The NYS Conservation Fund?consisting primarily of revenue derived from sporting licenses, fees and special sales taxes?has historically been viewed as a dedicated fund which can only be used for fish and wildlife related conservation. Currently the $50M Fund has a surplus of about $9M, much of that generated from the hunting and fishing license fee hikes of two years ago. Despite the surplus, the Fund has been frozen, meaning the loss of some programs and personnel dependant on it for revenue. But now, faced with a staggering state budget deficit, it seems the governor and legislators’ fingers are itching to dip into that money
Somewhat ironic also is that the bill to create a mandatory NYS salt water fishing license was repealed. Previously the DEC’s Marine District budget ran about $9M, most of it coming from the, you guessed it, Conservation Fund. The license repeal – obviously politically motivated by affected downstate legislators – failed to consider that there was no targeted money in the General Fund to pay for the very Marine program services the new license would help fund.
Under the new State Budget directive, the comptroller is authorized and directed to transfer, at the request of the director of the budget, up to $38 million from the unencumbered balance of any special revenue fund or account, or combination of funds and accounts, to the community projects fund. Might that help fund an overburdened Medicaid system or pork projects? Regarding dipping into special funds, the Conservation Fund is given as an example. So this means that if the current pork fund of $136M is expended and there’s a surplus in, say, the Conservation Fund or the Surf Clam/Ocean Quahog Account or whatever, it’s OK, could those dollars could end up funding member items, whatever they might be? And with the current federal budget mess, chances are shortfalls from the feds could hasten the state’s need to dip into the dedicated funds that have surpluses.
Unencumbered funds are available ? but there aren’t many special revenue funds, or state funds of any kind, that are swimming in extra cash after the sweeps of the past few years.
The Budget Director, who works for the governor, says it’s all appropriate.

The Empty Promise of April 2011
April is normally a month that avid outdoors people look forward to – Winter is winding down, temperatures are gradually creeping up, the trout fishing season is open, and only a few more weeks remain until the month-long spring turkey hunting season arrives May 1. Hiking trails are often open and free of snow, and birders get to glimpse many migrating species that haven’t been around since last autumn.
Note that pesky disclaimer “normally.” With the Polar Jet Stream seemingly nailed solidly in its winter pattern, it leaves the door wide open to the colder air that would often be blocked to our north. That also allows strong low pressure systems and Alberta Clippers to jump aboard and get a free ride east, bringing with them colder air, wet snow, and strong winds. In other words, not exactly Spring-like weather conditions.
I find it amusing how most of the TV talking head meteorologists keep tossing us the “normal” April high temperatures, many of them quoting that “by month’s end, we’ll be enjoying highs in the mid-50s.” It makes me wonder if any of them get away from their computers long enough to enjoy their predictions?
Some friends have talked about forgoing traditional stream trout fishing this month, and instead going after late-Winter steelhead in the Salmon River. As one said: “If I have to spray my rod guides with Pam to keep them from icing up, I may as well fish for something larger than those small stream trout.” He does have a point.
For those who haven’t visited some of the higher elevation woodland trout streams, I suspect they’d be shocked at how much residual snow remains in the woods. And before some honest-to-goodness trout fishing can occur, we need to get rid of that stubborn snowpack. How long that takes is entirely up to Mother Nature’s climatology moods. It would require several consecutive days of warmer temperatures and maybe a little more solar-generated warmth than we’ve seen recently.
As this is an “outdoor” column, that can encompass a whole slew of activities in addition to fishing. I know that anyone who has a vegetable or flower garden, or takes pride in their lawn and property is rather frustrated that our springtime weather arrival is on hold, as are any seasonal chores related to gardening or home upkeep.
So what to do? Not much we can really. We can wait, or go about our pursuits as though it was truly Spring-like, and then complain about the lousy conditions afterward. I have to smile now when I recall one trout fishing trip I took when I needed snowshoes on to walk along the stream banks. Yes, I did actually catch a couple of trout that day, but the effort seemed to far outweigh the pair of 8-inch trout I brought home. Needless to say, I was much younger then and nothing could stand in my way of fishing, especially a few feet of residual snow and ice-cold stream water.
You may consider this recent string of bad weather as the effects of global warming, climate change, or whatever, but truthfully I think it’s just our planet’s way of reminding us that, regardless of what the weather experts say, or the man-made calendar may say, the weather is never totally normal, as those well-worn “averages” try to indicate. Averages are fine for determining handicaps in golf, bowling and other organized sports, but when it comes to our weather, they make about as much sense as predicting when you’ll win the lottery.