07-26-2011, 11:10 AM
According to sources inside the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the state could lose upwards of $20 million in federal aid from federal Pittman-Robinson, Dingell-Johnson and Wallop-Breaux funding programs.
New York outdoor writer Dick Nelson reported earlier this month in the Register-Star newspaper that the state may lose its share of federal monies collected through excise taxes on sporting equipment and administered by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Nelson's report indicates that Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2011/2012 budget actually allows the state Department of Budget (DOB) to tap into the Conservation Fund and other allegedly dedicated accounts to balance the books, which according to DEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Assistant Director Doug Stang, is the problem.
"Even if the DOB has no intent on using conservation fund money for other reasons than its intent, the fact that the budget allows for them to do so is enough for the USFWS to withhold P-R (Pittman-Robertson) and other funding," Stang was quoted as saying in the Register-Star. "The conservation fund would be in deep trouble without it," Stang added.
Jim Hutchinson, Jr., president of the New York Sportfishing Federation (NYSF) and managing director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) said news of the potential loss of federal funding was further addressed at the latest Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) meeting in East Setauket on Long Island on Tuesday, July 12, and said letters addressed to state legislators from councils, committees and area fishing clubs could help do the trick. In a follow-up email from Dick Nelson, Hutchinson said New York was given 30 days from Friday, July 15, to respond and rectify the situation or risk losing federal funding.
"This issue needs to get fixed and fixed faster than the Federal government wants to pull our funding," said NYSF member Bob Danielson, who is also a Councilor at the MRAC. "In this fiscal climate we need every dollar we can get," Danielson added, stressing that the loss of $20 million in federal funding is not an option for a cash-strapped state.
"We need to let our elected officials know that the integrity of these funds, whether in the general Conservation Fund or the Marine Coastal District account, should not be jeopardized, and that doing so comes with a very hefty federal response," Hutchinson said. "We need our friends in both the Senate and Assembly to help rescind the language which allows the budget folks to use sporting license fees and other conservation funds for purposes other than what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intended."
Hutchinson said that shenanigans pulled by former Governor Paterson showed just how fragile the promise of dedicated funds really is. "When New York implemented the state's first ever marine license back in 2009, the first thing the governor did was offload DEC marine salaries which had been previously budgeted out of the general fund," Hutchinson said. "Anglers essentially got fleeced by allowing Mr. Paterson to save a couple of million in one account while having us pay into another. It was little more than a Ponzi scheme which was one of the primary reasons why the saltwater user fee was eventually suspended. It was little more than a tax with no return."
RFA and NYSF will be forwarding official comments to various legislators and to Governor Cuomo himself, asking for support of the DEC and the Conservation Fund. "We're going to work very hard in the next couple of years to help identify new funding sources which can help support DEC efforts, particularly in the marine district, but until then we need to salvage every bit of available funding we have now, but as we've said it all along, there is no such thing as a dedicated fund, particularly not in this economic climate."
While some members of the hunting and fishing public were surprised to learn about the potential loss of $20 million in federal funding, Nelson wrote that the DEC should've been well aware of the possibility. "During the April meeting of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, I asked DEC Commissioner Joe Martens if there was any truth that Governor Cuomo had any plans of transferring money from the conservation fund to the general fund to reduce the state's deficit and was told in no uncertain terms, no - even though he knew (or should have known) that the budget allowed for it."
Nelson also noted that former Governor Mario Cuomo also transferred $20 million into the general fund back in 1990, replacing $15 million of that money just a few years later. "During that time, Commissioner Martens served as Assistant Secretary to the Governor for Energy and the Environment and was later named Deputy Secretary," Nelson said.
Federal funding from various U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grants pays for up to 75% of the projected costs of various resource-related programs, with states putting up the other 25% of the cost. Hutchinson said that state saltwater anglers share federal grants funds with freshwater anglers under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund which also receives a portion of its funding from a separate tax on boat fuel at the gas docks. "Given the fact that USFWS ranks New York ninth among all coastal states in overall retail sales on saltwater sportfishing with over $373 million in marine tackle sales alone, I'd say our community has more than paid our fair share of taxes," he said.
"While NYSF will be working to get the word out in Albany that our Conservation Fund needs protection, RFA will be reminding our federal legislators that the Sport Fish Restoration Fund needs its share of attention too," Hutchinson said. "With the lack of scientific data collection that's killing our New York sportfishing industry, more government diversion and withholding of funding only punishes individual sportsmen and the resource itself. I would like to think the federal government has more sense than that, but bureaucratic neglect and contempt doesn't really surprise me anymore," Hutchinson added.
About Recreational Fishing Alliance
The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit www.joinrfa.org.
