Proposed Trout & Salmon Stamp

[Tim Bromund]

geez, you hear a bunch of whining snaggers, liners and rippers complaining about CO's doing their job? Cry me a freaking river for those slobs. Sorry if it negatively affects your business, but we don't need those clowns on the water.

Everywhere else you look all you see is complaints that there is no CO presence on the tribs and how those knobs ruin the fishing experience for those that actually want to fish for em legitimately.

Tim

[luv2fish]

I just read through some of the budget link with the description of the new fees and taxes. Its pure lunacy. Car registrations fees (up 25%), driver licenses renewals (up 25%), wine and beer taxes (doubling), a $200 fee to hire a NYS retiree, establish a seed dealer license ($100/yr) for seed labelers and distributors, establishes a processing fee for filing your taxes on paper ($10), and a whole litany of other moronic ideas. I dont want to pay another $10 to fish for trout/salmon and neither do my clients. My other concern here is the $19 nys and $40 out of state new "Marine fishing license".....according to the 2008-2009 freshwater fishing regs a annual license for residents is $19 and annual non-resident is $40. I dont see a real description of what this "new" license is. Could it actually be a second license, effectively doubling the cost of your fishing license? Do the math on what that would cost your customers before they even set foot on your boat! Even as a resident, if you pay the current $19 annual fishing license fee and then pay the new "marine fishing license" and the $10 trout/salmon stamp, you are forking over $48 in fees before you even wet a line. I hope I am reading that incorrectly, but all of the other fees seem to be doubling, so why not the fishing license???? Oh yeah, did I mention they repealed the sales tax cap (.08 cents per gal) on gasoline and diesel fuel? Just in time too, diesel fuel is already down to $2.89 a gallon! Jackasses.

[jimski2]

Consider the loss of resale value of your boat and equipment that you have a big investment in if the salmon hatchery is closed down.

[rail bird]

"My other concern here is the $19 nys and $40 out of state new "Marine fishing license".....according to the 2008-2009 freshwater fishing regs a annual license for residents is $19 and annual non-resident is $40. I dont see a real description of what this "new" license is. Could it actually be a second license, effectively doubling the cost of your fishing license? Do the math on what that would cost your customers before they even set foot on your boat! Even as a resident, if you pay the current $19 annual fishing license fee and then pay the new "marine fishing license" and the $10 trout/salmon stamp, you are forking over $48 in fees before you even wet a line. I hope I am reading that incorrectly, but all of the other fees seem to be doubling, so why not the fishing license????"

I have not seen the specifics but I assume that the Marine fishing license will be for salt water fishing only. North Carolina introduced this 2 years ago and I pay $10 for a 10 day non resident license to fish off the beach. The 6 pack charters pay $250/ year to cover all pasengers so they do not need to buy a licsense too fish off the boat.

[LongLine]

It’s amazing that Gov. Paterson announced his tax increase plan do close to the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. (Dec 16, 1773) History buffs will tell you that the tea tax jumped a whopping penny per pound or 33%. According to Benjamin Franklin (who resisted the tea tax): the average American consumed 10 Lbs per year and averaged 1-2 shillings per day in earnings. (12-24 cents) We all know this is one factor that led to an important event. i.e. The American Revolution.

A near 50% increase as the monies will not be used soley for the fishery.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[big easy]

Well,I' have to disagree on us "out of staters" being the only ones paying the ten dollar stamp fee.My crew and I probably dump more than five grand a season in NY.

I support motels,tackle shops,boat yards,marinas,with my money,and that's a conservative estimate.

I love western NY,and have met so many people,and made so many friends there,that i feel like a native.

I've actually given serious thought to retiring there,as the cost of real estate is so much less than Massachusetts,where i live.

If the fishing went to hell,and the cost of it all gets a lot worse,then I'd just tow the boat home,and fish the ocean as it's only an hour and a half from my home,versus six to Olcott.

Loss of out of state money from people like me,would only result in higher costs for NEW Yorkers

I think new york,is a lot like Massachusetts,only on a larger scale.Lots of money is wasted on give away social programs that predominately benefit the folks in the large cities.(ie: Boston, & NYC)and leave the rest of us, who actually work every day,and are productive having to bear the burden.

