Sometimes trying to compose a truly informative and useful outdoor column can be a test of should readers know this, or do they care? It’s pretty easy to write about how good or poor the current fishing conditions are, or pass along some useful tips garnered from sportsmen and women who are having success. But our state’s outdoor recreational world - especially the portions run by the various divisions within the NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation -is anything but consistent and can change at the whim of a powerful political group.
Make no mistake, the NYSDEC may administer the various regulations that allow us to recreate in our state’s outdoors, and it manages the habitat and fish and wildlife that are part of it, but only to the extent the state legislature deems appropriate, and that falls back on what bills are supported and what ones are deemed “unfavorable” to pass, often based on regional interests. And usually the dividing line as to legislation success or failure lies quite squarely between upstate and downstate political power, with the latter usually, but not always, winning.
As our state financial health has taken more hits than it could stand, obviously a lot of cutting and slashing had to occur in Albany’s Div. of Budget. Despite the upstate/downstate legislative tug of war, the end result was no politician in Albany was very happy at the inequity as it applied to their regional interest and voter support. Downstate powers, accustomed to getting their way in the legislative sessions, seemed especially irritated that they, like the rest of the state had to “bite the bullet” for a while or at least until the state’s economy improved.
But, in my mind, the financial woes of New York (the entire state) is simply irresponsible politicians, willing to bankrupt our state so they can be re-elected and continue enjoying the power that comes with the office. What major industries and manufacturing are left in the state now? Especially those located upstate? When one thinks of upstate, what comes to mind are woods, waters, farms and small communities trying to survive the unfunded downstate mandates forced on everyone because they seemed effective in New York City and Long Island. It doesn’t work. Let us decide what’s best for our upstate’s future and downstate can do the same, but keep Albany’s special downstate power legislative bill choices out of it. How ridiculous is it for downstate to annually keep throwing its city-based micro-stamping bill out every year and see it tabled because of its huge cost and inability to reduce crime in places like NYC? Wouldn’t the sessions’ time be more productive to at least consider those bills being sponsored by upstate legislators? Sure they may seem a bit far-fetched to a pol who’s spent their entire life in the city, but they make sense to those living here in the upstate “boondocks.”
All that said, I do believe I’m starting to see some real team compromise between our split state interest groups in Albany. Recently several upstate-sponsored bills were passed that required the support in both houses. Lowering the age when youths can start hunting with a mentor was one, and as we’ve learned, funds to keep conservation/DEC going in the future will fall primarily on sportsmen and women’s license fees and special sales taxes. Otherwise, the money would necessarily come from the General Fund, meaning all taxpayers, regardless of whether they recreated outdoors or not. Now Albany is considering allowing crossbows as legal big game tools – primarily because the state’s hunter group is rapidly aging and many are giving up traditional vertical bows due to health and age.
When it comes to upstate New York surviving this, it will necessarily boil down primarily to a healthy increase in tourism income in many traditional outdoor-oriented regions, like the Adirondacks and Great Lakes, which will depend heavily on how well the NYSDEC can continue to keep outdoor tourism activities funded and operating effectively. And that will require downstate legislators to start supporting legislation that will accomplish that for the entire state, and not just in their districts. In other words, start compromising for the good of all, not just a few selected heavily populated regions. New York already has the outdoor inner/understructure to provide viable, readily available outdoor recreation throughout most of the state. It now needs to receive some long overdue life support from Albany, and that means the downstate group . It’s reality check time for a lot of elected officials.
