For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Maureen Wren
Wednesday,
March 3, 2004 (518) 402-8000
DEC SEEKS COMMENTS FROM HUNTERS ON FALL 2004 WATERFOWL SEASON
Task
Forces to Help Set Season Dates in Western, Southeastern, and Northeastern Zones
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today invited waterfowl hunters to submit their recommendations for the dates of the Fall 2004 duck hunting season to regional waterfowl hunting task forces or DEC’s waterfowl season-setting team.
DEC established hunter task forces in 1997 to obtain comments on specific hunting season dates for areas where hunter preferences vary widely. For the last seven years, these task forces have provided DEC with recommendations that have helped create a balanced hunting opportunity that is representative of the various interests in each zone.
“Hunter task forces have been successful in helping DEC establish season dates that provide the best opportunities for waterfowl hunting in specific regions,” Commissioner Crotty said. “We look forward to working with waterfowl hunters and task force members to ensure an enjoyable and successful season in 2004.”
Waterfowl hunters can actively participate in the season-setting process by providing comments directly to task force members whose names and contact information are on the attached list. Comments should be sent to members by March 31, 2004, to be considered for this year’s seasons. The task forces are scheduled to meet in April 2004 and DEC plans to announce tentative hunting season dates in June. Comments on the process may be directed to members of the DEC season-setting team, whose names and contact information are also attached.
New York State is divided into five waterfowl hunting zones: Western, Southeastern, Northeastern, Lake Champlain, and Long Island. DEC recently appointed task forces for the Western, Southeastern, and Northeastern Zones to assist in making recommendations for the Fall 2004 hunting season. Representatives from the New York State Conservation Council, Inc., Waterfowl Committee, established waterfowl hunting organizations, and individual waterfowl hunters were chosen to take part to provide a broad range of input. It will be the job of task force members to act as representatives of duck hunters in each zone.
Each task force will recommend opening and closing dates for the duck hunting season, including “split seasons,” which would divide the season into separate periods, if that is desired. Task forces will also recommend dates for a Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend. The recommended dates must be within the Atlantic Flyway framework established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If duck populations remain consistent with recent years, DEC expects the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue to allow a 60-day season between September 27 and January 25.
Fall 2004 waterfowl seasons for the Western, Southeastern, and Northeastern Zones will be based on task force recommendations. Seasons in the Long Island Zones will continue to be set by Bureau of Wildlife staff, while seasons in the Lake Champlain Zone will be set by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Management Board, with consultation from DEC. Although there are no formal task forces in these two zones, sportsmen and women can offer input by contacting any DEC season-setting team member on the attached list.
