S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                 653--A
    Cal. No. 291

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (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.