Declare Hunting and Fishing Day

September 26, 2020, as Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Hunting and Fishing Day WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official days that are set aside to promote the participation of recreational activities in New York State; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim September 26, 2020, as Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Hunting and Fishing Day; and WHEREAS, National Hunting and Fishing Day brings together sportsmen and women to celebrate the rich tradition of hunting, target shooting and fishing with national, state, regional and local organizations hosting related events; and WHEREAS, Launched in 1971 by Congress, National Hunting and Fishing Day has consistently recognized hunters and anglers for their leadership in wildlife and conservation; and WHEREAS, National Hunting and Fishing Day is observed and celebrated the fourth Saturday in September every year; and WHEREAS, New York State has more than 110 Wildlife Management Areas, averaging 1,790 acres each, totaling nearly 197,000 of public acres of public land available for outdoor recreation by all New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) manages nearly 400 boating and fishing access facilities throughout the state; and WHEREAS, NYSDEC's Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources is funded primarily 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 System of fish and wildlife management in the world; and WHEREAS, Last year alone, New York's sportsmen and women generated over $72 million through this System to support the conservation efforts of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to the benefit of all New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, The State of New York is committed to hunting and fishing opportunity, as shown by the 2019 statistics where there were approximately 1,187,980 fishing licenses, permits, and tags and

1,414,862 hunting licenses, permits, and tags; and WHEREAS, In 2011, 2.11 million people hunted or fished in New York, almost as much as the combined populations of the Buffalo/Niagara Falls and Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area; there are also more resident sportsmen and women in New York than the combined total home attendance for all New York Giants, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills football games, 1.98 million vs. 1.71 million combined attendance; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, sportsmen and women spent 4.95 billion dollars on hunting and fishing in New York; hunters and anglers support more jobs in New York than the North Shore-LIJ Health System, the state's largest employer; and WHEREAS, Spending by sportsmen and women in New York State generated