NY Chapter Opposes Senate Bill S4408

The New York Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers opposes New York Senate Bill S4408 as written. The bill would allow leases or easements on state reforestation lands for renewable energy infrastructure and related electric transmission and distribution. While supporting clean energy is essential, this proposal puts the wrong development in the wrong place. These lands were set aside to grow forests, protect habitat and watersheds, and provide public recreation, including hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Our concern is not with clean energy itself, but S4408 allows industrial development on conserved public land without strong, enforceable limits. Large ground-mounted solar projects are typically fenced, which will cut off or reduce public access, break up wildlife movement, and fragment habitat. NYSERDA’s own model solar law notes that large-scale solar arrays require fencing, and state solar permitting materials recognize that habitat clearing and fragmentation of wildlife corridors can harm long-term population health.

The bill states these projects cannot interfere with the purposes for which the land was acquired, but in practice it is vague and hard to enforce. It does not clearly define what counts as interference and it does not guarantee no net loss of hunting and fishing access. It does not set firm limits on habitat disruption, road building, corridors, or long-term land conversion. That leaves too much room for damage to be argued over after the fact instead of prevented up front.