Section 11-1307. Fishing promotion program

The  commissioner  shall  develop  and  implement  a fishing promotion
  program. The commissioner shall, in conjunction with the commissioner of
  economic development and  the  commissioner  of  parks,  recreation  and
  historic  preservation,  develop  and  implement  a  program  which will
  encourage residents and  out-of-state  fishermen  to  utilize  New  York
  state's  fishing  opportunities.  Such program shall include, but not be
  limited to:
    1. working with conservation organizations,  local  sportmen's  clubs,
  retail  stores,  and  county chambers to develop and conduct educational
  fishing clinics for children and adults to teach angling techniques  for
  both  fresh  and  salt  water  fishing  and to provide information about
  stocking programs that will increase the odds of a successful  and  safe
  fishing experience;
    2.  conducting public outreach, including working with local community
  and  youth  organizations,  tourism   promotion   agencies   and   local
  governments,  to  develop  programs  in  conjunction  with  the two free
  fishing days annually per department region provided by the legislature,
  such as educational seminars, day-long fishing festivals, and tackle and
  rod loaner programs, which will encourage individuals  to  take  up  the
  sport of fishing;
    3.  making available to the fishing public, via both brochures and the
  agency's website, the following information:
    a. Public fishing sections of streams, ponds, and lakes;
    b. Public access points for streams, ponds, and lakes;
    c. Handicapped access points for all water bodies; and
    d. The location of state lands,  including  forests,  parks,  wildlife
  management  areas, trails, campsites by type, ski areas, hatcheries, and
  environmental education centers and camps;
    4. posting  fishing  reports,  including  current  fishing  conditions
  statewide, on the department's website;
    5.  developing  and implementing a "learn-to-fish" and "instructional"
  passbook and stamp program. a.  The  department  shall  make  available,
  wherever  licenses  are  sold,  a "learn-to-fish" passbook and stamps to
  children under sixteen years of age. Such stamps shall  include  various
  types  of  fish indigenous to New York state and shall also include with
  the distribution of the  "learn-to-fish"  passbook  one  "learn-to-fish"
  stamp.  A  child  under sixteen years of age may collect stamps and when
  the "learn-to-fish" passbook is complete  shall  return  such  completed
  "learn-to-fish"  passbook  to the department via mail and the department
  shall  issue  a  patch,  to  be  determined  by  the  commissioner,   to
  "learn-to-fish"  passbook holders who have participated in and completed
  the  "learn-to-fish"  passbook  program   created   pursuant   to   this
  subdivision.
    b. A licensee shall also be issued an "instructional passbook" and may
  place a "learn-to-fish" stamp previously issued to a child under sixteen
  in  his  or  her  "instructional  passbook" whenever he or she teaches a
  person under sixteen years of age how to fish. Once  that  licensee  has
  earned  fifty  "learn-to-fish"  stamps  in  his  or  her  "instructional
  passbook",  that  person  shall  return  such  completed  "instructional
  passbook"  to  the  department via mail and the department shall issue a
  free fishing license for the season following that in which  he  or  she
  gets  their fiftieth "learn-to-fish" stamp. The department shall include
  in the "instructional passbook" information relating to the  instruction
  of  fishing  techniques  to  children,  and  shall  also include current
  fishing regulations in the "instructional passbook".