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Post by joel on Dec 14, 2008 19:25:40 GMT -5
i read in the paper that they are closing the game farm that raises all the pheasants.worse yet the birds they have now they are going to give away to food pantry's.I feel that our hunting license fees paid for those birds and they should be released so they can be hunted.Im all for helping food pantry's but come on
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Post by CJ on Dec 17, 2008 8:16:11 GMT -5
Joel, I understand your concern and would be upset too. However, pheasants, like brown trout are put and take stocking. meaning they the majority won't live through the winter. Too put them out now would be sentencing them to death by starvation. The food pantry, at this time of year, is probably the best option.
I think somebody once said the rate that survive through the winter is 1 to 2 %...Not very good odds in my book.
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Post by joel on Dec 17, 2008 19:18:13 GMT -5
put em out and let us hunt them
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Post by joel on Dec 18, 2008 20:59:00 GMT -5
they are still taking calls on the matter so call the gov and pete grannis at the DEC i did today
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Post by CJ on Dec 19, 2008 9:07:47 GMT -5
Ok Sportsman now is the time to put up or shut up. Call every Legislator NOW and tell them That this not going to happen and second Judith Enck needs to go
Scott
----- Original Message ----- From: NYSCC President Harold Palmer Subject: FW: Pheasant Press Release
Hello everyone I have been in cummunication with many people in DEC including Commissioner Grannis and have tried to talk to Governor Patterson but all calls are refered and end with Judith Enck, about the closure of the pheasant farm, and the future of the pheasant stocking in New York State. The bad news is that there is no plans for any pheasant stocking. I do have meeting set up with both Commissioner Grannis and Judith Enck but it does not look good.
I have attached a copy of my press release please get it to your local papers as a letter to the editor and a press release, you may give reporters my phone number 607-638-9013, let me know what papers it goes to and if they printed it. Also contact the Governor and your Senators and Assembly person with this info. By losing the pheasant stocking program we could lose 100,000 plus acres of private lands that had been open because of the stockings.
Thanks Harold Palmer President New York State Conservation Council
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Post by CJ on Dec 19, 2008 12:09:01 GMT -5
Sportsmen are furious that Governor Paterson is giving away pheasants that they, the sportsmen, paid for.
I would like to set the record straight about the pheasant program in New York State. Sportsmen’s dollars from the sale of hunting licenses, along with Federal reimbursements for taxes paid on hunting equipment, have paid for raising and releasing pheasants. These pheasants have generated many millions of dollars each year to New York State’s economy, and many youth have learned a great deal about wildlife from raising pheasants in the day-old chick program. According to DEC's Small Game Hunter Survey for 2006-07, approximately 60,000 hunters harvested 130,000 pheasants statewide, while spending 262,000 days afield. Also according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, small game hunters spent approximately $600 per person per year on trip and equipment related expenses. Then add to that many pheasant hunters also raise one or two dogs to hunt with, these hunters each contribute several hundred to a couple of thousand dollars to the local and State economies each year in their pursuit of the birds. If $600 is spent per pheasant hunter, that adds up to $36 million each year. In the 2006/2007 hunting license year, 552,134 resident and non-resident sportsmen and women bought hunting licenses that would allow them to hunt pheasants in New York State. A resident small game license costs $16 and a non-resident license costs $55. The state receives over $9 million each year from the licenses these hunters purchase to have the opportunity to hunt small game which includes pheasants. What amount will be saved by closing the pheasant farm? Not the $750,000 that Governor Paterson has stated. The largest expense incurred in raising the birds is the cost of staff and fringe benefits. No staff will be laid off - they will just be moved to other jobs. Feed for the breeder birds was ordered through March; will the State have to pay for it? Maybe $350,000 of the sportsmen’s money will be saved to use for something else; but how much will be lost in revenue because of the loss of the program? These 9,000-plus breeder pheasants had their wings clipped to prevent them from flying so that they could be kept in a pen with no netting over the top. While it would be unethical to turn them loose now, when spring comes they would have new flight feathers and could be released. All birds that are released in the wild for hunting have not had their wings clipped and are able to fly Only 8,000 will be slaughtered and processed to be given to the needy; the remainder are going to game bird breeders. Where is the money coming from for the processing of these pheasants? Pheasants survive and adjust to the wild and reproduce in many parts of New York State where habitat is adequate. The closing of the pheasant farm appears to be motivated by some other agenda than to save money. Could it be that someone wants to purchase the farm; and by shutting down a money-making operation now they can do just that. It appears that the Governor has over stepped his bounds in taking state property and giving it to private individuals.
