K 788: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 27, 2025 as National Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York

 Assembly Resolution No. 788 BY: M. of A. Smullen MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 27, 2025 as National Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York WHEREAS, The great state of New York has a rich and storied tradition of hunting and angling, that dates back further than the state itself and carries forward to this day; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 27, 2025 as National Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York WHEREAS, National Hunting and Fishing Day was established in 1972 to celebrate and recognize hunters and anglers for their immense contributions to fish and wildlife conservation, and to our society; and WHEREAS, Hunting and angling continue to be an integral component of the cultural fabric of communities throughout the state of New York, and over recent years have offered a growing number of participants an opportunity to connect with nature on a personal level while simultaneously providing food security, a sense of self-sufficiency, and both mental and physical health benefits; and WHEREAS, New York's sportsmen and women were among the first conservationists to support the establishment of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to conserve fish, wildlife and their habitat, and through their license fees helped fund state efforts to provide for healthy and sustainable natural resources; and WHEREAS, Upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, New York's sportsmen and women supported self-imposed excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, fishing tackle and motorboat fuels to raise additional conservation funds; and WHEREAS, To this day, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is primarily funded by sportsmen and women, through the American System of Conservation Funding - a "user pays - public benefits" approach that is widely recognized as the most successful model for funding fish and wildlife management in the world; and WHEREAS, Last year alone, New York's sportsmen and women generated $76.3 million through the American System of Conservation Funding to support the conservation efforts of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and WHEREAS, 1,398,924 hunters and anglers support the state's economy through their spending, contributing to the billions spent on outdoor activities in New York last year; and WHEREAS, According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, on the national level, sportsmen and women spent more than $38 billion on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, which does not include spending on items such as trips and travel, or license fees that were necessary for their participation; this spending helped fuel the outdoor economy, which comprised 1.6% of New York's GDP that same year; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 27, 2025 as National Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York.