ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Governor Spitzer said Monday he would try to reduce liabilities for landowners as a way to boost hunting and fishing and lure more sportsmen and tourists to New York.

Mr. Spitzer, a Democrat, made the proposal amid opposition to his selection of Assemblyman Alexander “Pete” Grannis to head the Department of Environmental Conservation. Mr. Grannis’s nomination drew criticism from hunting groups because of his past support for gun control laws and affiliation with groups opposed to hunting.

Fishing and hunting generate about $100 billion in yearly revenue nationwide and the industries employ 2.6 million people in the United States, Mr. Spitzer’s office said. The governor said he is directing the “I Love New York” tourism program to emphasize outdoor activities in its promotions as a way to capture more of those tourist dollars and revitalize the upstate economy.

Mr. Spitzer, in seeking to limit landowner liability, said private landowners would be more likely to provide public access to their land for hunting and fishing if they did not have to face lawsuit risks if an accident happened on their land.

As part of his outdoor agenda, Mr. Spitzer said no new gun law will be adopted without hunting group consultation and that the state will support a major fishing tournament in the coming year.

“I’m delighted and surprised,” said Tom King of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, which has led the fight against Mr. Grannis, a Manhattan Democrat. “If you go back to Gov. Spitzer’s record as attorney general, he attempted to limit gun ownership in many ways. For him to do a broad initiative like this is really a very good thing for the hunters of New York state.”

However, Mr. King said he was still lukewarm about Grannis’s nomination.

Mr. Grannis “has been an honorable man since I’ve known him,” he said. “If the governor tells Pete to follow his proposals, I’m sure that would happen. But for the time being, we have to keep the same position. If he is confirmed, we will work with him and not be a blocking mechanism for anything the governor might do.”

Mr. Spitzer said he would also:

_ Work with hunting and fishing groups to increase hunting and fishing license sales;

_ Upgrade existing DEC fish hatcheries.

_ Add 109 new staff at the DEC, including 6 new staff to promote fishing, a new fish pathologist and a new wildlife pathologist. That proposal is part of Spitzer’s state budget plan.

_ Use added funds from a proposed expansion of the state bottle law to create new fishing sites, boat launches and hiking trails.

_____

On the Net:

Department of Environmental Conservation: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/