Programs Will Expand Vital Safety Programs As well As Promote Outdoor Recreation
Kingston, N.Y. – Ulster County Executive Mike Hein announces that substantial funding for the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County in the amount of $15,000 is to be included in the 2016 Ulster County Executive Budget. As part of County Executive’s Hein’s Healthy Ulster County initiative to make Ulster County the healthiest county in New York State, this funding will be used to promote firearms safety, increase suicide prevention efforts in conjunction with Ulster County’s SPEAK coalition (Suicide Prevention Education Awareness Knowledge) and help provide activities that encourage both youth and adults to enjoy all of the tremendous outdoor opportunities available in Ulster County. Funding will be allocated to both the Ulster County Department of Health and the Ulster County Department of the Environment.
“This is a common sense solution to improving basic firearms safety and training within our community. As someone who was born and raised in upstate New York, I am pleased to be partnering with the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County, a natural ally uniquely positioned with highly qualified instructors to help in both firearm safety and training as well as to promote the wonderful outdoor recreational activities such as fishing in the unparalleled natural beauty of Ulster County,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “The Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County and I share a common belief; any household in which firearms are present should have the highest degree of safety training. In addition, on a much more somber note, we must bring the discussion of suicide and access to firearms into the mainstream. Ulster County’s SPEAK Coalition will build upon our current partnership with the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County to provide information and resources in the prevention of suicide, and the Federated Sportsmen will utilize this County funding to provide basic handgun safety classes for those seeking a license and will promote the ‘Child Safe Program’ as well as distribute handgun safety locks for free. I want to thank Joe Liuni, President of the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County, and their entire leadership team for their commitment to safety in order to make this invaluable solution possible and for providing these vital programs to our residents.”
Programs to be funded will include: (1) Expansion of Basic Handgun Safety classroom training that ensures that adult firearms safety is being provided by certified instructors across the County; and (2) partnership with Ulster County’s SPEAK Coalition (Suicide Prevention Education Awareness Knowledge) to provide educational outreach to promote C.A.L.M. (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) and promote Ulster County’s comprehensive suicide prevention efforts including the SPEAK smartphone app to aid those at risk throughout the County; and (3) Fish Stocking Program that stocks indigenous fish in our local creeks and rivers and maintains access areas; and (4) ‘Lend-A-Pole´ which is a youth fishing program that provides fishing poles and a free basic fishing tackle kit that can be checked out of a local library.
Paul Van Blarcum, Ulster County Sheriff
“We take handgun safety training very seriously, and Ulster County is fortunate to have the Federated Sportsmen involved in providing qualified instruction to anyone who is seeking a firearm permit,” said Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum. “The Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County does an excellent job providing healthy, educational and safety-oriented programs and I applaud County Executive Hein for providing this support to them.”
Joe Liuni, President of the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County, Inc.
“As President of the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County, I am pleased to partner once again with Ulster County and I want to thank County Executive Hein for welcoming an open discussion with the Federation regarding our programs that promote outdoor recreational activities and ensure safe and responsible gun ownership for the residents of Ulster County,” said Joe Liuni, President of the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Ulster County Health Department on the SPEAK program and increasing the wonderful outdoor opportunities Ulster County is famous for.”
Thomas Briggs, Ulster County Legislator
“We live in a stunningly beautiful part of the country, and I hope this will help encourage more people to get outdoors and enjoy nature with their family and friends,” said Thomas Briggs, Ulster County Legislator. “Responsible gun ownership starts with safety training and I fully support County Executive Hein’s common sense approach and partnership with the Sportsmen.”
Ken Ronk, Ulster County Legislator
“I have always been a supporter of Ulster County's sportsmen, and have repeatedly pushed for funding to be included in the Ulster County Budget to support their activities,” said Ken Ronk, Ulster County Legislator. “Hunters and fishers support the local economy and provide great leisure activity and environmental stewardship for Ulster County. I am thrilled that they will be funded in the 2016 budget.”
Dr. Carol Smith, Ulster County Commissioner of Health and Mental Health
“County Executive Hein is on the leading edge in finding creative ways to raise public awareness of the importance of health and mental health issues by creating partnerships that make sense and work,” said Dr. Carol Smith, Ulster County Commissioner of Health and Mental Health. “I am so pleased that the County’s SPEAK Council will be expanding its partnership with the Sportsmen in a greater effort to make important preventative information and resources available to the public.”
The $15,000 funding will be included in County Executive Hein’s 2016 Executive Budget, within programmatic funding in the budgets of the Ulster County Health Department as well as the Ulster County Department of the Environment, which is anticipated to be released in October. The Ulster County Legislature votes on the Budget on or before December 20th.
