Chairman Wise informed the Council that the new state budget apparently contained a million dollars for developing an Aquatic Animal Disease Unit at Stony Brook. Some of these funds would be given directly to the State University of New York. Additional funds would be channeled through the DEC. Direction would be established by a consortium of organizations including Stony Brook University, Long Island University, Cornell University, and New York Sea Grant. There would also be an advisory body comprised of state agencies. This program would provide general aquatic animal disease response and analysis, including but not specifically focused on lobsters. Mr. Colvin continued that there had been a bill introduced in the legislative session to establish an aquatic animal disease laboratory at Stony Brook with a consortium directing it. That bill was expected to pass; it would create an organizational framework to administer money already allocated. Senator Johnson’s office had informed DEC that a one-year allocation of $1 million was available from the DEC Budget, but Albany had not yet confirmed this. Mr. Wise pointed out that a single year allocation was only a start; this inititiative needed to be sustained.

Mr. Colvin said that the federal Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) had passed the House of Representatives last week. New York’s share of this federal money could pay for the Aquatic Animal Disease Lab either through Title I, which had over $30 million per year for the states’ coastal programs including fishery management, or through its Title III provisions for wildlife management. Title II, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, had $20-25 million for recreation and open space conservation. Title III had $18 million for wildlife conservation. Mr. Wise thanked those who had responded to his request and contacted their congressmen to urge them to vote for this Act, which could mean a lot to New York State’s marine program.