Planners also back allowing private airstrips in Carlton

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board is recommending the Town of Yates change the zoning to allow Medina Window to expand at 10708 Millers Rd.

Merle Yoder’s business has been growing. He wants to expand and add a storage building. The site is currently zoned residential-agricultural. The town is considering changing it to industrial.

The land was previous zoned industrial, and was the western edge of a industrial district. Other sites near by fit that use, including a mercantile across the street and a controlled-atmosphere storage building by H.H. Dobbins, said Gary Daum, an Orleans County Planning Board member from Yates.

The Planning Board on Thursday voted in favor of the rezoning, saying it corrects a previous oversight and brings the land back into compliance with the town’s zoning code.

In other action on Thursday, the Planning Board:

• Approved a request from Carlton about amending the town ordinance to allow private airports through a special use permit in rural residental, waterfront residential, waterfront development, and business zoning districts.

The change will allow property owner to establish a private airstrip, for the purpose of landing, takeoff and storage of one, single-engine aircraft. Use of the airstrip will be limited to daylight hours and fair weather conditions.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Amy Machamer, co-owner of Hurd Orchards in Holley, said Murray’s proposed law for special event regulations at farms and wineries, would add uncertainty for her business.

MURRAY – The Orleans County Planning Board voted on Thursday against proposed regulations from Murray to regulate special events at farms and wineries.

Planning Board members said Murray’s proposed law isn’t clearly written, has some contradictions and may not be needed because the state Agriculture and Markets law already gives farm operations protections for hosting special events.

Paul Hendel, a Murray Town Board member, said the town regulations are intended to help more farms have special events to sell their agricultural products.

“We’re not trying to put anybody out of business,” said Hendel, who is also a member of the County Planning Board.

The town regulation wants farms and wineries to notify the town’s code enforcement or zoning official of any special events. Those events throughout the year must be a secondary revenue stream for the farm or winery, and can’t become the primary source of money for the business, according to the Murray proposal.

“I wouldn’t jump into this,” said Planning Board member Kevin Johnson of Clarendon. “It’s going to affect a lot of farmers.”

“We think it will help them,” Hendel responded.

Ron Vendetti, a former Murray code officer, said the regulations are well intentioned “but poorly crafted.”

While Hendel said the regulations would grandfather existing operations with special events, the regulations don’t clearly say that, Vendetti said.

“It doesn’t specifically say Hurd Orchards and Salamacas (Salamaca Estate Winery) are OK,” Vendetti said.

Amy Machamer, co-owner of Hurd Orchards, said the Murray proposal is very concerning for her, given the uncertainty with how regulations are interpreted by a code officer or Planning Board.

Although Hendel said existing businesses aren’t affected by the regulations, Machamer said another Town Board or Planning Board in the future could view it differently.

Hurd Orchards uses many luncheons and special events to sell fruit and flowers grown on the farm, she said.

Agri-tourism is a big part of many farms, she said, citing a movement for more breweries, even farms renting out rooms as Airbnbs.

She also is concerned about the setback proposal requiring buildings to be at least 100 feet from the road. Machamer said Hurd owns many historic buildings that were built close to the road and don’t have a 100-foot setback.

Joe Sidonio, Machamer’s husband, said the regulations aren’t needed because the town already adopted a Right to Farm law in 2001, that encourages agri-tourism and special events at farms.

“We already have it on the books that we are promoting agriculture and we want it to grow,” Sidonio said.

Sidonio said the town’s proposal “is repetitive and discriminatory.”

Hendel said the town wants to help other farms, not currently using special events to sell products, to add that revenue stream.

The Town Board will have a public hearing at 7 p.m. on April 9 about the regulations. That hearing is at the Murray Town Hall, 3840 Fancher Rd.

The Town Board can adopt the regulations but will need a super-majority vote due to the County Planning Board’s vote of denial.

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board voted in favor of the site plan for turning a former dentist office into a hostel in Medina.

Andrew Meier, owner of the Hart House Hotel on West Center Street, wants to open the hostel with six rooms at 511 West Ave. The new business would be called Bunkhaus and would offer a clean and more affordable rest stop on the western end of the Erie Canal between Buffalo and Rochester.

The first floor would have six rooms for the hostel. The two upper apartments would remain.

