New York State Conservation Council, Inc.

# 21-10 Yates County
This resolution PASSED at the NYSCC Annual Meeting on September 18, 2010.

Whereas hunting promotes responsible use of firearms and of New York State's natural resources;

Whereas hunting promotes a political climate that supports New York State's outdoor traditions;

Whereas hunting in New York State generates a large economic impact providing $788,000,000 in revenue and creates 11,500 jobs (NSSF);
 
Whereas hunter safety teaches responsibility to the land, landowners, other hunters, wildlife, the public and oneself;

Whereas hunter safety highlights the hunter's importance to conservation and wildlife management;

Whereas hunter safety encourages strong ethical values and teaches the qualities of a responsible hunter;

Whereas hunter safety students are taught valuable lessons regarding how DEC programs are funded and the importance of the Pittman Robertson tax to that funding;

Whereas hunter safety students learn that the interaction with family and friends provided in the hunting experience has a strong social value which adds to their growth and development;
Whereas lessons taught in hunter safety go far beyond harvesting game--they are essentially life's lessons and are valuable to all New Yorkers;

BE IT RESOLVED that the New York State Conservation Council introduce and promote the passage of legislation that would make instruction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Hunter Education Course mandatory in New York State's public schools when ten or more students request the course during the school year.

Contact:  Stephen Weckelman, 340 East Elm Street, Penn Yan, NY  14527
                  315/536-3788      weckpyny@roadrunner.com

Conservation Education Committee comments (Glen Adams):  As hunter educators we do promote the idea of being able to teach hunter education in schools, but the fact that this resolution asks for mandatory class within the school if 10 students request it does not address several problems: first is that hunter educators are volunteers and making a time and place mandatory may not work with the volunteer work force. Second, in this time of economic crisis making a school come up with paid teachers to train this class is not likely to fly nor would I as a tax payer support it in my school district. The group I help out in archery and I’m sure the hunter safety educators would jump at the chance to teach part of the class within school facilities.

Maybe the resolution should be re-written to mandate that school facilities be made available to NYS DEC hunter educators after the normal school hours at a reasonable time when both school facilities and volunteer hunter educators can work out a class schedule. 

Small Game Committee comments:  While a majority of the committee approved the resolution after a discussion, the proposal was thought to be difficult to achieve because of school policies regarding the same.

Hunter Education Committee comments: The vote was to not support the resolution from Yates County; the committee felt that it would have a better chance of becoming law if the word “mandatory” was removed from the resolution.

Legislative Committee comments:  Support.  “Be it resolved” needs to have added: legislation to direct the Dept. of Education to implement hunter education in schools, and that the schools must work with hunter educators in the instruction of the course. County needs to get the support of their county and state legislators before the NYSCC can move forward with this.