Descriptions of New York State’s waterfowl hunting zones can be found on the DEC website at www.dec.state.ny.us and are listed in DEC’s Waterfowl Hunting Guide.
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04-19
2004-2005 WATERFOWL SEASON TASK FORCES
(in alphabetical order, contact anyone on the list)
|
WESTERN ZONE TASK FORCE |
||
|
NAME |
ADDRESS |
CITY, STATE
ZIP |
|
JIM ADRIANCE |
1930 COLE PLACE |
VESTAL, NY 13850 |
|
DONALD BRONSON |
2644 MCCLEW RD |
BURT, NY
14028 |
|
JIM FARRELL |
8892 PECOR ST, BOX 87 |
PORTLAND, NY 14769 |
|
ED FIORINO (NYSCC-R 8) |
14794 EAST BARRE RD |
ALBION, NY 14411 |
|
TIM NOGA (NYSCC-R 7) |
7320 LARAWAY RD |
CAYUGA, NY 13034 |
|
RONALD PARISO (NYSCC-R 8) |
951 MAGEE ST |
ELMIRA, NY 14901 |
|
JOHN SCHLAFFER (Finger Lakes & WNY
Waterfowl Assn) |
250 JACOBS RD |
HAMLIN, NY 14464 |
|
RICK STEWART (Canandaigua Lake Duck
Hunters) |
5555 PURDY RD, RD #62 |
CANANDAIGUA, NY 14424 |
|
BILL TELESCA (Central NY Wildfowlers) |
8628 LYDIA LN |
CICERO, NY 13039 |
|
DAVID WAHL (Lake Plains Waterfowlers) |
833 FISHELL RD |
RUSH, NY 14543 |
|
KEN ZOLNOWSKI (NYSCC-R 9) |
30 DANBURY DR |
CHEEKTOWAGA ,NY 14225 |
|
SOUTHEASTERN ZONE TASK FORCE |
||
|
NAME |
ADDRESS |
CITY, STATE
ZIP |
|
BILL ALEXANDER |
170 CLINTON CORNERS RD |
SALT POINT, NY
12578 |
|
HERB BROOME |
6051 VEEDER RD |
SLINGERLANDS, NY
12159 |
|
MARVIN COLE
(NYSCC-R 3) |
113 BLACKS RD |
KINGSTON, NY
12401 |
|
ROBERT CREEDEN (Hudson R Waterfowl Prot. Assoc) |
35 N WASHINGTON ST |
ATHENS, NY
12015 |
|
MICHAEL JASPER (NYSCC-R7) |
8 ENGLISH AVE |
HAMILTON, NY
13346 |
|
DON LAVALLEY
(NYSCC-R 4) |
318 UNION ST |
HUDSON, NY
12534 |
|
VINCE OLECHNOWICZ |
258 BRAYMER LN |
DELHI,
NY 13753 |
|
MIKE PODGORSKI (Central
NY Wildfowlers) |
2287
FERNDELL RD |
CAZENOVIA,
NY 13035 |
|
DAN SPIGNER (Waterfowl
Improvement Assoc) |
9
ACADEMY ST |
GREENWICH,
NY 12834 |
|
NORTHEASTERN ZONE TASK FORCE |
||
|
NAME |
ADDRESS |
CITY, STATE ZIP |
|
STEVE
ANDRUCKIEWICZ |
157
CRAMER RD |
BALLSTON
SPA, NY 12020 |
|
PETE
BARNEY |
64
OLD STATE RD |
POTSDAM,
NY 13676 |
|
BRYAN CAMPBELL (Central
NY Waterfowlers) |
5879
RITA LANE |
CICERO,
NY 13039 |
|
JOHN FACTEAU (Waterfowl Improvement Assoc) |
PO
BOX 306 |
FT.
EDWARD, NY 12828 |
|
TOM HUMBERSTONE (NYSCC
- R7) |
2081
COON HILL RD |
SKANEATELES,
NY 13152 |
|
JERRY
LINCOLN |
810
MANSION AVE |
OGDENSBURG,
NY 13669 |
|
DR
MICHAEL POND |
291
KIAWASSA RD |
SARANAC
LAKE, NY 12983 |
|
BILL
SAIFF III |
624
ACADEMY ST |
WATERTOWN,
NY 13601 |
|
KURT SNYDER (Oneida
Lake Assoc) |
6429
LONG POINT RD |
BREWERTON,
NY 13029 |
|
JAMES
TRACY |
5525
MARSH RD |
LEE
CENTER, NY 13363 |
|
DEC
WATERFOWL SEASON SETTING TEAM |
||
|
MIKE PUTNAM |
NYSDEC - REGION 1 |
SUNY, BLDG 40, LOOP RD,
STONY BROOK, NY 11790 |
|
PATRICIA VISSERING |
NYSDEC - REGION 3 |
21 SO PUTT CORNERS RD, NEW
PALTZ, NY 12561 |
|
BILL SHARICK |
NYSDEC - REGION 4 |
65561 ST HWY 10, STE 1,
STAMFORD, NY 12167 |
|
JOE RACETTE |
NYSDEC - REGION 5 |
ROUTE 86, PO BOX 296, RAY
BROOK, NY 12977 |
|
STEVE HEERKENS |
NYSDEC - REGION 6 |
207 GENESEE ST, UTICA,
NY 13501 |
|
BRUCE MANUEL |
NYSDEC - REGION 7 |
1285 FISHER AVE, CORTLAND,
NY 13045 |
|
JIM ECKLER |
NYSDEC - REGION 8 |
6274 EAST AVON-LIMA RD,
AVON, NY 14414 |
|
DAVE ODELL |
NYSDEC - REGION 8 |
6274 EAST AVON-LIMA RD,
AVON ,NY 14414 |
|
TOM JURCZAK |
NYSDEC - REGION 9 |
182 EAST UNION ST, ALLEGANY, NY 14706 |