The six former examination rooms would be outfitted with a bunk bed, lounge chair, clothing storage, sink and mirror, and area to store up to two bicycle. An existing bathroom would be shared by all of the patrons.

“I think this will be a real positive addition,” Meier told the Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday evening.

Meier said the existing layout of the first floor wouldn’t be changed. He wants to make some cosmetic improvements from the current 1970s look of the space.

Meier said the business would operate in tandem with the Hart House, sharing a phone line and cleaning crew. There is a large parking lot and secondary lots across from the Post Office, although many of the guests will be cyclists and won’t have a car.

Meier said he expects many of the customers will be hikers or cyclists exploring the Erie Canal.

“The Village of Medina certainly needs this,” said Marty Busch, the Medina code enforcement officer and a member of the County Planning Board. “We’ve had a tremendous influx of people hiking, cycling and visiting the community.”

Busch said the hostel offers another option for people to stay overnight in Medina.

“It is more spartan accommodations than a typical hotel,” he said.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The drama program at Albion High School will perform Into the Woods this Friday and Saturday at the Middle School Auditorium.

The top photo shows Nate Grammatico, left, as Jack; Enoch Martin (holding the baby) as the Baker; and Kate Krieger as Cinderella.

Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, noon on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are available at the door.

Brennan Moody, left, is Cinderella’s Prince and Chase Froman is Rapunzel’s Prince. The two princes are brothers. They are singing, “Agony.”

Into the Woods was written by Stephen Sondheim and intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The main characters are taken from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella and others.

The musical explores the consequences of the characters’ wishes. The storyline is connected by a childless baker and his wife, and their desire to begin a family. A witch places a curse on them after the baker’s father steals her vegetables, including magic beans.

The witch will lift the curse if she is brought four ingredients – a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold – in three days.

Zach Moore is the narrator, introducing the different characters in the show.

Myleigh Miller is Little Red Riding Hood, Emma Tower is the Baker’s Wife and Enoch Martin is the Baker.

There are 25 students in the cast, another 24 in the stage crew, and 17 in the pit orchestra.

Martin, a senior, has been performing in the Albion drama program since the middle school. He plans to work for two years after high school to save money and then head to California and Hollywood to be a professional actor.

He enjoys challenging himself to portray different characters. Into the Woods is “one of the more serious shows Albion has done,” he said.

Aubrey Boyer is the Witch, who raises Rapunzel in a tall tower accessible only by climbing Rapunzel’s long, golden hair.

Gary Simboli, the musical director, said the show features many soloists, including Boyer.

“It is a gargantuan show,” Simboli said. “It’s a huge storyline with many opportunities for soloists and individual storylines to develop.”

The set pieces are moving throughout the show, which Simboli said gives the feeling of an animated movie.

In Act 1, many of the characters see their wishes come true. Act 2 is darker and shows what happens to the characters after their wishes come true.

Kate Krieger is Cinderella who is surrounded by mythical creatures played by, from left: Olivia Morrison, April Henchen, Kaylyn Holman and Annalise Steier.

Krieger, a senior, said she has enjoyed being a part of the close-knit drama program at Albion.

“Everyone works really well together,” she said.

Cinderella shows many emotions during the show, which Krieger said she enjoys.

“It’s definitely an exciting show,” she said.

Nate Grammatico plays Jack who slays the Giant. He is shown with Laiken Ricker (Milky White), Hannah Van Epps (Jack’s mother), Emma Tower (Baker’s wife) and Jacob Ettinger (The Mysterious Man).

These characters include, from left: Sophia Zambito as Lucinda, Cinderella’s stepsister; Leah Kania as Florinda, Cinderella’s stepsister; and Hannah Brewer as Cinderella’s stepmother.

Press Release, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley

As Assembly leadership began its yearly tradition of unveiling budget bills Tuesday with the introduction of the Debt Service Bill, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) voted against the legislation that would have perpetuated Albany’s reckless spending habits, leading to a state debt of nearly $54 billion.

“Let’s talk about the facts, New York has $53.6 billion in debt and ranks as the second most indebted state behind only California,” Hawley said. “That’s $3,153 that every single person would be responsible for paying if and when the state comes calling. This bill calls for our budget to allocate $10.2 billion just to service our debt for one year – money that should be invested in roads, bridges, schools and tax relief efforts, not paying state creditors.

