Subject: Nuisance Wildlife Regulations -Call to action
Importance: High
Dear NYSWMA Members,
I have very troubling news; a once positive bill in the New York Assembly and Senate has taken a turn in the wrong direction. The original intent of the bill was good. But now they have excluded private wildlife professionals and academic institutions from qualifying as “certified nuisance wildlife specialists. Even though many of us (over 2000) have been tested and licensed by the DEC to control nuisance wildlife.
Here is the language in the assembly bill that is most troubling; It will eliminate our ability to do certain nuisance wildlife work and give USDA Wildlife Services even more leverage to compete against us. It will also restrict cities, towns, airports, and private citizens to choosing only one service provider(USDA Wildlife Services).
Assembly Bill # 8646B
“ 3 § 11-0522. Cull permits to certified nuisance wildlife specialists.
4 1. For the purposes of this section, "certified nuisance wildlife
5 specialist" shall mean an employee of the federal or state government or
6 any city, town, village or county, responsible for wildlife management
7 and acting pursuant to a wildlife management plan, who complies with the
8 criteria established by the department, in rules and regulations, that
9 at a minimum require……….”
Here is a link to the complete text: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A08646&term=2017&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y
We need you to call the Assembly bill sponsor Assemblywoman Pamela J. Hunter and tell her how this bill will negatively affect your ability to operate, and allow USDA Wildlife Services a monopoly on providing nuisance wildlife services.
Please call her Albany Office at; 518-455-5383 and her District office at; 315-449-9536
We still support the bill in the senate as it was originally voted on, however on Monday Senator John A. DeFrancisco will be submitting a new bill to align with the assembly. It is vital that he knows our concerns and does not put in language that eliminates us from providing nuisance wildlife services or restricting activity to Government Employees like the assembly bill does.
Please Call his Albany office at (518) 455-3511
And his District office at (315) 428-7632
Also please call your local Assemblyman and Senator and ask them to help amend or stop these bad bills.
It is vital that we come together as an industry to protect our rights, our business, our employees, and most of all the ability to prove professional and ethical nuisance wildlife mitigation.
Please make sure you take the time to call on MONDAY, Tuesday may be too late.
Please call your friend and share this email with them. Their voice is needed too.
Thank you for your help, understanding, support, and for being a member of NYSWMA. If you have any questions please call my cell# 607-760-8748
Take Care,
Cody L. Baciuska
President
New York State Wildlife Management Association
www.NYSWMA.org
