NY State Senate Bill 2021-S9090

Senate Bill S9090

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Directs the department of environmental conservation to establish a deer management pilot program in the town of Southold

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 09, 2022	referred to environmental conservation

2021-S9090 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10175
Current Committee:: Senate Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation

2021-S9090 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of environmental conservation to establish a deer management pilot program in the town of Southold.

2021-S9090 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9090

SPONSOR: PALUMBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act directing the department of environmental conservation to estab-
lish a deer management pilot program in the town of Southold

 
PURPOSE:

A Deer Management Pilot Program is to be established within the town of
Southold to limit deer over population and identify potential legisla-
tive solutions.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section I. Establishes a deer management pilot program in the town of
Southold. This pilot program will be under the purview of the Department
of Environmental Conservation and the DEC will be given full authority
to issue, modify or repeal any rules or regulation regarding the recre-
ational deer-hunting season as they deem necessary notwithstanding any
other rule, regulation or provision of law. The DEC will also be granted

authority to regulate deer culling by qualified professionals and estab-
lishing, modifying or repealing regulations for said special permit
holders.

Section 2. Provides for an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The town of Southold is one of the many communities across New York that
are experiencing an explosion in deer population. This has led to a
startling rise in deer vehicle accidents, tick borne illness and ecolog-
ical devastation. Deer evolved under high predatory pressure, experienc-
ing as high as a 40% mortality rate in the wild. The current lack of
natural predators has led to a deer-population which is unmanageable
with the tools currently at our disposal. Over population of deer
threatens forest regeneration, crowds out other herbivores and destroys
property.

Most laws around deer hunting were crafted at a time when they were
considered a scarce resource; today these strict parameters hinder
attempts to effectively limit deer populations to sustainable levels.
Legislative changes are cumbersome and cannot address the on the ground
reality in a timely manner. This pilot program will grant the DEC the
flexibility to issue regulations as needed allowing them to constantly
monitor the changing situation and react quickly. The town of Southold
will work alongside the DEC to develop rules and processes for this
program and this program will service as a blueprint for future partner-
ships between municipalities and the DEC.  It will also help to identify
potential adjustments to the environmental conservation law for imple-
mentation on a statewide level.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2021-S9090 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9090
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT directing the department of environmental conservation to  estab-
   lish a deer management pilot program in the town of Southold
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, or regu-
 lation to the contrary, the department of environmental conservation  is
 hereby  authorized  and  directed  to  establish a deer management pilot
 program in the town of Southold. Such program shall:
   a. set and modify deer hunting seasons and regulate  methods  of  take
 and bag limits in the town of Southold;
   b.  allow  use  of firearms to take deer during the regular season and
 eliminate acreage minimums and special  season  constraints  within  the
 town of Southold;
   c.  regulate crossbow use within the town of Southold, including when,
 where, and who is eligible to use crossbows for the taking of deer;
   d. set conditions under which hunters can receive some form of compen-
 sation for killing deer within the town of Southold;
   e. allow 12- and 13-year-old hunters to hunt deer with the supervision
 of a licensed, experienced adult within the town of Southold;
   f. allow 12- and 13-year-old hunters to hunt  using  firearms  from  a
 tree  stand  within  the  town  of Southold, provided it is a tree stand
 designed to accommodate two or more persons and  provided  further  that
 the supervising, experienced hunter is in the tree stand with the 12- or
 13-year-old;
   g.  allow the department of environmental conservation to establish or
 extend, as needed, a special January firearm season within the  town  of
 Southold;
   h.  allow the department of environmental conservation to regulate the
 standards for the harvesting of bucks or antlered deer within  the  town
 of Southold;
   i.  establish  other  incentives  for hunters and landowners to permit
 public deer hunting on private land within the town of Southold;

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

                                                            LBD15598-02-2
 S. 9090                             2
 
   j. issue any other rules or regulations as deemed necessary within the
 town of Southold;
   k.  regulate  deer  culling  by  qualified professionals under circum-
 stances holding special permits, including:
   (i) authorizing the department of environmental conservation to  issue
 special  permits  for  qualified  professionals under controlled circum-
 stances to conduct professional culling within the town of Southold;
   (ii) granting the department of environmental conservation full  regu-
 latory  authority over the issuance of such special permits and granting
 the department authority to establish any rules and  regulations  neces-
 sary within the town of Southold, including but not limited to:
   (1) authorizing the use of bait within 300 feet of a road;
   (2) authorizing special permit holders to shoot from a vehicle;
   (3)  authorizing  special  permit holders to discharge firearms within
 500 feet of a dwelling or structure;
   (4) authorizing the use of firearms equipped with sound suppression;
   (5) authorizing the use of rifles; and
   (6) any other rules or regulations for such  special  permits  as  the
 department  of  environmental  conservation deems fit within the town of
 Southold.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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