“This is the consequence of extreme tax and spend policies in Albany,” Hawley continued. “No family, business or organization across our state would ever put the kind of spending on a credit card the way that New York state does. I will continue to hold the line on responsible spending and total transparency throughout the remainder of our budget process this week. It is time that we ditch the old way of doing things in Albany, and embrace a new vision of fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies that will allow our state to prosper for decades to come.”

Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt

Today, State Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I,Ref-North Tonawanda) called for the Governor and Legislature to remove the Empire State Film Tax Credits from the Fiscal Year 2020 budget and shift its $420 million cost to fund critical health, education, direct support, and veterans’ needs.

What started as a modest $25 million tax credit has ballooned to the second-largest film industry subsidy in the U.S. With New York’s budget due April 1 and serious funding needs remaining, as well as Amazon’s much-publicized exit from New York, Ortt and his colleagues said the time was right for the tax credit’s elimination.

“As we stare down a budget deadline and weigh important funding priorities, we must question whether spending $420 million on the Hollywood film industry is the best use of taxpayer dollars,” said Ortt. “Our state’s roads, bridges, and mass transit are in disrepair, veterans and women’s health programs are being cut, direct care workers are woefully underfunded, and our schools need help. Whether it’s agriculture or manufacturing, there are other critical industries struggling in New York that don’t benefit from anything near the corporate welfare that is the Empire State Film Tax Credits.”

Earlier this year, Senate Democrats dismantled a deal between New York State/City and Amazon that would have seen $27 billion in revenue and 25,000 jobs brought into the state over the coming years. Along with local political concerns, Senate Democrats offered taxpayer-funded subsidies (in exchange for Amazon’s business) as their reason for opposition. Meanwhile, New York State continues to provide significant corporate subsidies through the $420 million annual tax credit to the film industry, Ortt said.

Governor Cuomo, who has supported and expanded the program since taking office, recently suggested the credit be eliminated to fund other priorities. Democratic Senator and Finance Chair, Liz Kruger, has repeatedly questioned the need for the film tax credit and suggested it was too generous. But last week, she heralded the credits’ success and stated that the Senate would not end the credit.

Ortt was joned by ther Senate colleagues in calling for an end to the film tax credits, including Sen. Pam Helming (R,C,I-Canandaigua), Sen. Robert E. Antonacci II (R,I,C,UJP-Onondaga) and Sen. Fred Akshar (R,C,I – Endwell).

“The Governor’s team continues to double down on the same failed economic development policies when they should be focused on making New York more affordable for everyday New Yorkers,” Akshar said. “The millions forfeited to Hollywood could easily cover the Governor’s raid on aid to municipalities (AIM) funding that’s forcing local governments to either raise taxes or cut services for New York residents. New Yorkers are leaving in droves, and giving tax breaks to film producers does nothing to stop that. How many more manufacturers, small businesses and residents must we lose before we change course and work to make New York more affordable for everyone?”

Provided photo: Sadie Klumpp, left, of Newfane will be the alternate Niagara-Orleans dairy princess this year while Hayley Roehling serves as the dairy princess.

HARTLAND – New royalty will be crowned on April 6 during the annual Niagara-Orleans County Dairy Princess Pageant.

The reigning princess, Gwenna Goodenough, will reflect on her accomplishments over the past year before she passes her torch to the next princess, Hayley Roehling, of Akron. The alternate this year will be Sadie Klumpp of Newfane.

Dairy princesses from across the North East region visit schools, appear at community events and attend civic meetings to talk about milk and dairy products and the dairy industry.

Both Hayley and Sadie are seniors this year and exhibit dairy cattle in the Niagara County 4-H program. They are eager to share their knowledge of the program as well as work on new ways to promote the dairy industry.

The Dairy Princess Pageant will be at 7 p.m. on April 6 at the Hartland Fire Hall.

CARLTON – Michael Smith took these photos of a Pileated Woodpecker on Monday, which was pecking away at a maple tree stump in Smith’s front yard on Route 18.

“My wife heard him pecking loudly at the tree from inside the house,” Smith said. “The tree face fits the situation.”

The Pileated Woodpecker is a large woodpecker that can seem like a crow. This woodpecker tends to have a red chest and a red stripe on its cheek.

Click here for more about the Pileated Woodpecker.

