A-2011 Actions

• May 14, 2012: referred to environmental conservation
• May 14, 2012: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
• May 14, 2012: PASSED SENATE
• May 1, 2012: AMENDED ON THIRD READING (T) 653A
• Mar 12, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• Mar 7, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• Mar 6, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.291
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
• Jan 25, 2011: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

S653A-2011 Calendars

Active List: May 14, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 2, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 7, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 8, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 9, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 14, 2012

S653A-2011 Votes

S653A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S653A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to preparing a
report on the economic impact of hunting, fishing and trapping;
and providing
for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to provide more accurate and timely
information to policy makers and department administrators regarding
the tourism and economic impact of hunting! fishing! trapping and
wildlife-associated recreation in New York State.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
This bill would require the Department of Environmental Conservation!
in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development and the
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic reservation, to prepare a
summary report every two years on the economic and tourism impact of
fishing,
hunting, trapping and wildlife-associated recreation in New York
State. The bill would sunset in ten years.

Specifically, the report shall include, but not be limited to the
following:

* the number of anglers, hunters, trappers and wildlife-watching
participants, including recreational vehicle participants, in New
York state, including a breakdown of resident and non-resident
anglers, hunters, trappers and wildlife-watching participants;

* The frequency of participation of anglers, hunters, trappers and
wildlife watchers and how much money they spend on their activities
including but not limited to expenditures on equipment, bait and
tackle, hotels, and motels, restaurants, lodges, and camps, grocery
and hardware stores, and guide services; and

* An estimate of the number of jobs that are supported by anglers,
hunters, trappers and wildlife-watching participants as well as the
amount of sales tax and income tax generated by anglers, hunters,
trappers and wildlife-watching participants.

JUSTIFICATION:
According to a "2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife
Associated Recreation," recreational anglers and hunters spent more
than $3.5 billion in pursuit of their pastimes in New York in 2001. A
1996 survey found that expenditures include monies spent for
equipment, bait and tackle, hotels and motels, restaurants, lodges
and camps, grocery and hardware stores, and guide services. The
survey also found that
these expenditures and their associated economic impact supported
43,000 jobs and generated $100 million in state sales tax and $32
million in state income tax in New York State in 1996. Nationally,
the survey estimated that hunting and fishing supported 1.9 million


jobs and generated $2.9 billion in state sales tax and $772 million
in state income tax.

Hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife-associated recreation support
jobs, generate sales and income taxes, and are an integral component
of the tourism industry and the overall economy in New York State.
Efforts are underway in each state to promote tourism, including
hunting, recreational fishing, trapping, and wildlife-associated
recreation in the name of economic development. Currently, DEC must
rely on a study every five years by the United States Departments of
Interior and Commerce to determine the number of people who hunt and
fish and expenditures relating to their recreation.

Therefore, this legislation is intended to provide more accurate and
timely information to policymakers and department administrators
regarding the tourism and economic impact of hunting, fishing,
trapping, and wildlife associated recreation in New York State.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2005-06: A.8040
2007-08: A.4612
2009-10: S.3079

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal. Could be completed within the current resources of the
Department.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 1 after enactment and shall sunset in ten years.

S653A-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                   653--A
      Cal. No. 291

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 5, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
    -- recommitted to  the  Committee  on  Environmental  Conservation  in
    accordance  with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said
    committee, ordered to first and second  report,  ordered  to  a  third
    reading,  amended  and  ordered  reprinted, retaining its place in the
    order of third reading

  AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
    preparing  a  report  on  the  economic impact of hunting, fishing and
    trapping; and providing for the repeal of  such  provisions  upon  the
    expiration thereof

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Legislative intent.   The  legislature  hereby  finds  that
  according  to a "2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-
  Associated Recreation," recreational anglers and hunters spent more than
  $3.5 billion in pursuit of their pastimes in New York in 2001.  The 1996
  survey found that expenditures include monies spent for equipment,  bait
  and  tackle,  hotels  and motels, restaurants, lodges and camps, grocery
  and hardware stores, and guide services.   The survey  also  found  that
  these expenditures and their associated economic impact supported 43,000
  jobs  and  generated  $100 million in state sales tax and $32 million in
  state income tax in New York state in  1996.    Nationally,  the  survey
  estimated that hunting and fishing supported 1.9 million jobs and gener-
  ated  $2.9  billion  in state sales tax and $772 million in state income
  tax.  The legislature finds and declares that hunting, fishing, trapping
  and wildlife-associated recreation  support  jobs,  generate  sales  and
  income  taxes, and are an integral component of the tourism industry and
  the overall economy in New York state.   Efforts are  underway  in  each
  state to promote tourism, including hunting, recreational fishing, trap-

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD03510-02-2

 S. 653--A                           2

  ping and wildlife-associated recreation in the name of economic develop-
  ment.    The legislature also finds that the department of environmental
  conservation must rely on a study every five years by the United  States
  Departments  of  Interior and Commerce to determine the number of people
  who hunt and fish and expenditures relating to their recreation.  There-
  fore, this legislation is intended to provide more accurate  and  timely
  information to policy makers and department administrators regarding the
  tourism  and economic impact of hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife-
  associated recreation in New York state.
    S 2. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new
  section 11-0310 to read as follows:

  S 11-0310. REPORT ON ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FISHING, HUNTING AND TRAPPING.
    1.  COMMENCING  ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION,
  AND EVERY TWO YEARS THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL,  IN  CONJUNCTION
  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER OF
  PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, PREPARE A SUMMARY REPORT ON
  THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FISHING, HUNTING, TRAPPING AND WILDLIFE-ASSOCIAT-
  ED RECREATION IN NEW YORK STATE. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT  NOT  BE
  LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:

    A.  THE  NUMBER  OF  ANGLERS,  HUNTERS, TRAPPERS AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING
  PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARTICIPANTS, IN  NEW  YORK
  STATE, INCLUDING A BREAKDOWN OF RESIDENT AND NON-RESIDENT ANGLERS, HUNT-
  ERS, TRAPPERS AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS;
    B.  THE  FREQUENCY  OF PARTICIPATION OF ANGLERS, HUNTERS, TRAPPERS AND
  WILDLIFE WATCHERS AND HOW MUCH MONEY  THEY  SPEND  ON  THEIR  ACTIVITIES
  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO EXPENDITURES ON EQUIPMENT, BAIT AND TACKLE,
  HOTELS  AND  MOTELS, RESTAURANTS, LODGES AND CAMPS, GROCERY AND HARDWARE
  STORES, AND GUIDE SERVICES; AND
    C. AN ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF JOBS THAT ARE  SUPPORTED  BY  ANGLERS,
  HUNTERS,  TRAPPERS  AND  WILDLIFE-WATCHING  PARTICIPANTS  AS WELL AS THE
  AMOUNT OF SALES TAX AND INCOME TAX GENERATED BY ANGLERS, HUNTERS,  TRAP-
  PERS AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS.
    2. THE RESULTS OF THE REPORT REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBMIT-
  TED  TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING THE CHAIRS OF THE
  ASSEMBLY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMITTEE,
  TOURISM, ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND THE ECONOMIC  DEVEL-
  OPMENT COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE,
  ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSERVATION  COMMITTEE, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS
  AND RECREATION COMMITTEE, AND COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT  AND  SMALL
  BUSINESS COMMITTEE.
    S 3.  This act shall take effect on the first of October next succeed-
  ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall expire and be
  deemed repealed 10 years after such date.