•  Summary 
  •  
  •  Actions 
  •  
  •  Committee Votes 
  •  
  •  Floor Votes 
  •  
  •  Memo 
  •  
  •  Text 
  •  
  •  LFIN 
  •  
  •  Chamber Video/Transcript 

A05407 Summary:

BILL NOA05407
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORLupardo (MS)
 
COSPNSRJones, Weprin, Seawright, Bendett, Brabenec, Reyes
 
MLTSPNSRDavila
 
Add §11-0521-a, En Con L
 
Authorizes the department of environmental conservation to issue special airport air strike hazard permits when the department finds that wildlife has become a nuisance, destructive to public or private property or a threat to public health or welfare.
Go to top    

A05407 Actions:

BILL NOA05407
 
02/13/2025referred to environmental conservation
Go to top

A05407 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A5407
 
SPONSOR: Lupardo (MS)
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to authorizing the issuance of special airport air strike hazard permits   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To allow the Department of Environmental Conservation, after reviewing an airport's wildlife management plan, and upon a finding that wildlife has become a nuisance, destructive to public or private property or a threat to public health or welfare, to issue a special airport air strike hazard permit to those qualified to conduct such wildlife manage- ment activities at the airport.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1: Amends the environmental conservation law by adding a new section 11-0521-a to authorize the department of environmental conserva- tion to include certain wildlife management activities under a special airport air strike hazard permit authorizing the taking of wildlife at airports. Section 2: Establishes the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: On October 30, 2023, at Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, Long Island, the pilots of a Bombardier Challenger 300 were flaring to land when they noticed a deer run out across the front of the aircraft. At the low point of their descent-to-climb-out path, they struck the deer with one of the left-wing flap cowlings. Fortunately, the pilots were able to climb and circle to land on the crosswind runway. If the deer was just a few hundred feet down the runway, this could have been a significant impact the aircraft and its passengers. Wildlife strikes by aircraft are a constant concern of airport managers throughout the country. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has strict requirements for comprehensive wildlife management plans and efforts to secure the safety of airport operations. Airport sponsors and managers have a legal responsibility under federal regulations (Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, part 139 (14 CFR, part 139)) to ensure the airport maintains a safe operating environment. As part of this responsibility, they must assess the risk and magnitude of wildlife strikes for their airport (14 CFR, part 139.337). This assessment must include accurate and complete reporting of all strike incidents, assessment of wildlife using the airport environment, and assessment of wildlife habitat available to wildlife on the airport. Based on airport conditions and assessed strike risk, airport personnel might need to devise a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan for reducing strike risk and occurrence. Airport personnel must then act to implement and periodically evaluate the plan. Wildlife hazard mitigation is a broad discipline incorporating aspects of several areas including, wildlife exclusion, removal, and removal before lethal methods are used. NY State appears to be unique in imposing limitations on wildlife management permits for airports. This legislation would supplement NYSDEC authority to consider certain statutory constraints (mostly hunt- ing laws) on airports' efforts to effectively control wildlife beyond what is currently available. Thus, the legislation seeks to authorize the department to respond to airports' specific requests and demon- stration of need for additional methods to be deployed by appropriately trained personnel to protect airport operations and public safety while minimizing harm to wildlife. The current restraints continue to be a growing concern for many airport managers. In fact, NYSDEC in its White Tail Deer Management Plan 2021-2030, is urging changes to hunting laws similarly as proposed in this bill to more effectively manage white tail deer and other species. This bill would implement these proposed changes and make it clear that certain effective wildlife management techniques are available to airports by permit in a strictly controlled manner. The bill seeks to reinstate the complete scope of wildlife management techniques available to airports that were in place for decades and authorized until just a few years ago with no reported adverse inci- dents. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) must be permitted to allow for the use of safe and proven wildlife control methods by trained professionals at and around the state's airports. The airport managers and the pilots who fly in and out of these airports are worried that these current restrictions are resulting in increased potential for more aircraft-wildlife collisions, such as the deer strike at Gabreski. State law prohibits many activities by licensed hunters. These prohibited activities include shooting of a deer with a rifle in some parts of the state, baiting in certain areas, and shooting from a vehicle. Professional wildlife managers must be permitted to use these important and humane techniques as a measure of last resort for effec- tive deer, fox, coyote, and bird control at airports for the safety of all airport users.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: Formerly A-1731 of 2022-23, died in the Environmental Conservation Committee. Formerly A-1341 of 2023-24, died in the Environmental Conservation Committee.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: This legislation is not expected to have fiscal implications for State and Local Governments.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Go to top