The New York State Conservation Council (NYSCC) represents over 300,000 sportsmen/conservationists from across New York State. NYSCC was started in 1933 to help secure and manage our natural resources for future generations and to protect the rights of sportsmen/conservationists.
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Post by zemmer18 on Dec 20, 2008 9:16:08 GMT -5
After reading this there seems to be some assumptions that don't make sense. Hopefully someone will get some straight answers, such as, if the state is looking to save money by closing the farm and the Governor estimates the savings at $750,000, what is NY states "other" plans for these savings afterward?
Also, not to be a stickler but the numbers from the hunter survey that are posted show that for a 2 year period, hunters spent 262,000 days afield. I believe that should've been hours and not days but the math works out to approx. 182 days and yes my math teachers would be proud of me for catching that.
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Post by zemmer18 on Dec 26, 2008 12:02:09 GMT -5
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Post by joel on Dec 29, 2008 10:40:13 GMT -5
any new news?
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Post by CJ on Jan 12, 2009 8:16:56 GMT -5
1/11/09
“ SAVE THE PHEASANT PROGRAM”
On behalf of the sportsmen/women, 4-H and Cooperator Chick program, youth hunting, traditional recreation, economic stability for hunting related jobs, the Rensselaer County Conservation Alliance Inc. is in the process of ascertaining an INJUNCTION against the N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation to cease the proposed plan to close the Reynolds Game Farm. Closing the game farm would wipe out any chance to develop a pheasant program in N.Y.S. Individuals, clubs sponsors can financially support this effort by contacting us immediately with your commitment . An accounting of all funds will be kept thru the Rensselaer County Alliance Inc. and used for the legal defense and professional team support. Any monies derived from this effort left over will be returned on a cost/ ratio basis. Not only is the Pheasant Program in danger, but this is a test of what the stakeholders of the Conservation Fund will pursue and what the future of fishing , hunting and trapping means to New York Staters.
Contact for support: PH# (518) 674-2961 Fax (518) 674-0448 e-mail ccshng3@aol.com Checks to : Rensselaer County Conservation Alliance Inc. P. O. Box 1055 Troy, New York 12181
With respect to the sad state of affairs, Howie Cushing Jr. R.C.C.A. President
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Post by CJ on Jan 14, 2009 9:39:16 GMT -5
“ Save the Pheasant Program” Update
Obtained legal counsel a plan is in place. Moving forward with negotiation to save the Pheasant Program. I need commitments in the form of letters addressed to the Governor stating that stakeholders will support actions to save the Pheasant Program . Send letters to the Governor and a copy to me to back up our plan. I am under advice form legal counsel not to divulge any information about the plan at this point.
Contact for support: PH# (518) 674-2961 Fax (518) 674-0448 e-mail ccshng3@aol.com
Checks made out to: Rensselaer County Conservation Alliance Inc. P.O. Box 1055 Troy, New York 12181
With respect to the sad state of affairs Howie Cushing Jr. R.C.C.A. President
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Post by CJ on Jan 17, 2009 8:44:19 GMT -5
GOVERNOR PATERSON DIRECTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION TO EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING STREAM TO FULLY FUND THE PHEASANT FARM OPERATION
Small Game Hunting Brings Millions of Dollars to the Upstate Economy
Hunters Commit to Partner with State to Preserve Savings and Economic Benefits from Hunting
Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he has directed the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to halt the closure of the Reynolds Game Farm in Tompkins County as state officials and hunting groups explore options to fully support the costs of the program with increased license fees.
“The State has long recognized the economic impact hunters and their industry provide for New York State,” said Governor Paterson. “I am pleased that sportsmen and women have joined us to help find creative ways to weather the state’s fiscal crisis while preserving programs important to them.”
