S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    783
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Ways and Means
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to an
   urban deer management pilot program; and providing for the  repeal  of
   such provisions upon expiration thereof

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by  adding  a
 new section 11-0522 to read as follows:
 § 11-0522. URBAN DEER MANAGEMENT PILOT PROGRAM.
   1.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, "CERTIFIED NUISANCE WILDLIFE
 SPECIALIST" SHALL MEAN AN EMPLOYEE OF OR A CONTRACTOR FOR THE FEDERAL OR
 STATE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND ACTING PURSUANT
 TO A DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHO HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE  DEPARTMENT  AS
 COMPLYING  WITH  THE  CRITERIA  ESTABLISHED  BY THE DEPARTMENT THAT AT A
 MINIMUM REQUIRE:
   A. A MINIMUM LEVEL OF MARKSMANSHIP CERTIFICATION  APPROPRIATE  TO  THE
 FIREARM  OR  HUNTING  IMPLEMENT  TO  BE  USED, INCLUDING ONGOING CERTIF-
 ICATION;
   B. LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE LEVELS OR OTHER FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
 APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT; AND
   C. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT MAY, AFTER REVIEWING THE CITY  OF  SYRACUSE'S  SITE-
 SPECIFIC  DEER  MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND UPON A FINDING BY THE CITY OF SYRA-
 CUSE THAT DEER HAVE BECOME A NUISANCE, DESTRUCTIVE TO PUBLIC OR  PRIVATE
 PROPERTY  OR  A  THREAT  TO  PUBLIC HEALTH OR WELFARE, ISSUE A CERTIFIED
 NUISANCE WILDLIFE SPECIALIST A DEER CULL PERMIT FOR USE WITHIN THE BOUN-
 DARIES OF THE CITY SYRACUSE.
   3. EACH CULL PERMIT APPLICATION SHALL AT A  MINIMUM  INCLUDE  REQUIRE-
 MENTS  FOR:  THE TIMEFRAME DURING WHICH THE PERMIT MUST BE USED, A SITE-
 SPECIFIC DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN, A GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA  FOR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00592-01-3
              

 A. 783                              2
 
 WHICH THE PERMIT IS BEING REQUESTED, A WRITTEN CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF
 SYRACUSE,  REQUESTS FOR ANY AUTHORIZATION PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISIONS THREE
 AND NINE OF SECTION 11-0505 OF THIS TITLE, SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  SECTION
 11-0901  OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  AND  SUBDIVISIONS  TWO  AND FOUR OF SECTION
 11-0931 OF THIS ARTICLE, PROVIDED THAT  ANY  SUCH  AUTHORIZATION  SUBSE-
 QUENTLY  GRANTED  SHALL  BE  EXPLICITLY INCLUDED ON ANY CULL PERMIT, AND
 DETAILS REGARDING EXPECTED LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTICIPATION.
   4. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS REQUIRING OR OBLIGAT-
 ING THE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE A PERMIT TO TAKE DEER WHEN  IN  ITS  OPINION
 THE  NUISANCE,  DESTRUCTION  OF  PROPERTY OR THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND
 WELFARE WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVELY ABATED THEREBY.
   § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 11-0505 of the  environmental  conserva-
 tion  law, as amended by chapter 135 of the laws of 1982, is amended and
 a new subdivision 9 is added to read as follows:
   3. No deer or bear traps shall be made, set or used upon land inhabit-
 ed by deer or bear. No salt lick shall be made, set or  used  upon  land
 inhabited by deer or bear, except that:
   A.  the  department  may  do so on state wildlife refuges and wildlife
 management areas; AND
   B. A CERTIFIED NUISANCE  WILDLIFE  SPECIALIST  WITH  A  PERMIT  ISSUED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION 11-0522 OF THIS TITLE MAY DO SO PROVIDED THAT SUCH
 ACTIVITIES ARE IN FURTHERANCE OF THE SITE-SPECIFIC DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
   9. A CERTIFIED NUISANCE  WILDLIFE  SPECIALIST  WITH  A  PERMIT  ISSUED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  11-0522 OF THIS TITLE MAY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
 PARAMETERS OF SUCH PERMIT AND THE PARTICIPATION OF  LOCAL  LAW  ENFORCE-
 MENT,  ENTICE DEER IN THE MANNER PROHIBITED IN SUBDIVISION EIGHT OF THIS
 SECTION PROVIDED THAT SUCH ACTIVITIES ARE IN FURTHERANCE  OF  THE  SITE-
 SPECIFIC DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
   §  3.  Subdivision 2 of section 11-0901 of the environmental conserva-
 tion law is amended to read as follows:
   2. Wildlife shall not be taken on or from any public highway, except:
   A. that in the forest preserve counties it may be taken from  highways
 other than state, county or town highways; AND
   B.  BY  A  CERTIFIED NUISANCE WILDLIFE SPECIALIST WITH A PERMIT ISSUED
 PURSUANT TO SECTION 11-0522 OF THIS ARTICLE PROVIDED  THAT  SUCH  ACTIV-
 ITIES ARE IN FURTHERANCE OF THE SITE-SPECIFIC DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
   §  4. Subdivision 2 and subparagraph 1 of paragraph b of subdivision 4
 of section 11-0931 of the environmental conservation law, as amended  by
 section  8  of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, are amended to
 read as follows:
   2. A. No crossbow or firearm except a  pistol  or  revolver  shall  be
 carried or possessed in or on a motor vehicle unless it is uncocked, for
 a  crossbow or unloaded, for a firearm in both the chamber and the maga-
 zine, except that a loaded firearm which may be legally used for  taking
 migratory  game  birds  may be carried or possessed in a motorboat while
 being legally used in hunting migratory game birds,  and  B.  no  person
 except  a  law  enforcement  officer  in the performance of his official
 duties OR A CERTIFIED NUISANCE WILDLIFE SPECIALIST WITH A PERMIT  ISSUED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION 11-0522 OF THIS ARTICLE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH ACTIV-
 ITIES ARE IN FURTHERANCE OF  THE  SITE-SPECIFIC  DEER  MANAGEMENT  PLAN,
 shall,  while  in  or  on a motor vehicle, use a jacklight, spotlight or
 other artificial light upon lands inhabited by deer if he or she  is  in
 possession  or  is  accompanied by a person who is in possession, at the
 time of such use, of a longbow, crossbow or a firearm of any kind except
 a pistol or revolver, unless such longbow or  crossbow  is  unstrung  or
 such firearm or crossbow is taken down or securely fastened in a case or
 A. 783                              3
 