ALBION – An Albion teen-ager was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison today for criminal sex act in the first degree.

The boy was 16 last year when he forced a 10-year-old girl to give him oral sex. Judge Charles Zambito said the 10-year-old girl was terrified during the ordeal.

The boy was granted youthful offender status. His record is sealed and his name shouldn’t be published in the news.

The boy has been in the Orleans County Jail for about a year. Joanne Best, the public defender, asked that the boy be released and be allowed to continue treatment and his education.

“He is very remorseful,” Best told the judge. “He wishes he made a different choice.”

But Judge Zambito said he wants the teen to spend more time incarcerated and receive help in prison.

“I want you to be supervised for as long as possible,” the judge said.

Best, the public defender, said a younger boy pressured the Albion teen into the crime. That boy is 15 and his case is being handled in Family Court.

“He wishes he stood up to the other young man,” Best said about the teen sentenced today.

She asked that the teen not go to state prison, where he will likely soon be eligible for parole.

“I don’t think there is any benefit of putting someone of his age in the state corrections system,” Best said.

The teen would like to pursue a career in the military. He apologized to the victim and her family in court today.

District Attorney Joe Cardone requested the state prison sentence due to the teen’s “extremely serious and alarming conduct.”

Judge Zambito also issued an order of protection for the victim of the crime until 2031.

In other cases today:

• A former Albion man who has spent about 2 years in state prison on rape charges was re-sentenced and his post-release supervision was reduced from 10 years to 3 years.

Charles Ledger, 30, was sentenced on Jan. 17, 2017 on rape charges against two underage girls. He maintained his innocence throughout court proceedings and entered an Alford plea, where he pleaded guilty but maintained his innocence to avoid more serious charges.

In reviewing the court transcripts in the case, the Legal Aid Bureau in Buffalo discovered that Ledger was not advised when he pleaded guilty that he would face 10 years of post-release supervision.

James Punch, who is now retired as county court judge, didn’t advise Ledger that the 10 years of post-release supervision would possibly be part of the sentence.

Rather than possibly go to another trial, District Attorney Joe Cardone agreed to dismiss the rape charges against one of the victims. Ledger also agreed to the sentence today, which remains at 3 years of state prison.

The only change is the post-release supervision is reduced by seven years. Ledger also is expected to be on the sex offender registry as a level 2 offender.

• A former Medina resident was praised for completing a diversion program, where she received treatment for drug addiction over two years.

Maria Conte, 30, had a more serious charge of grand larceny dismissed. She instead was sentenced to petit larceny, and will avoid going to jail. Judge Zambito sentenced her to three years of probation.

Conte, now a Rochester resident, thanked the court for the opportunity to be in the diversion program.

Her attorney, Public Defender Joanne Best, asked that Conte be given a conditional discharge with no probation. But Zambito declined that request.

“You’ve done a very good job,” Judge Zambito told Conte. “Substance abuse is a difficult problem to overcome. You didn’t do it by yourself. You had some help. We want to assure you have some help to keep you going.”

‘We don’t need more intoxicants in society.’ – Dr. Tom Madejski, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York

Photo by Tom Rivers: Dr. Tom Madejski of Albion (left), who is president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, joins Paul Pettit, the Public Health director for the Health Departments in Genesee and Orleans counties, and sharing their concerns about legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. Pettit is also president of the New York State Association of County Health Officials. The two are speaking at Wednesday’s meeting of the Orleans County Legislature.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature went on the record Wednesday in asking the state to hold off on legalizing recreational marijuana, saying there are many negative impacts to society, as well as financial hits to local governments if marijuana gets the state’s blessing.

Two local health officials, who lead state-wide organizations, also said there are too many unknowns for New York to allow legalized recreational marijuana.

There will be impacts with more impaired drivers, likely leading to more serious motor vehicle accidents, Orleans County legislators were told on Wednesday by Dr. Tom Madejski and Paul Pettit. Madejski of Albion is president of the Medical Society of the State of New York. Pettit is the Public Health director for the Health Departments in Genesee and Orleans counties. He also leads the NYS Association of County Health Officials.

They said legalizing marijuana will likely lead to more use among teen-agers and young adults, and that use at a young age makes them far more likely to develop drug addictions, the two said.

“If this goes badly we’ll damage another segment of society,” Madejski told county legislators.

