Bill Text: NY A03733 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the Adirondack Park forest preserve study commission to examine land-management practices for certain classifications of state forest preserve lands.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to environmental conservation [A03733 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A03733-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3733 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 30, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, OTIS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT establishing the Adirondack Park forest preserve study commission to examine land-management practices for certain classifications of state forest preserve lands; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Adirondack Park forest preserve study commission. 1. There 2 is hereby established, within the department of environmental conserva- 3 tion, a forest preserve study commission ("commission") which shall 4 consist of thirteen members who shall be appointed as follows: 5 (a) The commissioner of environmental conservation, or his or her 6 designee; 7 (b) The commissioner of the office of general services, or his or her 8 designee; 9 (c) The chair of the Adirondack park agency, or his or her designee; 10 (d) Two members to be appointed by the governor; 11 (e) Three members to be appointed by the temporary president of the 12 senate; 13 (f) Three members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; 14 (g) One member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 15 and 16 (h) One member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. 17 2. Of the at-large members, three of such members shall be elected 18 officials from a municipality within the Adirondack Park. The remaining 19 at-large members shall include residents of a municipality within the 20 Adirondack Park and representatives of organizations whose prime func- 21 tion is the protection of natural resources within the Adirondack Park. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07844-01-9A. 3733 2 1 3. Commission members shall receive no compensation for their services 2 but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in 3 the performance of their duties. 4 4. The chairperson of the commission shall be the commissioner of 5 environmental conservation, or his or her designee. The commission shall 6 meet no less than four times and at other times at the call of the 7 chairperson and any such meetings shall be subject to the open meetings 8 law. 9 5. Any vacancies on the commission shall be filled in the manner 10 provided for in the initial appointment. 11 6. The commission shall be authorized to hold public hearings and 12 meetings to enable it to accomplish its duties. 13 7. The commission may consult with any organization, educational 14 institution, other government entity or agency in the development of its 15 report required by subdivision ten of this section. 16 8. The department of environmental conservation shall provide the 17 commission with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the 18 commission to carry out its powers and duties. Additionally, all other 19 agencies of the state or political subdivisions thereof may, at the 20 request of the chairperson, provide the commission with such facilities, 21 assistance, and data as will enable the commission to carry out its 22 powers and duties. 23 9. The purpose of the commission shall be to examine existing land-use 24 management practices for certain classifications of state forest 25 preserve lands, to identify problematic human modified or altered sites, 26 roads, built structures, or infrastructure that needs rehabilitation, 27 remediation, or removal to become more in keeping with the constitu- 28 tional purposes of the Adirondack Park. 29 10. (a) No later than December 31, 2021, the commission shall transmit 30 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker 31 of the assembly a report providing an inventory and property-specific 32 description of forest preserve lands: 33 (i) classified as state administrative that contain existing build- 34 ings; 35 (ii) with buildings listed on the national register of historic places 36 and any buildings constructed prior to 1968; and 37 (iii) currently without a state land master plan classification, and a 38 description of any buildings on such land. 39 (b) The report shall provide the following for the properties identi- 40 fied pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision: 41 (i) the status of any unit management plan; 42 (ii) a map of the management units delineating the boundaries of the 43 properties; 44 (iii) an inventory of natural resources, including plants, fish and 45 wildlife, water resources, wetlands, soils, and rare, threatened and 46 endangered species and historic and archeological resources; and 47 (iv) an inventory of existing infrastructure, including structures, 48 roads, trails, and other man-made features. 49 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 50 deemed repealed January 1, 2022.