BILL NUMBER: S9345

SPONSOR: PALUMBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the
prohibition of hunting wild deer on state lands adjacent to a licensed
wildlife rehabilitation facility

 
PURPOSE:

To amend provisions of law to prohibit deer hunting on state lands adja-
cent to a wildlife rehabilitation center in the town of Southampton in
the county of Suffolk.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends section 11-0901 of the environmental conservation law
to provide that deer shall not be taken in the town of Southampton,
county of Suffolk on any state lands directly adjacent to the property
where said county has permitted the operation of a licensed wildlife
rehabilitation operation pursuant to section 11-0515.
              

Section 2. Sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In January of 2021, a deer was taken by a hunter in the Henrys Hollow
State Forest in close proximity to and in the direction of the Evelyn
Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center. After an investigation of the incident
by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, remnants
of a discharged bullet were found to have entered a cage housing wild-
life in the Center's care and ultimately landed in an area where several
employees were working at the time, narrowly missing an individual. This
is the most recent incident in a pattern of dangerous hunting activities
near the Wildlife Rescue Center since 2004 when hunting was first
permitted in the area.

Deer hunting adjacent to a wildlife rehabilitation center is an incom-
patible use. Such a conflict also poses an existential threat to the
safety of the organization's employees and volunteers. It is in the
interest of public safety to prohibit deer hunting where such conflicts
exist.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately