§ 11-1307 — Fishing promotion program

§ 11-1307. Fishing promotion program.\n The commissioner shall develop and implement a fishing promotion\nprogram. The commissioner shall, in conjunction with the commissioner of\neconomic development and the commissioner of parks, recreation and\nhistoric preservation, develop and implement a program which will\nencourage residents and out-of-state fishermen to utilize New York\nstate's fishing opportunities. Such program shall include, but not be\nlimited to:\n 1. working with conservation organizations, local sportmen's clubs,\nretail stores, and county chambers to develop and conduct educational\nfishing clinics for children and adults to teach angling techniques for\nboth fresh and salt water fishing and to provide information about\nstocking programs that will increase the odds of a successful and safe\nfishing experience;\n 2. conducting public outreach, including working with local community\nand youth organizations, tourism promotion agencies and local\ngovernments, to develop programs in conjunction with the two free\nfishing days annually per department region provided by the legislature,\nsuch as educational seminars, day-long fishing festivals, and tackle and\nrod loaner programs, which will encourage individuals to take up the\nsport of fishing;\n 3. making available to the fishing public, via both brochures and the\nagency's website, the following information:\n a. Public fishing sections of streams, ponds, and lakes;\n b. Public access points for streams, ponds, and lakes;\n c. Handicapped access points for all water bodies; and\n d. The location of state lands, including forests, parks, wildlife\nmanagement areas, trails, campsites by type, ski areas, hatcheries, and\nenvironmental education centers and camps;\n 4. posting fishing reports, including current fishing conditions\nstatewide, on the department's website;\n 5. developing and implementing a "learn-to-fish" and "instructional"\npassbook and stamp program. a. The department shall make available,\nwherever licenses are sold, a "learn-to-fish" passbook and stamps to\nchildren under sixteen years of age. Such stamps shall include various\ntypes of fish indigenous to New York state and shall also include with\nthe distribution of the "learn-to-fish" passbook one "learn-to-fish"\nstamp. A child under sixteen years of age may collect stamps and when\nthe "learn-to-fish" passbook is complete shall return such completed\n"learn-to-fish" passbook to the department via mail and the department\nshall issue a patch, to be determined by the commissioner, to\n"learn-to-fish" passbook holders who have participated in and completed\nthe "learn-to-fish" passbook program created pursuant to this\nsubdivision.\n b. A licensee shall also be issued an "instructional passbook" and may\nplace a "learn-to-fish" stamp previously issued to a child under sixteen\nin his or her "instructional passbook" whenever he or she teaches a\nperson under sixteen years of age how to fish. Once that licensee has\nearned fifty "learn-to-fish" stamps in his or her "instructional\npassbook", that person shall return such completed "instructional\npassbook" to the department via mail and the department shall issue a\nfree fishing license for the season following that in which he or she\ngets their fiftieth "learn-to-fish" stamp. The department shall include\nin the "instructional passbook" information relating to the instruction\nof fishing techniques to children, and shall also include current\nfishing regulations in the "instructional passbook".\n