ALBANY COUNTY — Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a bipartisan bill that will reduce the deer population within the Alcove Reservoir property in Coeymans in an effort to maintain the property’s effectiveness as a carbon sink.

The bill was sponsored by Democratic senators Neil Breslin, of the 44th District, and Michelle Hinchey, of the 46th District, as well as Republican assemblyman Chris Tague, of the 102nd District, and Democratic assemblywoman Pat Fahy, of the 109th District. 

The representatives argued in the text of the bill that, because the Alcove Reservoir — a source of water for the city of Albany — was not huntable land while the land surrounding it is, there has been a “major proliferation” in the deer population within the property, which in turn affects the vegetation on the property, reducing its ability to act as a carbon sink.

The city of Albany acquires revenue based on the positive environmental impact of the property, the bill states. The bill’s sponsors also say that fewer deer on the property will make for cleaner water.

The bill is a repeal of the portion of New York State Environmental Law that designates the Alcove Reservoir as a restricted area, thereby allowing staff members — but not the general public — to hunt deer there. 

“These forested lands filter the City of Albany’s clean drinking water while also storing pollution that causes global warming,” said New York Director of Policy and Strategy for the Nature Conservancy Jessica Mahar in a press release. 

“Unfortunately, in some areas of New York State, including this area of Albany County, inadequately managed deer populations are harming our forests’ ability to regrow,” she said. “Keeping our forests healthy is paramount to providing clean drinking water to communities and tackling climate change, and this law will help do both.”

The bill became effective immediately upon its signing on Aug. 2.