Exempts traps set in water from the requirement that they be visited once every 24 hours; such traps shall be visited once every 48 hours or a shorter interval as determined by the department of environmental conservation.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1016
SPONSOR: Gunther (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to exempting traps set in water from the requirement of being
visited every twenty-four hours
 
PURPOSE: Exempts traps set in water from the requirement that they be
visited once every 24 hours.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 11-1105 of Environmental Conservation law is amended to exempt
traps set in water from the requirement of being visited every twenty-
four hours.
 
JUSTIFICATION: Trapping in New York State is not only a pastime for
some, but is also a method of animal population control and offers
economic benefits to the producers and consumers of food and products
from the wild game industry. Throughout New York State, there are four-
teen species of furbearing animals. When trapping animals such as mink,
beaver, muskrat and otter, water trapping is a method commonly used.
Trappers are bound by many rules and regulations to ensure the safety
and security of wildlife populations. These rules are regulated by New
York State's Department of Environmental Conservation. Included in the
regulations that trappers must abide by are rules governing the checking
of traps. In the Southern Zone, all traps must be checked once in each
24 hour period. The Northern Zone provides some leeway, allowing for
traps set in water, as well as several other types of traps, to be
checked once in each 48 hour period.
The proposed legislation would allow for underwater traps in all areas
of New York to be exempt from the requirement that they be visited once
in each 24 hour period. This would remove some of the burden placed on
trappers when checking their traps, in addition to achieving a consist-
ent regulation throughout the entire state, It would also have little to
no impact on the animal or environment, as animals expire within a short
period of time during underwater trapping.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2013-14: A1105 referred to Environmental
Conservation/S3563 passed
Senate 2011-12: A9173 referred to Environmental
Conservation/S6166
referred to Environmental Conservation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1016
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, HAWLEY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
McDONOUGH, RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Envi-
ronmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
exempting traps set in water from the requirement of being visited
every twenty-four hours
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 11-1105 of the environmental
2 conservation law, as amended by chapter 279 of the laws of 2010, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 1. Traps set for taking wildlife shall bear the name and residence
5 address or the assigned identification number of the operator legibly at
6 all times, provided, that state, county and municipal law enforcement
7 agencies shall have access to the name, address and telephone number of
8 such operator who was assigned such identification number. They shall be
9 visited once in each twenty-four hours, except traps in the Northern
10 Zone [where they] and traps set in water which shall be visited once in
11 each forty-eight hours or a shorter interval of no less than twenty-four
12 hours as the department may, by regulation, require, and all wildlife
13 held captive shall immediately be removed from the traps.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00988-01-5