Enacts the "Finger Lakes watershed stewardship act"; designates the department of health as the lead agency in governing watersheds of the eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source of drinking water for surrounding communities; authorizes other state agencies to promulgate rules and regulations governing watersheds of the Finger Lakes that are not inconsistent with department of health rules and regulations.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7627
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
August 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to designating the
department of health as the lead agency in governing watersheds of the
eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source of drinking water for
surrounding communities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 top Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited
2 as the "Finger Lakes watershed stewardship act".
3 § 2. Legislative intent. It is the intent of the legislature to
4 protect and preserve the Finger Lakes region's natural heritage and
5 clean, cool waters for generations to come. The Finger Lakes is a unique
6 area of our state, made up of 11 lakes and many communities that are
7 home to its local tourism, wine, agricultural, and educational insti-
8 tutions. These glacially carved lakes are especially sensitive to envi-
9 ronmental pressures. As a thriving agriculture-tourism region, the
10 Finger Lakes are a major economic engine for the state, generating
11 millions of dollars every year in tax revenue and creating more than
12 25,000 jobs annually. Home to more than 1.2 million people, nearly 21%
13 of the state's agricultural land, and holding upwards of 4.2 trillion
14 gallons of fresh water that serve more than 2 million residents stretch-
15 ing from Rochester to Syracuse, it is vital that we keep these waters
16 clean and pristine long into the future.
17 § 3. Section 1100 of the public health law is amended by adding a new
18 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
19 6. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to
20 govern all watersheds of the eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source
21 of drinking water for surrounding communities. The department shall act
22 as lead agency in the development, approval, implementation, and updat-
23 ing of such rules and regulations, and shall consult with the department
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11885-01-3
S. 7627 2
1 of agriculture and markets, the department of environmental conserva-
2 tion, and any other state or local agency or government the department
3 shall deem necessary in developing, approving, implementing, and updat-
4 ing such rules and regulations. The department of agriculture and
5 markets, the department of environmental conservation, and any other
6 state agency shall be authorized to enter into memoranda of agreement
7 and/or promulgate any rules or regulations to govern watersheds of the
8 eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source of drinking water for
9 surrounding communities that are not inconsistent with the rules and
10 regulations promulgated by the department pursuant to this subdivision.
11 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
