Bill Text: NY S06101 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes a temporary state commission to be known as the New York state reforest, restore and sustainable agriculture commission to evaluate and make recommendations concerning the reforestation and restoration of forests and ecological habitats in the state of New York.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S06101 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S06101-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6101--B 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 16, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to establish the New York state reforest, restore and sustainable agriculture commission The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The state of New York, the nation and 2 the world are facing a climate emergency. There has been a dramatic loss 3 of forests and ecological habitat worldwide. A summary report issued in 4 May 2019 by the intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversi- 5 ty and ecosystem services of the United Nations concludes that human 6 activity is leading an unprecedented number of species into extinction 7 which are critical for human survival. Human-made climate change is a 8 result of increased greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. Forests 9 and other ecosystems act as natural carbon sinks, which absorb carbon 10 and reduce the impact of climate change. The commission shall seek to 11 find out the extent of such loss and to make recommendations for their 12 preservation, conservation, mitigation, restoration and expansion for 13 the purpose of stopping climate catastrophe, ensuring clean water, air 14 and land for the public health and strong economy, promoting outdoor 15 recreation and preserving our natural resources and cultural heritage. 16 § 2. A temporary state commission, to be known as the New York state 17 reforest, restore and sustainable agriculture commission, hereafter 18 referred to as the commission, is hereby created to evaluate and make 19 recommendations concerning the reforestation and restoration of forests 20 and ecological habitats in the state of New York. 21 § 3. (a) The commission shall consist of seventeen members, to be 22 appointed as follows: four members to be appointed by the governor; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11890-04-9S. 6101--B 2 1 three members to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; 2 three members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member 3 to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one member to be 4 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; one member to be 5 appointed by the commissioner of environmental conservation or his or 6 her designee; one member to be appointed by the commissioner of agricul- 7 ture and markets or his or her designee; one member to be appointed by 8 the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic preser- 9 vation or his or her designee; one member to be appointed by the execu- 10 tive director of the Adirondack park agency or his or her designee; and 11 one member to be appointed by the director of the canal corporation or 12 his or her designee. The governor shall designate the chairperson of 13 the commission. Vacancies in the membership of the commission and among 14 its officers shall be filled in the manner provided for original 15 appointments or designations. 16 (b) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for 17 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses 18 incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. The commis- 19 sion may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel as it may deem 20 necessary for the performance of its functions and fix their compen- 21 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor. 22 (c) The department of environmental conservation shall provide the 23 commission such facilities, assistance, and data as will enable the 24 commission to carry out its powers and duties. Additionally, all other 25 departments or agencies of the state or subdivisions thereof shall, at 26 the request of the chairperson, provide the commission such facilities, 27 assistance, and data as will enable the commission to carry out its 28 powers and duties. 29 § 4. The commission shall evaluate and make recommendations on the 30 following three major areas: 31 (a) Forests and ecological habitats. Explore the extent of loss or 32 degradation of forests and ecological habitats, including wildlife, both 33 flora and fauna in the state of New York and find ways to mitigate, 34 restore and prevent future loss and degradation of such forests and 35 habitats. 36 (b) Preservation and restoration of other natural resources and 37 ecological habitats, including both flora and fauna wildlife, in the 38 state of New York. The commission shall research the loss and degrada- 39 tion of natural resources other than forests, including wetlands, 40 streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, coastlines, waterways, grasslands and 41 open spaces generally. Open space shall be defined as an area of land or 42 water that either remains in its natural state or is used for agricul- 43 ture, free from intensive development for residential, commercial, 44 industrial or institutional use. Open space can be publicly or privately 45 owned and shall include agricultural and forest land, undeveloped coas- 46 tal and estuarine lands, undeveloped scenic lands, public parks and 47 preserves. It shall also include bodies of water such as lakes and bays. 48 (c) Sustainable agriculture. The commission shall investigate various 49 forms of sustainable agriculture as defined in 7 USC 3103 as an inte- 50 grated system of plant and animal production practices having a site- 51 specific application that will over the long term satisfy human food and 52 fiber needs, enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base 53 upon which the agricultural economy depends, make efficient use of 54 nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appro- 55 priate, natural biological cycles and controls, sustain the economic 56 viability of farm operations and enhance the quality of life for farmersS. 6101--B 3 1 and society overall. The basic goals of sustainable agriculture shall be 2 environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic 3 equity, seek to better the conditions and treatment of farmworkers, 4 including migrant workers, improve the humane treatment of farm animals, 5 and explore "carbon farming", which shall mean farming methods which 6 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or capture and hold carbon in vege- 7 tation and soils. Carbon farming shall cover small changes in land 8 management, such as introducing no-till cropping, stubble retention, 9 agroforestry, or methane-reducing feed supplements. 10 § 5. (a) For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission may 11 meet and hold public and/or private hearings within or without the 12 state, and shall have all the powers of a legislative committee pursuant 13 to the legislative law. The commission is authorized and empowered to 14 undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or analyses it may deem rele- 15 vant through its own personnel or in cooperation with or by agreement 16 with any other public or private agency. 17 (b) To the maximum extent feasible, the commission may request and 18 shall be entitled to receive and shall utilize and be provided with such 19 facilities, resources and data from any court in the state and from any 20 subdivision, department, board, bureau, commission, office, agency or 21 other instrumentality of the state or of any political subdivision ther- 22 eof as it deems necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its 23 powers and duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act. 24 (c) The commission is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into 25 any agreements and to do and perform any acts that may be necessary, 26 desirable or proper to carry out the purposes and objectives of this 27 act. 28 § 6. The commission shall make recommendations and a report of its 29 findings. The commission shall submit such recommendations and report 30 developed by it relating to issues involving: (a) the reforestation and 31 restoration of forests and ecological habitats in the state of New York; 32 (b) the preservation and restoration of other natural resources and 33 ecological habitats, including wildlife, both flora and fauna, in the 34 state of New York; and (c) the promotion of sustainable agriculture in 35 the state of New York. The report shall include any recommendations for 36 legislative action as it may deem necessary and appropriate, to the 37 governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the 38 assembly no later than December 1, 2020. 39 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
