BILL NUMBER: S8693
SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
excluding certain amphibians and reptiles from the definition of small
game; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill removes certain amphibians and reptiles from the list of small
game that can be taken with a hunting or fishing license in New York.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Environmental Conservation Law 110103 to remove native
frogs, excluding bullfrogs, salamanders, turtles, excluding snapping
turtles, and lizards from the definition of small game.
Section 2 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0701(4) to remove
frogs, excluding bullfrogs, from the category of animals that may be
taken under a fishing license.
Section 3 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0703(6) (a) to remove
frogs, except bullfrogs, from the category of animals that may not be
taken without a fishing license.
Section 4 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0707(1) (c) to remove
frogs, except bullfrogs, from the category of animals that may be taken
without a fishing license on agricultural properties.
Section 5 amends Environmental Conservation Law 110901(3) (c) to remove
frogs, excluding bullfrogs, from the list of animals that may be hunted
by longbow, gun, raptors, spearing, catching with the hands, or by use
of a club or hook, and allows DEC to determine the manner of taking for
bullfrogs.
Section 6 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0903(2) to remove
frogs, except bullfrogs salamanders, turtles, expect snapping turtles,
and lizards from the list of animals for which DEC may annually estab-
lish open season and bag limits.
Section 7 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0905(2) (t) and (u)
to remove the same animals from the table of open season and bag limits.
Section 8 amend Environmental Conservation Law 11-0905(2) to removes
frogs, except bull frogs, from the table of open season and bag limits.
Section 9 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0103 (6) to amend the
definition of "protected wildlife" and adds a new definition of "wild
reptiles" and "wild amphibians"
Section 10 provides an effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
We are experiencing a global extinction crisis 'driven by climate
change, habitat destruction, and pollution. Amphibians and reptiles are
among the most endangered animal species on the planet. 40% of amphibi-
ans worldwide are threatened with extinction. 60% of the world's turtles
are threatened or already extinct.
There are two amphibians and ten reptiles currently listed as threatened
or endangered in New York, with an additional ten species on the special
concern list. New York does not have a baseline inventory of populations
of native frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, snakes, lizards or turtles
so we do not know the extent of the decline in our state over the last
decades. Anecdotally, it is high. The DEC Atlas project has attempted
to map distributions of our amphibians and reptiles and is currently
using volunteers to collect more data on these animals, but many local
populations are already in severe decline or extirpated.
Given the extreme threat to these sensitive creatures, it is common
sense to prohibit a further reduction in their populations due to hunt-
ing. This bill would remove certain amphibians and reptiles from the
list of animals that can be taken as small game in our state. The bill
will not affect nuisance permits or the rights of farmers to take
certain animals on their own farmland.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effective immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8693: 11-0103 environmental conservation law, 11-0103(2) environmental conservation law