 locked  in  the  trunk of the vehicle. For purposes of this subdivision,
 motor vehicle shall mean every vehicle or other device operated  by  any
 power other than muscle power, and which shall include but not be limit-
 ed  to  automobiles,  trucks, motorcycles, tractors, trailers and motor-
 boats, snowmobiles and snowtravelers, whether operated on or off  public
 highways.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  this  subdivision,  the
 department may issue a permit  to  any  person  who  is  non-ambulatory,
 except  with the use of a mechanized aid, to possess a loaded firearm in
 or on a motor vehicle as  defined  in  this  section,  subject  to  such
 restrictions  as  the  department  may deem necessary in the interest of
 public safety. Nothing in this  section  permits  the  possession  of  a
 pistol or a revolver contrary to the penal law.
   (1) The owner or lessee of the dwelling house, or members of his imme-
 diate  family  actually  residing therein, or a person in his employ, or
 the guest of the owner or lessee of the dwelling house acting  with  the
 consent  of  said owner or lessee, provided however, that nothing herein
 shall be deemed to authorize such persons to discharge a firearm  within
 five hundred feet, a long bow within one hundred fifty feet, or a cross-
 bow within two hundred fifty feet of any other dwelling house, or a farm
 building or farm structure actually occupied or used, or a school build-
 ing  or  playground,  public  structure,  or occupied factory or church;
 PROVIDED FURTHER, THAT A WILDLIFE SPECIALIST WITH A PERMIT ISSUED PURSU-
 ANT TO SECTION 11-0522 OF THIS ARTICLE ACTING IN FURTHERANCE OF THE SITE
 SPECIFIC DEER MANAGEMENT  PLAN  MAY  DISCHARGE  A  FIREARM  WITHIN  FIVE
 HUNDRED FEET OF ANY DWELLING HOUSES, STRUCTURES, SCHOOLS OR PLAYGROUNDS,
 PROVIDED THAT THE OWNERS OR LESSEES THEREOF HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY CERTI-
 FIED MAIL OF THE DATE AND TIME OF THE EXPECTED ACTIVITY, AND DISCHARGE A
 FIREARM  WITHIN  TWO  HUNDRED FIFTY FEET OF SUCH DWELLING HOUSES, STRUC-
 TURES, SCHOOLS OR PLAYGROUNDS PROVIDED THAT ALL THE  OWNERS  OR  LESSEES
 THEREOF HAVE PROVIDED WRITTEN CONSENT;
   § 5. The department of environmental conservation, following consulta-
 tion  with  the  city  of  Syracuse shall prepare a report examining the
 effectiveness of the urban deer  management  pilot  program  established
 pursuant  to  section  11-0522  of the environmental conservation law in
 addressing deer  overpopulation  and  the  effectiveness  in  addressing
 destruction  to  public  or  private property in the city of Syracuse as
 well as the impacts on surrounding communities. The report shall include
 estimates regarding the size of the deer population in the city of Syra-
 cuse prior to the issuance of deer  cull  permits  pursuant  to  section
 11-0522  of  the  environmental  conservation  law,  the  number of cull
 permits issued, and the number of deer  taken.  The  report  shall  also
 include  recommendations  for program improvements, including the poten-
 tial effectiveness of authorizing future programs.  The report shall  be
 delivered to the governor, the speaker of the assembly and the temporary
 president of the senate, as well as published on the department's public
 website,  no  later  than thirty months after the effective date of this
 act.
   § 6. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed three years after such date.