Directs the wood products development council to work to improve public understanding of the timber industry and authorizes the department of environmental conservation to execute contracts for timber or other forest products valued at under $50,000 without approval from the state comptroller.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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368
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
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Introduced by Sens. LITTLE, AKSHAR, MARCHIONE, SEWARD, VALESKY -- read
twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the
Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the wood
products development council; and to amend the environmental conserva-
tion law, in relation to contracts for timber or other forest products
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 225 of the agriculture and markets
2 law, as added by chapter 325 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 2. The council shall work with wood-using manufacturers to increase
5 the economic contributions and employment opportunities related to the
6 practice of forestry and manufacture of wood products in New York state.
7 The council shall give priority to increasing private investment in
8 working forests; maintaining access to working and family forests; coor-
9 dinating policy and permitting issues with state agencies, academia and
10 the private sector; working to improve public understanding of and
11 appreciation for forestry, the timber industry and forest products; and
12 increasing export and market opportunities for New York forest products.
13 The council shall deliver an annual report outlining its work and making
14 recommendations with regard to economic development and marketing initi-
15 atives and research and development initiatives consistent with the
16 purposes of the council. The report shall be delivered to the governor,
17 the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, the
18 minority leader of the assembly and the minority leader of the senate.
19 § 2. Section 9-0505 of the environmental conservation law is amended
20 by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
21 5. Notwithstanding subdivision three of section one hundred twelve of
22 the state finance law, if the value or estimated value of the trees,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00288-01-7
S. 368 2
1 timber or other forest products does not exceed fifty thousand dollars,
2 the contract may be executed by the department and shall be valid and
3 enforceable without first being approved by the state comptroller and
4 filed in his or her office.
5 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
