S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
11240
I N A S S E M B L Y
June 16, 2018
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Englebright)
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conserva-
tion
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:
Section 1. Adirondack Park forest preserve study commission. 1. There
is hereby established, within the department of environmental conserva-
tion, a forest preserve study commission ("commission") which shall
consist of thirteen members who shall be appointed as follows:
(a) The commissioner of environmental conservation, or his or her
designee;
(b) The commissioner of the office of general services, or his or her
designee;
(c) The chair of the Adirondack park agency, or his or her designee;
(d) Two members to be appointed by the governor;
(e) Three members to be appointed by the temporary president of the
senate;
(f) Three members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
(g) One member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
and
(h) One member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
2. The at-large members shall include residents of a municipality
within the Adirondack Park, elected officials from a municipality within
the Adirondack Park, and representatives of organizations whose prime
function is the protection of natural resources within the Adirondack
Park.
3. Commission members shall receive no compensation for their services
but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16333-01-8
A. 11240 2
4. The chairperson of the commission shall be the commissioner of
environmental conservation, or his or her designee. The commission shall
meet no less than four times and at other times at the call of the
chairperson and any such meetings shall be subject to the open meetings
law.
5. Any vacancies on the commission shall be filled in the manner
provided for in the initial appointment.
6. The commission shall be authorized to hold public hearings and
meetings to enable it to accomplish its duties.
7. The commission may consult with any organization, educational
institution, other government entity or agency in the development of its
report required by subdivision ten of this section.
8. The department of environmental conservation shall provide the
commission with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the
commission to carry out its powers and duties. Additionally, all other
agencies of the state or political subdivisions thereof may, at the
request of the chairperson, provide the commission with such facilities,
assistance, and data as will enable the commission to carry out its
powers and duties.
9. The purpose of the commission shall be to examine existing land-use
management practices for certain classifications of state forest
preserve lands, to identify problematic human modified or altered sites,
roads, built structures, or infrastructure that needs rehabilitation,
remediation, or removal to become more in keeping with the constitu-
tional purposes of the Adirondack Park.
10. (a) No later than December 31, 2020, the commission shall transmit
to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker
of the assembly a report providing an inventory and property-specific
description of forest preserve lands:
(i) classified as state administrative that contain existing build-
ings;
(ii) with buildings listed on the national register of historic places
and any buildings constructed prior to 1968; and
(iii) currently without a state land master plan classification, and a
description of any buildings on such land.
(b) The report shall provide the following for the properties identi-
fied pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision:
(i) the status of any unit management plan;
(ii) a map of the management units delineating the boundaries of the
properties;
(iii) an inventory of natural resources, including plants, fish and
wildlife, water resources, wetlands, soils, and rare, threatened and
endangered species and historic and archeological resources; and
(iv) an inventory of existing infrastructure, including structures,
roads, trails, and other man-made features.
ยง 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed January 1, 2021.