Media Contact<br />
Jim Hutchinson, Jr. (888) 564-6732
New York outdoor writer Dick Nelson reported earlier this month in the Register-Star newspaper that the state may lose its share of federal monies collected through excise taxes on sporting equipment and administered by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Nelson's report indicates that Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2011/2012 budget actually allows the state Department of Budget (DOB) to tap into the Conservation Fund and other allegedly dedicated accounts to balance the books, which according to DEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Assistant Director Doug Stang, is the problem.
"Even if the DOB has no intent on using conservation fund money for other reasons than its intent, the fact that the budget allows for them to do so is enough for the USFWS to withhold P-R (Pittman-Robertson) and other funding," Stang was quoted as saying in the Register-Star. "The conservation fund would be in deep trouble without it," Stang added.
Jim Hutchinson, Jr., president of the New York Sportfishing Federation (NYSF) and managing director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) said news of the potential loss of federal funding was further addressed at the latest Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) meeting in East Setauket on Long Island on Tuesday, July 12, and said letters addressed to state legislators from councils, committees and area fishing clubs could help do the trick. In a follow-up email from Dick Nelson, Hutchinson said New York was given 30 days from Friday, July 15, to respond and rectify the situation or risk losing federal funding.
"This issue needs to get fixed and fixed faster than the Federal government wants to pull our funding," said NYSF member Bob Danielson, who is also a Councilor at the MRAC. "In this fiscal climate we need every dollar we can get," Danielson added, stressing that the loss of $20 million in federal funding is not an option for a cash-strapped state.
"We need to let our elected officials know that the integrity of these funds, whether in the general Conservation Fund or the Marine Coastal District account, should not be jeopardized, and that doing so comes with a very hefty federal response," Hutchinson said. "We need our friends in both the Senate and Assembly to help rescind the language which allows the budget folks to use sporting license fees and other conservation funds for purposes other than what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intended."
Hutchinson said that shenanigans pulled by former Governor Paterson showed just how fragile the promise of dedicated funds really is. "When New York implemented the state's first ever marine license back in 2009, the first thing the governor did was offload DEC marine salaries which had been previously budgeted out of the general fund," Hutchinson said. "Anglers essentially got fleeced by allowing Mr. Paterson to save a couple of million in one account while having us pay into another. It was little more than a Ponzi scheme which was one of the primary reasons why the saltwater user fee was eventually suspended. It was little more than a tax with no return."
RFA and NYSF will be forwarding official comments to various legislators and to Governor Cuomo himself, asking for support of the DEC and the Conservation Fund. "We're going to work very hard in the next couple of years to help identify new funding sources which can help support DEC efforts, particularly in the marine district, but until then we need to salvage every bit of available funding we have now, but as we've said it all along, there is no such thing as a dedicated fund, particularly not in this economic climate."
While some members of the hunting and fishing public were surprised to learn about the potential loss of $20 million in federal funding, Nelson wrote that the DEC should've been well aware of the possibility. "During the April meeting of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, I asked DEC Commissioner Joe Martens if there was any truth that Governor Cuomo had any plans of transferring money from the conservation fund to the general fund to reduce the state's deficit and was told in no uncertain terms, no - even though he knew (or should have known) that the budget allowed for it."
Nelson also noted that former Governor Mario Cuomo also transferred $20 million into the general fund back in 1990, replacing $15 million of that money just a few years later. "During that time, Commissioner Martens served as Assistant Secretary to the Governor for Energy and the Environment and was later named Deputy Secretary," Nelson said.
Federal funding from various U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grants pays for up to 75% of the projected costs of various resource-related programs, with states putting up the other 25% of the cost. Hutchinson said that state saltwater anglers share federal grants funds with freshwater anglers under the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund which also receives a portion of its funding from a separate tax on boat fuel at the gas docks. "Given the fact that USFWS ranks New York ninth among all coastal states in overall retail sales on saltwater sportfishing with over $373 million in marine tackle sales alone, I'd say our community has more than paid our fair share of taxes," he said.
"While NYSF will be working to get the word out in Albany that our Conservation Fund needs protection, RFA will be reminding our federal legislators that the Sport Fish Restoration Fund needs its share of attention too," Hutchinson said. "With the lack of scientific data collection that's killing our New York sportfishing industry, more government diversion and withholding of funding only punishes individual sportsmen and the resource itself. I would like to think the federal government has more sense than that, but bureaucratic neglect and contempt doesn't really surprise me anymore," Hutchinson added.
About Recreational Fishing Alliance
The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit www.joinrfa.org.
Media Contact<br />
Jim Hutchinson, Jr. (888) 564-6732