He has helped lead the Medical Society of the State of New York’s response to the opioid epidemic, which Madejski said started about 20 years ago when opioids were pushed for pain relief, only to become highly addictive for many people.

He said legalizing recreational marijuana is “bad social policy.”

“We don’t need more intoxicants in society,” he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature have been debating legalizing recreational marijuana.

County Legislator Don Allport, R-Gaines, said the push for legalization is a money grab by the state, which wants to tax marijuana sales.

Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana say it will take marijuana out of the black market. However, Madejski and Pettit said the black maret will continue to thrive because marijuana will be available without a big tax likely to be imposed by the state, making it more expensive.

Pettit said the state needs to fund a public education plan about the dangers of marijuana use, if it is legalized for recreational use. He worries that children will be exposed through second-hand smoke or through edible marijuana that may be left around a house and appear to be candy or cookies.

Pettit said today’s marijuana is highly potent. “These aren’t your grandma’s brownies,” he said.

Several organizations are opposing recreational marijuana in New York include the Medical Society of New York, NYS Parent Teachers Association, NYS Sheriffs’ Association, NYS Association of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers, Association of School Business Officials, and Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Pettit presented a slide show to county legislators on Wednesday. He shared the following:

• Some of the ways of using marijuana include combusted products (joints, pipes, bongs, bowls, blunts and splits); vaporizers (electronic vaping devices); edibles (brownies, cookies and candies); drinks (elixirs, syrups and hot chocolates); and dabbing (using concentrates and waxes).

• The use of e-cigarettes among youth and young adults increased 900 percent from 2011 to 2015 among high school students, Pettit said, citing the surgeon general. E-cigarettes grew 78 percent from 2017 to 2018 among high schoolers. There are currently 3.6 million youth in the US using e-cigarettes.

• Pettit said evidence shows long-term use of marijuana can lead to addiction. There is recognition of cannabis withdrawal syndrome, which makes cessation difficult and contributes to relapse.

Adolescents are particularly susceptible, compared to people who start using cannabis as adults. Those who begin using marijuana in adolescence are 2 to 4 times as likely to have cannabis dependence within two years after first use.

• The use of cannabis in adolescence could influence multiple addictive behavior in adulthood, he said.

District Attorney Joe Cardone was at Wednesday’s meeting and he shared concerns about marijuana becoming more accepted, even legal.

“Certainly not everyone who uses marijuana goes on to use more serious drugs,” Cardone said. But everyone who uses serious drugs has used marijuana.”

• Weekly or more frequent cannabis use by adolescents and young adults is associated with impaired learning, memory, math and reading achievement, even 28 days after last use, Pettit said.

Marijuana use is strongly associated with failure to graduate from both high school and/or college, he said.

• County legislators, in stating their opposition to legalizing recreational marijuana, said more research is needed on the long- term health outcomes of marijuana use.

• There will also be an impact on law enforcement agencies, which will need approximately 650 more drug recognition experts to determine if drivers are impaired by marijuana.

• Legalizing regulated marijuana also will necessitate retiring a large majority of police K-9 dogs that are trained to detect marijuana, as their detection capabilities would no longer be admissible in court and the replacement of these K-9 officers could easily take 5-7 years at great cost to taxpayers, legislators said.

Legislator John DeFilipps, R-Clarendon, said the push by the state is contrary to decades of messages about the dangers of using drugs.

Legislator Allport said the state shouldn’t legalize marijuana.

“It’s ludicrous, it’s hypocritical,” he said. “They’re putting money above the health and welfare of residents.”

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature approved a new three-year contract on Wednesday with 60 workers in the Orleans County Sheriff’s Employees Association.

They will be getting 2 percent annual raises from the years 2019 to 2021. The union represents correction officers, jail cooks, civil clerks and dispatchers.

The contract includes a new high deductible health plan and new employees need to contribute 20 percent of their health insurance costs. Veteran employees tend to pay 10 to 15 percent of the health insurance costs, depending on their length of service.

The contract also calls for shifts at dispatch to be re-bid.

The previous contract with the union from 2016 to 2018 also provided for 2 percent annual raises.

ALBION – Orleans County legislators today formally opposed the Red Flag Bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Feb. 25.

The legislation prevents individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of firearm. Cuomo touted the bill last month as the first in the United States to empower teachers and school administrators to prevent school shootings by pursuing court intervention.