In western Ma.where i live we feel like we don't belong to Ma.and the folks in the statehouse treat us like second class citizens,yet they love to vacation in the Berkshires,along with the NYC crowd.

I'm sure you guys in Western NY feel the same way about Albany and NYC.

It's important to vote for the politician who will be on your side (if that's at all possible)It's time for sportsmen to become more vocal,more calls to their senators and congressmen.More emails to them explaining that they won't get your vote,unless they act on your behalf.It's not an easy fight,but it's one that has to be fought.

[Silver Fox]

I forgot to mention that people receiving welfare are getting a 10% raise in each of the next 3 years. Sorry, just thought I'd stir the pot more.

[traveling man]

did you guys know that our governor is in Iraq? Who paid for his trip over there? why is he there? HE'S BLIND he can't see anything. I bet that trip cost a couple hundred thousand for him and his aids.

[Iceman]

I did not know that Patterson had Aids??? Thanks for sharing this important information. As we all know he is only rivaled by Bill "Bubba" Clinton in his extramartial affairs. Wonder which skank gave the aids to him?

[FX]

Good one! I heard he went over there to secretly meet with the "Big Three" auto exec's and figure out a way for NY'ers to bail them out by being taxed more!!! Bigest topic was coming up with a way to tax flatulence! If they were really smart, they would figure out a way to make cars run on flatulence. That way Ray would have a new van every year and still be able to afford more tackle

Shawn

[borderline 350]

Dear Fellow Fisher..people,

I am the holder of a Lifetime Sportsman License. This $10.00 stamp is a NYS government rip-off. The sports...people of this state (and other states) pay their way in taxes on every item they use in pursuit of these interests. The money (tax dollars) is taken by the "State" and used for all the wrong reasons today. The recent destruction of the NYS pheasant farm by Gov. Patterson is only the tip of the iceberg! A recent closing of a 100 year old sports shooting club by the DEC because of lead shot falling into a wetlands area that the DEC recommended for "Beaver Development" in 1975 is another terrible example of the power of our government.

Enough ranting, simple solution, DO NOT BUY A STAMP!" PLAY Catch & Release".

Defy the DEC and tell them you are fishng for another species! Or only have one person on board with a stamp and the rest of you are fishing for perch! Their are ways to peacefully protest this taxation. Just be warned, that the DEC will give you a ticket even if they THINK you circum vented a regulation!

UNHAPPY TAX PAYER IN NYS

Jet Boat Bill

[carpedium]

So this is crap.

[blueghost1]

Looks like alot of "bass and pike" trolling this year . If this fee passes I have no prob. if it goes back into the waterways and not our wonderful welfare system

[10thMTNDAVE]

Doesn't this proposal effect next year (If passed) as most have already purchased this year's license? Unless I am mistaken the license year is October 1st 2008 - September 30th 2009. I guess they could always make it retro-active.

Still doesn't make it any better to have your own government playing shell games with money the vast majority of folks would not mind paying if it was guaranteed to support programs they were designed to.

[L&M]

Still doesn't make it any better to have your own government playing shell games with money the vast majority of folks would not mind paying if it was guaranteed to support programs they were designed to.

Dave: That is the big issue and the way it's written if it passes, it won't take effect until Oct. 2009.

[Rainbow]

Instead of Fees..Legalize drugs and Prostitution...Tax All Religion..Close Jails,Consolidate Police,Schools,Hospitals,End Welfare Individual and Corporate.Close Firehouses .Consolidate Water and Sewer authorities.Abolish Local and State government.End Medicare/Medicaid..

End Illegal Immigration and Outsourcing by Jailing Employers of Such..(Lots of Room in Jails)

Gone Fishing!!!

[dcso]

hey keith, i'm with yankee. this state needs audit done by the working man. Being a local gov employee I see in my own backyard how screwed up they are, its insane. there should be no money in politics, not one dime!. its all about mauvering and position and what they stand to gain for themselves. if there wasnt any finacial gain from being an elected official we wouldnt have half the problems we have today. yup i'm jilted!. whatever happend to doing something because it was the right thing to do? Oh well, that why i fish, helps me forget about the bull.