A05407 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          5407
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 13, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. LUPARDO, JONES, WEPRIN, SEAWRIGHT, BENDETT --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. DAVILA -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
        AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
          authorizing the issuance of special airport air strike hazard permits

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by  adding  a
     2  new section 11-0521-a to read as follows:
     3  § 11-0521-a. Special airport air strike hazard permits.
     4    1. For the purposes of this section:
     5    a.  "Airport"  shall mean an airport as defined in subdivision five of
     6  section two hundred forty of the general business law.
     7    b. "Airport wildlife hazard specialist" shall mean an employee of or a
     8  contractor for the federal or state government responsible for  wildlife
     9  management  at  an  airport,  or  an  employee of an airport when acting
    10  consistent with an airport wildlife management plan and special  airport
    11  air strike hazard permit.
    12    c.  "Wildlife"  shall mean species permitted to be taken pursuant to a
    13  permit issued by the United States fish and  wildlife  service  and  the
    14  department.
    15    2.  Airport  wildlife  hazard  specialists shall be in compliance with
    16  criteria established by the department that at a minimum shall require:
    17    a. a minimum level of marksmanship qualifications appropriate  to  the
    18  firearm or implement to be used;
    19    b.  liability insurance coverage or other financial arrangements iden-
    20  tified by the department;
    21    c. a copy of the special airport air strike hazard permit  be  on  the
    22  airport  wildlife  hazard specialist's person when exercising any privi-
    23  lege of such permit; and
    24    d. reporting requirements.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07210-01-5

        A. 5407                             2
 
     1    3.  In addition to other permitted wildlife management activities, the
     2  department may, after reviewing the  airport's  permit  application  and
     3  airport wildlife management plan, and upon a finding by the airport that
     4  wildlife has become a nuisance, destructive to public or private proper-
     5  ty  or  a  threat  to  public  health or welfare, issue to the airport a
     6  special airport air strike hazard permit for use on  a  special  airport
     7  and  within  the boundaries of the affected area surrounding the airport
     8  as determined by the federal aviation administration, authorizing use of
     9  airport wildlife hazard specialists to take  wildlife  pursuant  to  the
    10  terms  of  the  special airport air strike hazard permit notwithstanding
    11  subdivisions three and eight of section 11-0505 of this title,  subdivi-
    12  sions  one  and two of section 11-0901 of this article, and subdivisions
    13  one, two, four and five of section 11-0931 of this article.
    14    4. Each special airport air strike hazard permit application shall  at
    15  a  minimum  include  requirements  for:  the  timeframe during which the
    16  permit is to be valid, an airport wildlife management plan, a geographic
    17  description of the area for which the permit is being requested, a writ-
    18  ten contract with the airport if applicable,  a  list  which  identifies
    19  participating  airport  wildlife  hazard  specialists  and the airport's
    20  requests for departmental approval  of  any  authorization  pursuant  to
    21  subdivision  three of this section, provided that any such authorization
    22  subsequently granted shall be explicitly included on any special airport
    23  air strike hazard permit,  and  details  regarding  expected  local  law
    24  enforcement consultation.
    25    5. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring or obligat-
    26  ing  the  department  to  issue  a permit to take wildlife or direct the
    27  taking of any wildlife when in its opinion, the nuisance, destruction of
    28  property or threat to public health and welfare will not be  effectively
    29  abated thereby.
    30    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    31  it shall have become a law.
Go to top