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NEW YORK'S SALTWATER LICENSE TO BE REPEALED

NEW YORK'S SALTWATER LICENSE TO BE REPEALED

User Fee Will Be Gone in 180 Days - Replaced By Free Registry

 

New York's saltwater fishing license is being repealed!

newyork.jpgAccording to the Associated Press, New York lawmakers and the Cuomo administration have just reached an agreement to end the state's $10 annual saltwater fishing license and replace it with a free registry for the state's coastal waters.  Legislators announcing the change yesterday say it will cover two years.

 

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) received a "high priority" email sent through DEC channels yesterday afternoon regarding the license repeal, noting that budget discussions between Governor Cuomo and the New York state legislature helped facilitate the repeal effort, which is said will take place in the next 180 days. 

 

Last Tuesday, March 15th, a Senate Budget Resolution calling for the repeal of the MTA Payroll Tax for public and private schools, as well as full repeal of the saltwater fishing license was passed in the New York Senate.  "I made clear from the beginning of the Budget process that I would not support any new taxes or fees," Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) said last week.

 

Sen. Zeldin, a Long Island saltwater angler, last month introduced legislation in the New York Senate (S3638) which would amend the environmental conservation law in relation to establishing a registration system for saltwater recreational fishing, essentially repealing that part which mandates that a fee to fish be levied on saltwater anglers.  Under the Senate Budget Resolution passed last week, the saltwater fishing license and fee would end with the expiration of the current 2011 license.........

Read more: NEW YORK'S SALTWATER LICENSE TO BE REPEALED

NJ Saltwater Fisherman Shirts

NJ Saltwater Fisherman Shirts

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For "NJ Saltwater Fisherman

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NJSWF Forums Member will need to register here at the store also, your forums login will not work here in the shop

 

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Act Now in Support of Saltwater Registry Legislation

RFA-NJ CALLS ON COASTAL COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED 
NJ & PA Anglers Ask Governor Christie To Sign A823/S1122

 

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is urging its New Jersey and Pennsylvania members to act now in support of saltwater registry legislation now resting on Governor Chris Christie's desk.  Passed unanimously in the New Jersey Senate in December as Senate Bill 2211 (S1122), the legislation was amended slightly by the Assembly on January 6, 2011 as Assembly Bill 823 (A823), and now requires the Governor's signature in order for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to act.

 

"We were able to clear this legislation through various committees and get it passed by both the Senate and Assembly because of phone calls and faxes, and now it looks as though our coastal community is going to have to speak out in force in order for the Governor to sign it," said RFA Executive Director Jim Donofrio. "The registry opponents have tried desperately to sabotage this legislation, but our RFA members and coastal business owners were not about to sit back and let that happen without a fight, not then and definitely not now," he said.

 

Donofrio said the RFA's New Jersey chapter (RFA-NJ) has been active in supporting saltwater angler registry legislation ever since federal law was changed in 2007 to call for a virtual phonebook of saltwater anglers nationwide.  "It's a simple requirement that's had overwhelming support in our community and throughout the state legislature," Donofrio said.  

 

RFA is urging coastal anglers and business owners to visit the RFA homepage at www.joinrfa.org to download and print out a copy of the letter to Governor Christie which can be faxed to his attention at 609-292-3454.

 

To download the fax directly, visit www.joinrfa.org/Press/RFARegistryfax2011.pdf.

NJ Anglers Will Not Pay To Fish In 2011

RFA-NJ Says Coastal Anglers Will Fish Free in Garden State Waters in 2011 

no_money-on-fishing-hook-websize.pngNew Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed New Jersey's free saltwater registry bill into law today, which will allow coastal anglers to register their name and phone number with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) at no cost in 2011.  By federal law, saltwater anglers are required to register their name and phone number with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on an annual basis in order to fish in coastal waters.  In November, NMFS announced that the fee for registering with the National Saltwater Angler Registry will be $15 as of January 1, a change affecting many anglers and spear fishermen in Hawaii, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"From a federal perspective, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has just put forth a historic piece of legislation that helps memorialize the public's right to free and open access to our nation's public resources," said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). "While there's been a lot of public confusion over the past few months in the state regarding this legislation, and we're grateful that Governor Christie has taken the time to analyze the facts, cutting through the red tape and bureaucracy surrounding the need for a saltwater registry."

"A big thanks to Senators Jeff Van Drew and Jennifer Beck, as well as Speaker Sheila Oliver and Chairman Nelson Albano for working across party lines to make this happen for New Jersey's saltwater anglers," said Donofrio, while adding "it took legislative support to get this law passed, not to mention plenty of grassroots political action of RFA members in the state of New Jersey, the very essence of the I Fish, I Vote motto used by RFA members for nearly 15 years.". 

Currently, 22 of the nation's 24 coastal states are exempted from the federal registration requirements because of existing state programs which provide the necessary angler data to the National Saltwater Angler Registry.  The new saltwater angler registry law now requires DEP to establish a free angler registry program for the state of New Jersey, much the same as what the state of Delaware has done through their Fisherman Identification Number (www.delaware-fin.com) Donofrio said.

"We need to enhance tourism, and what better way to do it than free fishing?" said Sen. Van Drew, primary sponsor of S1122 and a driving force in getting the free registry legislation signed into law in New Jersey.

"It's symbolic. New Jersey could be a real leader on this," Van Drew recently told Shore News Today.  "The bureaucrats are pushing for a tax and we're saying, 'C'mon, this one time let's let the fishermen breathe.' We would gain more revenue back for the state by doing something bold to promote fishing. Think of all the bait and tackle, fishing equipment, restaurant dinners and everything else fishermen buy. A fee would damper the environment and that's not good," the senator added.

Read more: NJ Anglers Will Not Pay To Fish In 2011

FREE ANGLER REGISTRY BILL CLEARS NEW HURDLE

Budget Committee Sends S1122/A823 For Full Senate Vote As Early As 12/20

December 14, 2010 - This morning in Committee Room 4 on the 1st floor of the State House Annex in Trenton, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to send S1122 (and its Assembly companion bill A823) to the Senate for a full vote.  According to the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), the committee's vote today means the Senate could vote on New Jersey's saltwater registry bill as early as December 20.
According RFA Executive Director Jim Donofrio who testified before the committee in support of the legislation, all eleven Senate committee members who heard statements today from both sides easlily saw the fiscal benefits of the legislation and found complete consensus with regard to the merits of the bills.  
"The legislators who have supported the free registry have made it very clear that there's no place for a saltwater fee in New Jersey," Donofrio said.  "It's quite obvious that the Senators and Assembly representatives from various committees are in unanimous consent that a free saltwater registry is the way to move forward at this time, and we're very thankful for the democratic process," he added.
Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) and Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank), S1122 would require the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to maintain a free annual saltwater registry program to meet the new federal mandate for data collection, allowing New Jersey's coastal fishermen to avoid paying a $15 federal registration fee beginning January 1.  The bill was approved unanimously in the Senate Environment Committee last week.

Read more: FREE ANGLER REGISTRY BILL CLEARS NEW HURDLE