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NY has used a strategy for several years which purportedly will sustain conservation funding, however this locks up large amounts of money and does not seem to be necessary in the first place. Time is of the essence characterizes conservation. There is no time to play politics or investment banking with conservation funds. Investment in conservation pays, it does not cost... One example is open land returns a yield of five dollars on one dollar invested. Policy makers instead decided to invest a portion of sporting license revenues not in conservation, but in the state short term investment pool at a maximum return of 6% and delay the DEC access to that return for 12 months while tens of millions of principle is run through the state's STIP and not accessible to the DEC for an indefinite time. It is our goal to make the conservation community fully aware of this and make their own decisions on whether this strategy is wise. Those who are opposed to this strategy can boycott lifetime sporting licenses and buy annual licenses instead. In addition those opposed can contact the NY state assembly & senate, particularly those representing their voting district and the chairs of the assembly & senate environmental conservation committees. http://youtu.be/0aWP8ZzgetQ

Highlights of sportsmen–related testimony during the 2013 NY DEC budget hearing DEC Commissioner Joe Martens Discusses FWS audit of budget causing problems with eligibility for federal sport fish and wildlife restoration funds: CFAB, FWMB, and NYSCC License fees and Conservation Fund, among other things. Mark Grisanti, 60th Senate District, Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee License fees, pheasant farm, conservation fund, federal sport fish and wildlife restoration funds Sean Ryan 48th Senate District Pheasant farm, fish hatcheries Sweeney assembly Federal sport fish and wildlife restoration funds Daniel Stec 114th District Assembly Opposes Land Acquisition with EP funds which were increased $19 million this year Otis, 91st District Assembly Wants the DEC to emphasis engineering solutions for flood mitigation over eco-based land solutions. In other word; construction instead of restoration of natural systems which buffer storms and floods with associated benefits to recreation and ecology. NY Audubon Society Testifies about federal sport fish and wildlife restoration funds and sweeping of conservation fund. Hunters may be surprised that a NY bird watchers organization, has been watching the federal funds paid into by sportsmen via excise taxes on guns, ammo, archery gear, and some hunting and fishing equipment other than guns and ammo and outboard oil. Nature Conservancy Explains its role as a land trust, including its purchase of the Finch property to be sold to the DEC over a five year installment. William Cook, Citizens Campaign for the Environment Explains he was involved in from the beginning of the EPF and indicates the original intent had only the purpose of land acquisition. This fund now has several accounts for diverse uses, however it puts the strain on the DEC to administer the fund into those diverse uses, such as pumping water in Queens to alleviate basement flooding of residents. Grisanti - Asks DEC to look at an agriculture special interest “ASAP”