Senate Bill S3079

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

                                  3079

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 10, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

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

  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, 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, and wild-
life-associated recreation in the name of  economic  development.    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.   Therefore, this
legislation is intended to provide more accurate and timely  information

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08172-01-9
              

S. 3079                             2

to policy makers and department administrators regarding the tourism and
economic  impact  of hunting, fishing 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 AND HUNTING.
  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, AND WILDLIFE-ASSOCIATED RECRE-
ATION IN NEW YORK STATE. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE  LIMITED
TO, THE FOLLOWING:
  A. THE NUMBER OF ANGLERS, HUNTERS, AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS,
INCLUDING  RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARTICIPANTS, IN NEW YORK STATE, INCLUD-
ING A BREAKDOWN OF RESIDENT AND NON-RESIDENT ANGLERS, HUNTERS, AND WILD-
LIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS;
  B. THE FREQUENCY OF PARTICIPATION OF ANGLERS,  HUNTERS,  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, AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS AS WELL  AS  THE  AMOUNT  OF
SALES   TAX   AND   INCOME   TAX  GENERATED  BY  ANGLERS,  HUNTERS,  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.