Zen Olow, president of the Chautauqua County Federation of Sportsmen and a delegate to the New York Conservation Council, has volunteered decades of his life to youth development for the outdoor communities of Chautauqua County. Photo courtesy of Forrest Fisher

Every person in New York is subject to legislation introduced and passed by our elected officials in the senate and assembly and then ultimately signed into law by the governor. Not many of us in the outdoors and conservation understand how our system works.

If you belong to a conservation club like the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club, Bear Lake Rod/Gun Club, Westfield Fish/Game Club, Lakewood Rod/Gun Club, Hanover Fish/Game Club and many other clubs that form the Chautauqua County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs with President Zen Olow at the helm, you are part of that group who do know how fish and game laws are made and changed, and what legislation is in review to affect all things outdoors.

An old friend, Carl Leas, is president of a group entitled “The 1791 Society.” The group has more than 47,000 followers and is dedicated to those who support the Second Amendment.

Last week, I learned more about proposals and new laws under consideration for fishing, hunting, trapping, conservation, firearms and all else. Leas introduced his membership to a website that allows anyone to look at law proposals and where they are in their trail of review for any state in the country. The website is https://legiscan.com. Select New York and all the bills appear. There are many pages of them.

“While some of these bills do not appear to be directly linked to conservation, they may be a part of conservation in Western New York and ultimately all of New York state,” Leas said. “For example, firearm regulations, wind turbines and wind farms, term limits, recall bills and salaries of elected state officials and legislators, as well as some statewide insurance requirements, are just a few of the crossovers we need to be aware of.”

“You can browse from day one of the current legislative session or search for a particular bill, from where you can read it, see who has sponsored it and where it currently stands in committees,” he added.

Changing or creating a fish and game law is a multi-step process. It starts with a member conservation club drafting a resolution for proposal. This resolution is then sent to the New York Conservation Council, a crucial recommendation group. The council can recommend the resolution to the Environmental Conservation Committee in the legislature for review. From there, a member of the senate or assembly will create a proposal to make or change fish and game laws, and the process continues.

Using the noted website, Leas provided examples of a part of just one day in the legislature review. On Feb. 10, 2025, several bills were introduced. New York Assembly Bill 4941, for instance, makes the possession and sale of armor-piercing ammunition a class B felony. New York Assembly Bill 4919 authorizes a free bowhunting privilege, muzzle-loading privilege, turkey permit, duck stamp, and doe permit for qualified hunting instructors. New York Senate Bill 4626 relates to Lyme disease and tick-borne infection awareness and prevention for children’s camps. The next day, New York Assembly Bill 5292 was introduced, which stated that people with a disability were eligible to receive a fishing license for $5. The same day, New York Assembly Bill 5032 establishes procedures to disassemble and dispose of guns through a gun buyback program. It’s interesting. Check out the website and share your own comments and thoughts with the identified legislators.

One bill of interest to everyone is New York Assembly Bill 814, passed and signed by Gov. Hochul on Valentine’s Day this year. This bill directs the commissioner of health to develop and implement a public awareness campaign on the safe storage of firearms, rifles and shotguns and child access and prevention. If you fish or hunt, consider joining a conservation club to share your thoughts.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

March 1: Southtowns Walleye Association, Outfitters Fair (Flea Market), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 7 p.m., 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg, free entry, free parking. Table reservations: 716-796-5372

March 1-2: Gun, Knife, Ammo Show — The Knights Event Center, 2735 Union Road, Cheektowaga, $6 admission.

March 6: WNY Walleye Association, monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., Curly’s Grill, 647 Ridge Road, Lackawanna, guest speaker, Capt. Dave Adrian.

March 7-9: WNY Sport and Travel Expo, Hamburg Fairgrounds, $10 admission.

NOTE: Send Calendar info or related outdoor news to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.