[ERABBIT]

Part KK - Establish a trout and salmon stamp

Purpose:

This bill would amend the Environmental Conservation Law to establish a

trout and salmon stamp and require all persons fishing for trout and

salmon (e.g., trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, and Pacific salmon)

to possess such stamp.

Statement in Support, Summary of Provisions, Existing Law, and Prior

Legislative History:

A trout and salmon stamp would generate additional revenues to support

the Conservation Fund, which funds the Department of Environmental

Conservation's management of New York's trout and salmon resources, as

well as the operation of the Department's hatchery system. Approximately

one-third of all freshwater fishing activity in New York is for trout

and salmon. Fish reared in Department hatcheries and stocked into New

York waters sustain a significant amount of resident and non- resident

fishing activity in New York.

Budget Implications:

Enactment of this bill is necessary to implement the 2009-10 Executive

Budget. Fully effective revenues of $4 million would be deposited into

the Conservation Fund, which would otherwise have a negative balance of

$9.8 million.

Effective Date:

This bill takes effect of October 1, 2009.

Part LL - Establish a recreational marine fishing license

Purpose:

This bill would amend the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) to estab-

lish a recreational marine fishing license, and require all persons

fishing in the marine and coastal district, or for migratory fish of the

sea in any waters of the state, to possess such a license. The marine

fishing license would also serve as a registry of New York marine

anglers and would fulfill requirements of the National Saltwater Angler

Registry and State Exemption Program. The license fee would be $19 for

residents and $40 for non-residents. Statement in Support, Summary of

Provisions, Existing Law, and Prior Legislative History:

On January 12, 2007, the Federal Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation

and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 was enacted, requiring the

Secretary of Commerce (SOC) to make improvements to recreational fisher-

ies surveys, including implementing a national saltwater angler and

for-hire vessel registry by January 1, 2009. The SOC may exempt from the

Federal registration requirements anglers and vessels that are regis-

tered or licensed by a state if the state provides sufficient identifi-

cation and contact information for use in national recreational surveys.

If New York does not establish a recreational marine license, New York-

ers who wish to fish will need to register with the National Marine

Fisheries Service (NMFS) beginning January 1, 2009, and likely pay a fee

for registration beginning January 1, 2011. The proposed marine fishing

license will satisfy the requirements of the registry program; there-

fore, New Yorkers will not be inconvenienced by having to register with

NMFS. Instead, they could purchase a license through the Department of

Environmental Conservation (DEC) Automated Licensing System (DECALS) and

DEC would provide the required information to NMFS. In addition, the New

York marine fishing license fees would be deposited into the Conserva-

tion Fund to support resource management in New York, rather than be

payable to the NMFS, and would result in additional Federal aid for New

York programs.

Budget Implications:

Enactment of this bill is necessary to implement the 2009-10 Executive

Budget; moreover, this bill would satisfy a Federal requirement to

establish a Marine Fishery registry. Fully effective revenues of $6

million would be deposited into the Conservation Fund, which would

otherwise have a negative balance of $9.8 million.

Effective Date:

This bill takes effect October 1, 2009.

[jimski2]

Pennsylvania has a 40 mile strip of Lake Erie, yet the anglers there welcomed a $5 Lake Erie Stamp for their licenses to support the fishery there. What is the matter with you people. NY's house of cards government has collapsed. Even the foreign owned steel company Mittal is leaving the state. You can not get $5,000 for a 24 foot boat. We need this stamp and its money otherwise we will be fishing from the piers again.

[ReelLaxing]

The problem is that the stamp has nothing to do with supporting the fishery or the lake, but rather some "general fund" item unrelated to fishing altogether. If the stamp were specifically to support and improve our salmon and trout program most would probably support it but NY doesn't work that way. They want fisherman to pay more so they can support some other budget item, not fishing. I'm totally against it for this reason.

Stand by, the more concerning issue looming is the support of the trout and salmon stocking program. They stopped the pheasant program, you know they are looking at others.

