On July 12th, Basil Seggos, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner, announced the DEC is seeking hunters to participate in a multi-year long study of non-lead ammunition to see the impacts on the State’s eagle conservation efforts.
Seggos stated “Hunters in North America are the backbone of wildlife conservation and often help lead the charge in numerous wildlife management success stories like the restoration of white-tailed deer and wild turkey. The study announced today to assess the potential benefits of non-lead ammunition to New York’s bald and golden eagle populations is a prime example of how hunters can help conserve wildlife, and I thank the New York deer hunters who volunteer to be part of the project.”
The full release can be found here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/128058.html
DEC expects to implement the study during the 2023-24 hunting season and looks to continue the survey and the rebates (yes, rebates) during the 2024-25 seasons as well. To help recruit hunters to participate in the study, DEC’s research partners will be offering rebates of up to $60 for the purchase of certified non-lead ammunition and participation in pre- and post-hunt surveys.
DEC’s research partner, conservation science global, a “non-profit organization looking to advance conservation and management of our natural resources through science and education.” is offering “rebates for 1 box of factory loaded non-lead ammunition or 1 box of non-lead bullets (up to $60) to eligible hunters.”
Who is eligible to receive the rebate for the box of ammunition? Only hunters that are AWARDED a Deer Management Permit (DMP) in Wildlife Management Units 3H, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4W, and 6G and only if the ammunition purchased is on their qualified list will be eligible.
Map of the qualifying WMUs
You can find more information from Conservation Science Global here: https://huntersforeagleconservation.org/new-york/
To see a list of the approved non-lead ammunition, visit this link:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition/Certified
If you are eligible and interested in participating in the survey and receiving your rebate, here is a link to apply for the rebate.
Wild Heritage Horizons 
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