BILL NUMBER: S9462
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to deer
management permits; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relat-
ing thereto
 
PURPOSE: This bill will authorize the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC)to issue deer management permits to the "Northern
Zone" of the state to properly manage deer herds, mitigate tick borne
illnesses, and protect young tree growth.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 paragraph a of subdivision 1 and subdivision 8 of section
11-0913 of the environmental conservation law is amended such that
subparagraph a removes the northern exemption when the additional
harvest of deer is deemed reasonably necessary to manage to deer herd in
the state.
Section 8 removes the exemption of deer management unit thirty-four
provision of this section that applies to the "Northern Zone" of the
state as defined in subdivision sixteen in section 11-0130 is now
removed. It is amended to read that the department of environmental
conservation is authorized and directed to promulgate any rules of regu-
lation necessary to more particularly describe areas of land set forth
in the section.
Section 2 repeals subdivision 9 of section 11-0913 of environmental
conservation law.
Section 3 establishes the immediate effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The "Northern Zone" of New York State, which is demarcated by the North-
ern-Southern Hunting Zone line, is experiencing a surge in tick-borne
illnesses. The Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory has reported a ninefold
increase in pathogen-carrying ticks from 2% in 2019 to 18% in 2025, and
tick activity continues to expand northwards and westward, chiefly via
the surplus of deer herds in the state. This bill intends to mitigate
this public health hazard by giving the DEC authority to issue deer
management permits to hunters in the Northern Zone, which is to be done
in balance with the available deer range and natural food supply of the
state.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2025-26: Introduced.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.