All capitalized terms have the same meaning as in the New York State Environmental Conservation Law ("ECL") unless defined differently herein as follows:
(a) Access Permit. "Access Permit" means a valid NYCDEP instrument of registration and permission to access certain City Property for Recreational Use as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-04.1.
(b) Access Permit Areas. "Access Permit Areas" means a City Property location designated by NYCDEP as available for recreation uses as determined by NYCDEP, and for which a NYCDEP Access Permit and Vehicle Tag are required. Access Permit Areas are generally located near Water Supply facilities, such as Reservoirs and Controlled Lakes, and may have special access requirements or restrictions.
(c) Angling. "Angling" means taking fish by hook and line. This includes bait and fly fishing, casting, trolling and the use of landing nets to complete the catch.
(d) Big Game. "Big Game" means deer and bear.
(e) Boat Storage Area. "Boat Storage Area" means a location on land designated by NYCDEP for Fishing and/or Recreational Boats to be stored when not on the water.
(f) City. "City" means the City of New York.
(g) City Property. "City Property" means all real property, Reservoirs and Controlled Lakes owned by the City and within the jurisdiction of NYCDEP in the counties of Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.
(h) Controlled Lake. "Controlled Lake" means a lake from which the City may withdraw water pursuant to rights acquired by the City or as a right of ownership. The Controlled Lakes, for purposes of these Rules, are Lake Gilead and Lake Gleneida.
(i) Day Use Area. "Day Use Area" means a City Property location designated by NYCDEP as available for designated Recreational Uses, as determined by NYCDEP in accordance with these Rules. It is not necessary to have an Access Permit or a Vehicle Tag for activities in a Day Use Area. Day Use Areas are generally areas that may be designated for activities including, but not limited to, running, walking, in-line skating, biking, and dog walking.
(j) Fishing. "Fishing" means taking fish by Angling and also includes the use of tip-ups for ice fishing and the taking of carp by bow and arrow.
(k) Fishing Boats. "Fishing Boats" means metal rowboats with a location-designated NYCDEP Fishing Boat Tag that may be used on City Reservoirs and Controlled Lakes and stored on a Boat Storage Area for Fishing.
(l) Fishing Boat Tag. "Fishing Boat Tag" means a valid instrument of permission, which may include a sticker, bar code, or other instrument as determined by NYCDEP, issued to allow Access Permit holders to store a Fishing Boat in a Boat Storage Area, as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-10.1.
(m) Group Access Permit. "Group Access Permit" means an valid instrument of registration and permission for groups to temporarily access certain City Property that requires an Access Permit for Recreational Use without each member having to obtain an individual Access Permit, as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-06.
(n) Group. "Group" means any congregation of individuals in excess of six (6) people and shall not consist of more than thirty (30) individuals. Groups larger than 30 people are not permitted.
(o) Group Leader. "Group Leader" means the person who applies for the Group Access Permit and who agrees to accept responsibility for the conduct, activities, and safety of all Group Members.
(p) Group Member. "Group Member" means an individual listed on the Group Access Permit application for whom completed liability waivers have been received and accepted by NYCDEP, and who will accompany the Group Leader on the permitted Group activity.
(q) Guest. "Guest" means a person accompanying a valid Access Permit holder who has completed and signed a Guest Pass application.
(r) Guest Pass. "Guest Pass" means a valid instrument of registration and permission for Guests of valid Access Permit holders to temporarily access certain City Property for Recreational Use as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-05.
(s) Hiking. "Hiking" means foot travel including hiking, walking, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, bird watching, nature observation and photography.
(t) High Water Mark. "High Water Mark" means the visible mark along the shoreline where the Reservoir water intersects with the shoreline during its high peak level. Boaters are encouraged to contact the appropriate NYCDEP Boat Office if they have questions identifying this boundary.
(u) Hunting. "Hunting" means pursuing, shooting, killing or capturing (other than Trapping as defined below) wildlife, except wildlife which has been lawfully trapped or otherwise reduced to possession, and includes all lesser acts such as disturbing, harrying or worrying, whether they result in taking or not, and every attempt to take and every act of assistance to any other person in taking or attempting to take wildlife.
