St. Lawrence County issued more than 38,000 hunting, fishing, trapping licenses in 2012-2013, helping boost related purchases in New York to about $5 billion.

And about 30 percent of St. Lawrence County residents purchased a sporting license in in the county that same year.

Fishing and hunting bring a stream of cash to the North Country and the rest of New York’s economy, generating the second-highest amount in any state -- approximately $5 billion -- supporting local businesses and jobs across the state, according to a report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s office.

In St. Lawrence County, nearly a third – 30.8 percent – of the county’s people have a fishing, hunting or trapping license. Many more people from out of the county purchase licenses here.

In the 2012-2913 license year, 17,309 hunting licenses, 12,353 fishing licenses, and 8,974 trapping licenses were issued in St. Lawrence County, for a total of 38,636 licenses.

“Our 7,500 lakes and ponds, 70,000 miles of rivers, streams and coastline and millions of acres of forest and open space are a natural draw,” DiNapoli said. “Meanwhile, residents’ and visitors’ spending on licenses, equipment and travel boosts our economy and supports our management of fish and wildlife programs.”

With nearly two million people fishing, hunting or trapping in New York, the state ranks third nationwide, DiNapoli’s report found.

Fishing is the most popular, with two-thirds of New York participants fishing exclusively, followed by 28 percent who fish and hunt and nine percent who hunt only.

Nonresidents generated 20 percent of the revenue collected from license fees in the 2012-13 license year, one indication of the state’s attractiveness as a sporting destination.

Consumer spending on these sporting activities totaled more than $5 billion in 2011, the most recent year for which such figures are available. Nearly $1.9 billion was spent on trip-related purchases including transportation, lodging and food. Nonresidents generated 20 percent of the revenue collected from license fees in the 2012-13 license year.

In addition to benefiting the economy, fishing and hunting supports state wildlife programs. Revenues from the sale of annual licenses to fish, hunt and trap have contributed an average of $45.3 million a year to the New York State Conservation Fund in the last five fiscal years. Spending from that fund on state wildlife conservation programs has averaged $44.3 million over the same time period.

The state Division of the Budget estimates $50.2 million in such expenditures in state fiscal year 2015-16. Federal programs that allocate certain federal hunting, fishing and boating revenues to the states for wildlife programs have provided an average of more than $24 million a year for New York since 2011.

The full report “Fishing, Hunting and Trapping in New York State” can be found at: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/economic/sportpersons_11302015.pdf