Board Sets Hearing on Deer Hunting Code Revisions

The Huntington Town Board, at its August 15, 2017 meeting, set a September 19,2017 public hearing on proposed revisions to Town Code with respect to deer hunting, based on comments from residents since the code was amended two years ago to allow for bow hunting, subject to state regulations.

While noting that it is within the state’s purview to administer and regulate wildlife conservation and management, the resolution scheduling the public hearing says that the Town is working on regulations and guidelines “as to the manner in which deer management activity takes place so that the practice of same is respectful of community standards, the concerns of residents, as well as protecting property and privacy rights.”   

The proposed changes, sponsored by Councilwoman Tracey A. Edwards, include requiring written notification to the Town and local police departments, as well as to residents whose homes are within 150 feet of a site, prior to the commencement of hunting. The changes also clarify where and the manner in which a long bow may be discharged. Prohibited are discharging over a public highway, within 150 feet of a dwelling, farm building, farm structure that is occupied or used, a school building, school playground, public structure or occupied factory or church. Long bow hunting will be permitted on private property only.

(EDITORS NOTE- this editor has been a hunter his whole life. Most of the “proposed changes” are ALL READY IN DEC-LAW. But the one about notifying the town and Police is the most absurd thing I have ever heard.  New York State DEC regulates the Hunting and Fishing in New York State, the town public safety and the Suffolk County Police have nothing to do with, and no jurisdiction in regards to WILDLIFE LAW IN NEW YORK STATE.  People before any of this “law changes” I was and still am allowed to hunt in 1C Suffolk County.  After talking with Town officials working on these changes they stated they are  “Just trying to make the Town Hunting code just safer”.)

The Town will also introduce deer management guidelines that will work in tandem with the proposed code amendment see below.

Download (PDF, 28KB)

 


Below is New York State Ask Land owners permission and practices document.

Download (PDF, 823KB)


Below is a form from NYS that you can fill out and get landowners approval to hunt.  I always use this form when not hunting on my own land.

Download (PDF, 39KB)


In other action, the Town Board:

 

          — established a skin care and melanoma prevention program, authorizing the purchase of 12 sunscreen dispensers and accepting the donation of two dispensers from Impact Melanoma. The dispensers will be installed at Town Beaches, the Town’s two golf courses, the Town pool in Dix Hills and at Heckscher, Greenlawn, Otsego and Veterans Parks. The new dispensers will be in addition to one installed last year at Crab Meadow Beach as part of a pilot program.

 

          — approved purchasing development rights, with Suffolk County, for two parcels totaling 6.14 acres that were part of the Fox Hollow Farm in Melville. The Town’s share of the cost is $488,253, with funding coming from the Environmental Open Space Land and Park Improvements Reserve Fund.

 

— approved a Town Code amendment allowing residents to walk their leashed dogs in all Town parks except Heckscher Park, the Betty Allen Nature Preserve, playgrounds, picnic areas, active recreation areas, Town camps and Town beaches (except for paved areas and boardwalks at town beaches). This provides more places where residents can bring their dogs and makes the Town’s policy consistent with that of Suffolk County.

 

— approved increasing from two to four the number of rooms permitted in a bed-and-breakfast, from seven to 29 the number of consecutive days a guest may stay for from 30 to 120 the total number of days an individual guest may stay in a one-year period. 

— approved two amendments to Town Code designed to make it easier for groups to hold events at Town facilities by streamlining the application process and reducing the amount of insurance required to obtain a permit.

 

— authorized an extension to the contract with Winter Bros. Recycling of Long Island for the processing, disposal and marketing of source separated recyclables from the Town of Huntington Recycling Center and mixed paper and cardboard from the Municipal Business District.

 

 — authorized agreements with the State Transportation Department to allow placement of art on additional traffic signal boxes on Main Street and Route 110, as well as on non-state roads. The majority of the funding for the art will come from contributions by the Huntington Village and Huntington Station Business Improvement Districts. The resolution authorizes 10 new boxes, five in Huntington Village and five in Huntington Station.

 

 — approved the necessary agreements to allow for Suffolk County to fund and conduct a feasibility and design study of extending the Southwest Sewer District into Huntington Station. Lack of sewer availability has been identified as an impediment to economic growth in the area south of the Long Island Rail Road tracks.

 

  — accepted the donation by the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department of a 9-11 Memorial that is being erected in Cold Spring Harbor Firemen’s Memorial Park. The centerpiece of the memorial is a steel beam that was part of New York City’s Twin Towers destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

 

  — accepted the Tri-Village Little League’s donation of a synthetic infield baseball field at Greenlawn Park. The synthetic turf infield will allow the league to conduct more practices and games following adverse weather.

 

 —  approved two instructional hockey programs for the Dix Hills Ice rink in conjunction with the New York Rangers: a one-day “Try Hockey for Free Day” October 14 and a 12-week Learn to Play Hockey Program for 65 participants ages 4-8.


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