Senate Resolution No. 2230

BY: Senator GRIFFO

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
September 26, 2026, as Hunting and Fishing Day in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, The great State of New York has a rich and storied
tradition of hunting and angling that dates back farther than the State
itself and exists to this day; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 26, 2026, as Hunting and
Fishing Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with National
Hunting and Fishing Day; and

WHEREAS, In 1972, National Hunting and Fishing Day was established
to celebrate and recognize hunters and anglers for their immense
contributions to fish and wildlife conservation and our society; and

WHEREAS, Hunting and angling continue to be integral components of
the cultural fabric of communities throughout the State of New York, and
in recent years, have offered a growing number of participants an
opportunity to connect with nature on a personal level while
simultaneously providing food security, a sense of self-sufficiency, and
both mental and physical health benefits; and

WHEREAS, New York State's sportsmen and women were among the first
conservationists to support the establishment of the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation to conserve fish, wildlife, and
their habitats, and through their license fees, helped fund the State's
efforts to provide for healthy and sustainable natural resources; and

WHEREAS, Realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to
restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, New York
State's sportsmen and women supported self-imposed excise taxes on
firearms and ammunition, fishing tackle, and motorboat fuels to raise
additional conservation funds; and

WHEREAS, Today, the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation is primarily funded by sportsmen and women through the
American System of Conservation Funding, a "user pays-public benefits"
approach that is widely recognized as the most successful model for
funding fish and wildlife management in the world; and

WHEREAS, New York State's sportsmen and women generated more than
$76 million through the American System of Conservation Funding to
support the conservation efforts of the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 1.4 million hunters and anglers supported the
State's economy through their spending, contributing to the billions of
dollars spent on outdoor activities in New York State; and

WHEREAS, According to the most recent data from the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, on the national level, sportsmen and women spent more

than $41 billion on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting; this
does not include spending on items such as trips, travel, or license
fees that were necessary for their participation; this spending helped
fuel the outdoor economy which comprised 1.7% of New York State's GDP
that same year; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 26, 2026, as
Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.