Folks:
Here are some of the photos. If you missed the event, you missed a good one and the youngetsres had a ball.
Gary
It’s Official April 1, 2014
Late Monday night, the Senate and Assembly both passed the Budget and this morning Governor Cuomo signed it into law.
Thus, crossbows are now officially a legal hunting implement in New York!
I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for his support for this as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly that were influential in getting the compromise into the final budget. Senators Pat Gallivan, Dave Valesky and Mark Grisanti and especially in the Assembly, Sean Ryan, Aileen Gunther and Donna Lupardo for their leadership in getting the other members of their chambers to come to the table making New York the 28th state that allows crossbows during at least part of the archery seasons.
The crossbow will now be turned over to the DEC to work on setting the regulations within the parameters set forth in the budget. The process will include a Public Comment period where all NY’ers will have the ability to voice their opinions on the use and seasons.
I would also like to thank everyone that took the time to make the contacts with their respective legislators and the leadership in the Assembly and Senate. Without your help and perseverance our grassroots effort would not have been achievable.
Another Thank You goes to all of the Organizations that partnered with our coalition including the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, The NYS Farm Bureau, New York Conservation Council, NYS Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the 4H NY Shooting Sports to name a few as well as many County Federations, Associations and local sporting clubs.
Today, crossbows have been awarded their proper place in the sporting community and everyone of us should be proud of what we have been able to achieve. As we have said from day one, “Together WE will Succeed”, and with hard work and determination we have.
Thank you and Happy Hunting
This just came to me, by E-mail.
I am pleased to report that the 2014-15 NYS Budget – pending final approval by the Legislature - will make crossbows a legal hunting implement once again in New York State.
The budget language will allow crossbow use for all small game and any big game season that includes firearms. We will also have crossbow use in the last 14 days of the Southern Zone and the last 10 days of the Northern Zone early archery seasons. In addition, the archery set back is changed to 150' for archery and 250' for crossbows. Unfortunately, Suffolk and Westchester counties are once again eliminated from the crossbow inclusion.
More will be forthcoming in an official press release.
Congratulations to all and I thank everyone that made the calls, sent emails and wrote letters to get us to this point.
Best Regards,
Rick McDermott
New York Crossbow Coalition
The attached PDf is the NYS PD's first revision to their interpretations of the NY SAFE Act.
Revised NYSP SAFE Act Guide.pdf (1.32 mb)
We are heading into the last full week of the budget negotiations. The crossbow issue will most likely go down to the wire to be decided. It is imperative that everyone continues to reach out to the leadership of the Senate and especially the Assembly.
Please make some phone calls this week expressing your desire to have the crossbow proposal, as submitted by the Governor, be included in the final budget.
Your calls have been making a difference, but remember, we are not only needing to counter the anti crossbow archers, but there have been calls coming from the
League of Humane Voters, The Humane Society of the United States and the
New York State Humane Association and most likely other anti hunting groups are chiming in.
We sit in the best position ever, but we are not home free. Please, Please, Please, even if you already have, make the phone calls, especially to Speaker Silver. If we continue to work together, in just over a week, the DEC will have the authority to begin the process of setting regulations for crossbow use.
Let's get this done once and for all!
Best Regards,
Rick McDermott
New York Crossbow Coalition
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Assembly Speaker Silver
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Senate Co-President Skelos
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Senate Co-President Klein
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Albany, NY 12247
518-455-3171
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Albany, NY 12247
518-455-3595
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Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chairman
Robert Sweeney
LOB 625
Albany, NY 12248