(v) Ice Free Period. "Ice Free Period" means that the main bodies and shorelines of the Reservoirs and Controlled Lakes are free from ice. There is the possibility that a Reservoir whose main body is free of ice (and therefore "open" to Fishing) may still have some ice present in some of the isolated coves and protected areas.
(w) Manned and Unmanned Aircraft. "Manned and Unmanned Aircraft" means, without limitation, drones, model airplanes, airplanes, flying machines, balloons, parachutes or other apparatus for aviation.
(x) NYCDEP. "NYCDEP" means the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, an executive agency of the City.
(y) NYSDEC. "NYSDEC" means the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, an executive agency of the State of New York.
(z) Public Access Area. "Public Access Area" means those areas of City Property designated by NYCDEP and by these Rules as available for Recreational Uses without a NYCDEP Access Permit and Vehicle Tag, as designated by NYCDEP and described herein. Public Access Areas are generally not adjacent to Reservoirs.
(aa) Recreational Areas. "Recreational Areas" means Public Access Areas, Day Use Areas, Access Permit Areas, Fishing Boat Areas, and Recreational Boating Areas
(bb) Recreational Boats. "Recreational Boats" means vessels that may be used in Recreational Boating Areas and stored on adjacent City Property for Recreational Uses, as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-10.2(b)(1).
(cc) Recreational Boat Tag. "Recreational Boat Tag" means a valid instrument of permission, which could include a sticker or bar code or other instrument as determined by NYCDEP, issued for the purpose of allowing Access Permit holders to use and store boats for use when boating on Recreational Boating Areas as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-10.2.
(dd) Recreational Boating Area. "Recreational Boating Area" means a location designated by NYCDEP within the Cannonsville, Neversink, Pepacton and Schoharie Reservoirs that is available for use of Recreational Boats.
(ee) Recreational Uses. "Recreational Uses" means activities on City Property that, in the sole discretion of NYCDEP, do not pose a potential adverse impact to natural resources, water quality or security, and includes, without limitation, the following activities: Hunting, Hiking, Fishing, Trapping, paddling, exercising, bird watching, nature observation, sightseeing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and nature photography.
(ff) Reservoir. "Reservoir" means any natural or artificial impoundment of water owned or controlled by the City which is tributary to the City Water Supply system.
(gg) Restricted Area. "Restricted Area" means any area in which public access is not allowed.
(hh) Small Game. "Small Game" means upland and migratory game birds, small game mammals (e.g., squirrel, rabbit), furbearers (e.g., fox, coyote), and reptiles and amphibians.
(ii) Special Event Area. "Special Event Area" means a location on City Property designated by NYCDEP as available for designated Recreational Uses, which shall be designated by NYCDEP in accordance with these Rules, but not requiring NYCDEP Access Permits or Vehicle Tags. These areas are for short duration, low-impact activities including but not limited to "Family Fishing Day" and Reservoir clean-ups in which NYCDEP staff are present as facilitators of the event.
(jj) Tag. "Tag" includes Vehicle Tags, Recreational Boat Tags and Fishing Boat Tags.
(kk) Trapping. "Trapping" means taking, killing and capturing wildlife with traps, deadfalls and other devices commonly used to take wildlife, and the shooting or killing of wildlife lawfully trapped, and includes all lesser acts such as placing, setting or staking such traps, deadfalls and other devices whether they result in taking or not, and every attempt to take and every act of assistance to any other person in taking or attempting to take wildlife with traps, deadfalls or other devices.
(ll) Vehicle Tag. "Vehicle Tag" means a valid instrument of permission issued in support of an Access Permit for the purpose of allowing visitors to park a vehicle on City Property while accessing City Property for Recreational Use, as further described in 15 RCNY § 16-04.2.
(mm) Voluntarily. "Voluntarily" means anything other than a forced or emergency landing of any manned or unmanned aircraft.
(nn) Water Supply. "Water Supply" means the New York City public water supply system, and includes all Watercourses, wetlands, Reservoirs, Reservoir stems and Controlled Lakes tributary thereto.
(oo) Watercourse. For the purposes of these Rules, a "Watercourse" means a visible path through which surface water travels on a regular basis, including an intermittent stream, which is tributary to the Water Supply.
(pp) Watershed. "Watershed" or "New York City Watershed" means the land area contributing surface water to the New York City Water Supply.
(Added City Record 5/31/2019, eff. 6/30/2019)