(Posted 1/16/09)

Governor Backs Off on Pheasant Program Closing

New data shows program actually made a profit
 
Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he has directed the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to halt the closure of the Reynolds Game Farm in Tompkins County as state officials and hunting groups explore options to fully support the costs of the program with increased license fees.

“The State has long recognized the economic impact hunters and their industry provide for New York State,” said Governor Paterson. “I am pleased that sportsmen and women have joined us to help find creative ways to weather the state’s fiscal crisis while preserving programs important to them.”

According to DEC, approximately 60,000 sportsmen and women hunt pheasants in New York State each year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has estimated that small game hunters spent approximately $600 per person per year on excursions and equipment-related expenses in 2006, contributing potentially millions of dollars to the State economy.

Since the closure of the farm was proposed, hunting groups have advanced several proposals to establish increased license fees or other hunting related fees to support program costs. In consideration of this effort, the Governor has requested that DEC develop a fee structure that will generate new revenues to the Conservation Fund that would fully offset the operational and capital costs of the facility. If sufficient resources can be identified, operation of the Game Farm would continue in State Fiscal Year 2009-10. Governor Paterson asked DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis to explore a sustainable, hunting related funding stream to cover the expenses of the farm without the use of State dollars. Other long term options to sustain the State’s pheasant stocking program could also be explored.

The farm, located outside of Ithaca, propagates pheasants for the hunting season. Operating costs are more than $750,000 per year – $400,000 of that in personnel. State law permits pheasant hunting through a $16 small game license. The Reynolds Game Farm is largely paid for through the Conservation Fund, although the Fund’s annual deficits have required the use of State dollars to keep the farm operating.

Money from hunting and fishing licenses is dedicated to the Conservation Fund, which helps support a number of programs including fish hatcheries, sporting license databases, wildlife health monitoring studies and stream and lake surveys.

All pheasants distributed through the pheasant stocking program are released, either by DEC or other cooperators, on land open to the public for pheasant hunting. On an annual basis, the pheasant stocking program typically produces:
- 25,000 adult pheasants that are raised on site and distributed by DEC.
- 60,000 day-old pheasant chicks that are distributed to and released by 160 4-H clubs, numerous sportsmen’s clubs and five New York State prisons each year.
- 15,000 young pheasants distributed to individual landowners.
- 1,600 adult pheasants for special hunts including people with disabilities and youths (ages 12 to 15).
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Rich Davenport wrote -- I know Fred Neff took a page out of my playbook when he proved the program does pay for itself already (and then some) when he did some simple math, 60,000 x $16 = $960,000 We also know the Governor has no clothes and no data.

However, the actuals here based on USF&W (we have been able to shift the debate to facts, we are in the driver's seat) estimates of pheasant hunters, breakdown, non-res, res and youth (estimate based on guess, as # of youths is too small to report on in total):
52,000 resident pheasant hunters x $16/ lic = $832,000
4,000 non-resident pheasant hunters x $55/ lic = $220,000
2,000 youth pheasant hunters x $5/ lic = $10,000
Pheasant hunters total funding through license sales = $1,062,000.00
Cost to operate game farm and state pheasant program = $750,000.00
Difference = + $312,000.00

No wonder they want to shutter this program! Its SUCCESSFUL ACROSS THE BOARD.
No stamps, no fee increases*
ADD value through
Early ML Season
Mourning Dove season
Eliminate free DMP apps to combo license holders
* If hatcheries are in jeopardy, I would entertain a small fee increase for fishing licenses (not combos), say, $3.00 for resident, $6.00 for non-res, season only

So, based on these - the actual revenue would nearly for certain realized and would be:
373,000 res fishing x $3 = $1,119,000.00
57,500 non-res fishing x $6 = $345,000
From DMP, based on current applicants
316,000 res DMP apps x $10 = $3,160,000.00
16,000 FCFS DMP x $10 = $160,000
Okay, so in addition to the FACT that we already fully fund the pheasant farm, plus some leftover money from the consumers to boot, by walking this path we can add additional revenue to the Conservation Fund.