EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week we launched “Courier Cares,” an initiative to help you, our readers, with problems and issues in your communities. Our first assignment: raccoons, which generated quite a response, even from a local assemblymember.
Several Old Howard Beach resident contacted The Courier after raccoons in the vicinity of 98th Street and 163rd Avenue became a problem no one seemed to want to handle.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), “raccoons are best handled and removed by professional and licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCOs). These NWCOs are licensed by the DEC, and will charge a fee for their services.”
But Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi’s office informed The Courier that on June 15, Assembly Bill A.295 was passed by the New York State Legislature, which amends the environmental conservation law pertaining to the classification and handling of wildlife in New York State.
Hevesi said he became aware of the need for this legislation during an investigation that was prompted by a constituent inquiry. This constituent alerted Hevesi’s staff that they could not get anyone from a city agency to respond to their compliant unless there was proof that the animal was rabid. From there, he discovered that the law, which read “…fox, skunk, venomous snake or raccoon” was being interpreted to mean that they could only respond to rabid raccoons.
“Raccoons have become a serious nuisance, and affect the quality of life of many people in this community,” Hevesi said. “These animals can cause property damage and pose a threat regardless of whether or not they are rabid. This legislation corrects a technical flaw in the law that allowed for inaction before, and, in doing so, requires environmental conservation officers to remove these animals from properties once they are reported.”
This section of the environmental conservation law has been interpreted in some cities and municipalities to limit a response to only those animals that could be proven to have rabies. Cases in which raccoons were presenting a nuisance, but were not displaying rabid traits, were dismissed as beyond the prevue of the local conservation officer’s obligations. This legislation rectifies this situation by clarifying that all raccoons, rabid or otherwise, fall within the parameters of wildlife that must be handled and transported once reported to an environmental conservation officer, forest ranger, or state police officer.
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law on Friday, July 15.
In the meantime, says the DEC, the number one rule is to stay clear of live (or dead) raccoons. In particular, children should be taught to never approach an animal and when they see one, to tell an adult. Generally, raccoons are not dangerous to people, but they could cause harm if handled by someone not trained to do so.
The best action for any homeowner or renter to follow is to avoid attracting raccoons in the first place, according to the agency. This primarily involves ensuring that garbage and food are not left outdoors where raccoons could feed. Garbage should be placed for collection in a sturdy, covered container, as raccoons can easily tear into plastic bags or tip over uncovered containers.