According to DEC, approximately 60,000 sportsmen and women hunt pheasants in New York State each year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has estimated that small game hunters spent approximately $600 per person per year on excursions and equipment-related expenses in 2006, contributing potentially millions of dollars to the State economy.
Since the closure of the farm was proposed, hunting groups have advanced several proposals to establish increased license fees or other hunting related fees to support program costs. In consideration of this effort, the Governor has requested that DEC develop a fee structure that will generate new revenues to the Conservation Fund that would fully offset the operational and capital costs of the facility. If sufficient resources can be identified, operation of the Game Farm would continue in State Fiscal Year 2009-10. Governor Paterson asked DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis to explore a sustainable, hunting related funding stream to cover the expenses of the farm without the use of State dollars. Other long term options to sustain the State’s pheasant stocking program could also be explored.
The farm, located outside of Ithaca, propagates pheasants for the hunting season. Operating costs are more than $750,000 per year – $400,000 of that in personnel. State law permits pheasant hunting through a $16 small game license. The Reynolds Game Farm is largely paid for through the Conservation Fund, although the Fund’s annual deficits have required the use of State dollars to keep the farm operating.
Money from hunting and fishing licenses is dedicated to the Conservation Fund, which helps support a number of programs including fish hatcheries, sporting license databases, wildlife health monitoring studies and stream and lake surveys.
All pheasants distributed through the pheasant stocking program are released, either by DEC or other cooperators, on land open to the public for pheasant hunting. On an annual basis, the pheasant stocking program typically produces:
- 25,000 adult pheasants that are raised on site and distributed by DEC. - 60,000 day-old pheasant chicks that are distributed to and released by 160 4-H clubs, numerous sportsmen’s clubs and five New York State prisons each year. - 15,000 young pheasants distributed to individual landowners. - 1,600 adult pheasants for special hunts including people with disabilities and youths (ages 12 to 15).
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Post by bubba on Jan 17, 2009 17:49:27 GMT -5
farm
Media Release
WATERTOWN, N.Y., Jan. 16, 2009 — State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine today thanked Gov. David A. Paterson for reversing a decision to close the Reynolds Game Farm and instead explore new funding options to preserve the program.
"I'm extremely pleased that Gov. Paterson has reconsidered a move that would have ended the pheasant propagation program in New York State," Sen. Aubertine said. "I want to thank him for listening to me, Sen. Valesky and the scores of sportsmen from across this state who spoke out on this issue. Closing the game farm would not have helped us close our budget gap and might well have reduced the revenue generated by hunting licenses and even tourism."
Sens. Aubertine and David J. Valesky wrote the governor in December to express their adamant opposition to closing the Reynolds Game Farm, criticizing flawed cost savings assumptions and a flawed decision making process that did not include input from the Legislature. The governor's office had initially said the birds would be slaughtered, but that never happened, giving these lawmakers and sportsmen time to have the decision reversed.
"We've been in conversations with the DEC and the Governor for the past month and this is a win not only for the hunters of this state, but the state as a whole," Sen. Aubertine said. "I'd also like to thank DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis for his work and his recognition of how important this stocking program is."
Former Assemblyman and chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Wildlife Management thingy Smith of Erie County, an avid hunter and fisherman and member of several sportsmen's groups including Bison City Rod & Gun Club and the New York State Conservation Council said: "I want to applaud Sen. Aubertine and Sen. Valesky for their efforts in working with Gov. Paterson and his administration to protect the game farm. This program is very important to hunters across the state and these lawmakers have worked with sportsmen and the governor to find an alternative to eliminating it altogether."
Bill Stage, a hunter and member of the Sackets Harbor Sportsmen's Club said: "This helped out a whole bunch of sportsmen in Northern New York. I'm very happy and very pleased it's been reinstated. I'm thankful for the representation we've received from Sen. Aubertine and Sen. Valesky on this issue. Without their pressure I'm not sure we would have seen this happen.
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Post by WNY_Whitetailer on Jan 18, 2009 5:20:34 GMT -5
Score one for the good guys...For now.
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Post by joel on Jan 19, 2009 22:04:02 GMT -5
thanks for the update i've been gone for awhile
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