Int 0806-2026

Int. No. 806-A By Council Members Wong, Louis, Epstein, Brooks-Powers, Brewer, Maloney, Gennaro and Morano ..Title A Local Law in relation to the development of a citywide wildlife management plan ..Body Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. a. There shall be a wildlife management advisory board to develop a citywide wildlife management plan in accordance with this section. b. Such advisory board shall consist of 11 members as follows: 1. Two members shall be appointed by the mayor, provided that at least 1 such member shall be from academia and have experience in the management of wildlife in an urban setting; 2. Four members shall be appointed by the speaker of the council, provided that at least 1 such member shall have no less than 5 years' experience working with wildlife in an urban setting; 3. The commissioner of parks and recreation, the commissioner of environmental protection, the commissioner of health and mental hygiene, and the director of the mayor's office of animal welfare, or the respective designees of any such commissioner or director, shall be members of the advisory board; 4. The deputy mayor for operations, or such deputy mayor's designee, shall serve as chairperson of the advisory board; and 5. The advisory board may invite representatives of the department of agriculture and markets, the department of environmental conservation, the port authority of New York and New Jersey, the federal department of agriculture, the federal department of the interior, the environmental protection agency, the federal aviation administration, and any other state or federal agency identified by such board, to participate in the development of a citywide wildlife management plan in accordance with this section. c. Any vacancy in the membership of the advisory board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. d. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation. e. The advisory board shall hold its first meeting no later than 180 days after the effective date of this local law. At such meeting, the advisory board shall set a date for one or more public hearings to solicit testimony from the public and other stakeholders, including state or federal agencies, on the development of a citywide wildlife management plan. f. The advisory board shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a citywide wildlife management plan no later than 18 months after the effective date of this local law. Such plan shall include, but need not be limited to: 1. An analysis of challenges to wildlife management in the city; 2. A description of proposed strategies to promote biological diversity and healthy wildlife distribution, including threatened and endangered species; 3. A summary of proposed policies to promote wildlife management initiatives that preserve and protect public health and safety; 4. A description of proposed strategies to address challenges to wildlife management that encourage the most humane treatment of wildlife feasible and the coexistence of humans with urban wildlife; 5. An analysis of historical, present, and projected needs for the management of wildlife; 6. A description of proposed actions agencies may undertake in furtherance of the citywide wildlife management plan to promote humane treatment of wildlife; 7. An estimate of the cost of any proposed initiatives in the plan; and 8. Recommendations for any further action regarding the management of wildlife. g. The advisory board shall terminate 60 days after submission of the citywide wildlife management plan. � 2. a. No later than 1 year after the termination of the wildlife management advisory board pursuant to subdivision g of section one of this local law, and every 2 years thereafter, the mayor's office of animal welfare, in consultation with the department of parks and recreation, shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report regarding programs relating to wildlife management in the city. b. The report shall include, but need not be limited to: 1. Information about any significant challenges to wildlife management, including but not limited to any such challenges identified in the citywide wildlife management plan submitted pursuant to subdivision f of section one of this local law, and any such challenges identified in any report submitted pursuant to this section in a prior year; 2. Information about any proposal relating to wildlife management adopted by any agency, including but not limited to any such proposal identified in the citywide wildlife management plan submitted pursuant to subdivision f of section one of this local law, and any such proposal recommended in any report submitted pursuant to this section in a prior year; and 3. Recommendations for any further action any agency may take regarding wildlife management. � 3. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law and expires and is deemed repealed upon submission to the mayor and speaker of the council of a third report pursuant to section two of this local law. Upon submission of such third report, the mayor shall notify the corporation counsel for the purpose of effectuating section 7-111 of the administrative code of the city of New York. Any failure to provide the notification described in this section shall not affect the effective date of any provision of this local law. Session 14 KS LS #7726 4/8/26 7:32PM Session 13 LS #7726 1/10/24 2