No law previously existed in the state that enabled a court to issue an order to temporarily seize firearms from a person who is showing red flags, like violent behavior, or is believed to pose a severe threat of harm to himself, herself, or others unless that person has also been accused of a crime or family offense, Cuomo said.

County legislators today cited the Second Amendment – “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

County legislators said the Red Flag Bill “is in clear violation of our constitutionally afforded Second Amendment rights, as well as the right to due process of law.”

County legislators said there are 5,800 registered gun owners in Orleans County “who could therefore be subject to the seizure of their legally obtained firearms if a person deems them to be a threat to themselves or the public.”

County legislators said a better way for the governor and State Legislature to respond to gun violence is to increase penalties for criminals who use firearms to harm or threaten law-abiding citizens, and also to address the issues of mental illness related to violence.

The County Legislature’s resolution will be forwarded to state legislators and the governor.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman: Medina native and former Mustang athlete Mark Fuller flies over the baseball and lacrosse games in Medina today in a C130. It is based out of Stratton in Schenectady.

The temperatures will stay above freezing the rest of this week, with some highs in the upper 40s and into the 50s.

Thursday is forecast for a high of 56 with a 90 percent chance of rain, between a tenth to a quarter of an inch.

Friday there is a slight chance of showers, while it will be partly sunny with a high near 47, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

Saturday will be have a high near 49 with a 100 percent chance of showers, between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday will have a high near 38 with a chance for more showers.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Jonathan Oakes, the winemaker at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina, serves wine during the third annual Farm-to-Table dinner last Aug. 2 in downtown Medina.

MEDINA – Medina’s restaurant and cultural scene is getting a big spread in the Gusto section of The Buffalo News. It’s the kind of publicity that should bring more people to visit the community’s restaurants and businesses.

An article posted online today by Francesca Bond has the headline, “Inside Medina’s Small-Town Culinary and Cultural Renaissance.” Click here to see the article.

It highlights Mariachi De Oro, the Shirt Factory Café, Zambistro, 810 Meadworks, Fitzgibbon’s, Sourced Market and Eatery, and Mile 303. The article also highlights the efforts to renovate the former Bent’s Opera House, turning it into a restaurant, hotel and cultural center.

Many of the restaurants and projects are led by young adults like Alix Gilman and her husband Scott Robinson, owners of the Shirt Factory Café, a coffee and cocktail bar. Gilman and Robinson are described as two people who grew up in Medina, went away for college and a career, and returned to open a business in their hometown.

The article also notes Medina’s very popular farm-to-table dinner that sells out within an hour every year. The Orleans Renaissance Group organizes the dinner on a block-off section of Main Street. Last year 220 people attended the event.

DEC will stock 33,670 brown trout in Carlton at Lake Ontario

The trout and salmon fishing season in New York State opens on Monday, April 1.

The Department of Environmental Conservation also will be stocking 2.33 million catchable-size brook, brown and rainbow trout in 311 lakes and ponds and roughly 2,845 miles of streams across the state.

That includes 33,670 brown trout, about 8 to 9 inches long, in Carlton at Lake Ontario.

Spring stockings will include 1.74 million brown trout, 433,855 rainbow trout and 157,200 brook trout. Approximately 97,000 two-year-old brown trout 13 to 14 inches in length are included in the brown trout total.

Stocking supports the state’s growing sportfishing industry, which generates an estimated $1.8 billion in economic activity each year.

“New York is home to world-class trout and salmon fishing in virtually every corner of the state,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “Heading out on opening day is a cherished tradition for generations of families, and I encourage New Yorkers and visitors alike to get outside and enjoy all the great fishing that our waters have to offer.”

As winter gives way to spring, stream anglers should be prepared to adapt fishing plans and tactics to variable temperatures and flows. In cold weather, bait and lures that can be fished slow and deep often prove effective in rousing sluggish trout. As water temperatures rise, anglers can shift to more active styles of fishing such as dry fly fishing.

“Excitement is building across the state as anglers prepare their gear for one of the most anticipated fishing days on the calendar,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Temperatures are beginning to rise and conditions should improve throughout April and May, as trout and salmon feed more actively on their natural foods. I encourage angling veterans and novices alike to get out there and enjoy New York’s excellent angling opportunities.”