[Billy V]

We need this stamp about as much as we need to continue funding the social programs in NYC! How about the friggin' govt. does the right thing for once and balances the budget by cutting back on those downstate handouts and by cutting back on internal government excesses? The only reason that he's proposing this stamp is to cover the huge budget cut he's planning for the DEC. In my eyes, this is not like the situation in PA whatsoever. Their money is going to help support a conservation program. Our proposed stamp does nothing but cover a massive budget cut so that we can continue to support those NYC social programs and keep the politicians living like they're accustomed to. Wake up people!! If we just sit here and accept these proposals and hope that our fishery will survive then we're all going to deserve every change that the man makes. We need to fight to preserve our way of life, not just sit back and willingly take what they shove down our throats. I've personally had enough. I'd recommend that all of you who feel like I do write to your Governor and your other representatives and let then know that you're tired of footing the bill for NYC. I've already written each of them and haven't gotten a response back from any of them.

Balance the budget by cutting out those handouts and leave the gainfully employed people of upstate alone!

[Tall Tails]

I agree with Bill 100% I am sick and tired of the same ol same ol!

Bill

I thought I was the only one who had not gotten a response either. Kind of sickining if you ask me!

[Storm Warning II]

I'm setting myself up for a bashing here but you guys sound like a bunch of old farts complaining about the government and how 10 bucks is going to break your bank account. If it takes 10 bucks to insure the trout and salmon stocking programs remain in place I'm all for it. PA did the same thing years ago to support their steelhead stocking programs. The flip side could be that we don't pay anymore money and they cut back or eliminate the stocking program. I don't think any of us would care for that.

I'm from PA and we have to have a LAKE ERIE COMBO stamp to fish PA waters of Lake Erie. It is a mutt of an additional Lake Erie permit as well as the standard Trout Stamp. Our club recently sent our concerns to our state legislature in regards to this stamp "program" running out and those funds going to the state's (excuse me, commonwealth) general fund for multi-purpose use. The matter has subsequently been rectified by our state legislature.

We pay an additional $10 or $12 whether you are resident or non-resident and a large portion of the revenue goes to obtaining PUBLIC ACCESS to the Lake Erie watershed, most noticably, public access to steelhead streams. $10 or $12 is not the end of the world, but I believe that those of use that are non-residents would pay $40 or $50. NY would now extend its burdensome tax structure to those of us who bring TOURIST dollars to your state, ie NON-RESIDENTS. I know my crew spends hundreds if not thousands of dollars in NY every year for licenses, meals, lodging, etc. in direct relation to our fishing trips. Another $40 from each of us can be the difference between making 2 or 3 trips a year and NONE at all. Fishing is an expensive hobby and NY is trying to hamper our ability to do so even further.

I know in recent difficult economic times, more PA anglers I know are talking about only getting Ohio licenses to fish the Erie waters in Ohio where NO STAMP is required and the limits are typically more liberal than Pennsylvania. Regulation and taxation are the surest way to lose more anglers.

[ReelLaxing]

Another group to write to in addition to our politicians is the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, which can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/566.html. Here you can also read the minutes of this advisory board meetings and see the concerns and where some of the money is spent, if you can believe it. However, this advisory board is suppose to be representing "us", the hunters and fisherman, so I would recommend writing to them as well.

[Tim Bromund]

Pennsylvania has a 40 mile strip of Lake Erie, yet the anglers there welcomed a $5 Lake Erie Stamp for their licenses to support the fishery there. What is the matter with you people. NY's house of cards government has collapsed. Even the foreign owned steel company Mittal is leaving the state. You can not get $5,000 for a 24 foot boat. We need this stamp and its money otherwise we will be fishing from the piers again.

Jim, we've been saying all along that if there was any chance that this stamp would result in additional dedicated funds to finance the trout and salmon program, we'd be all for it, but that's not how NYS operates and you know it as well as I do.

The proceeds from this "stamp" WILL NOT result in additional monies for the DEC. This will be budget replacement money, not additional money. for every dollar generated from this stamp, a corresponding dollar will be cut from the DEC's regular budget and that money will be reabsorbed into the general fund for the cretins in Albany to mismanage. It WILL NOT provide a single additional dollar to the DEC and is just another way for New York bleeping State to pick our pockets.

Tim