New York's multicultural communtities Fishing builds bridges of communication as people from varied ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds find and share common interests and values as anglers. New York's conservation and environmental community Angling experiences as a youth lead to conservation leadership and resource advocacy as adults. New York's environmental educators Fishing provides the hands-on experiences that bring relevancy to the need for stewardship. Fishing experiences help extend a youngster's sense of place, community and home to include the natural world. Fishing helps youngsters have personal reasons for understanding and caring about the environment.
Committed anglers are active environmental advocates and care- takers.
Through license fees, and excise taxes on fishing gear, anglers pay for resource management and protection. In virtually every other state in the country, the state natural resources regulatory agency conducts its own aquatic resources education program. Volunteer Instructors are trained at weekend trainings held periodically around the state. Trainings emphasize aquatic ecology, fisheries management, fisheries biology and environmental stewardship. The emphasis is placed on developing community clubs and mentor-apprentice relationships, to be maintained over a significant period of time.