Establishes the Adirondack Park forest preserve study commission to examine land-management practices for certain classifications of state forest preserve lands.
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.
LBD07844-01-9
A. 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.
