S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6101
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 16, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to establish the New York state reforest and restore commission
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  A temporary state commission, to be known as the New York
 state reforest and restore commission,  hereafter  referred  to  as  the
 commission,  is  hereby  created  to  evaluate  and make recommendations
 concerning the reforestation and restoration of forests  and  ecological
 habitats in the state of New York.
   §  2.  (a)  The  commission  shall consist of seventeen members, to be
 appointed as follows: nine members to  be  appointed  by  the  governor;
 three  members to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
 three members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member
 to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and one member  to
 be  appointed  by  the  minority  leader of the assembly. The appointees
 shall have demonstrated expertise in  the  areas  of  reforestation  and
 restoration  of  forests  and  ecological  habitats.  The governor shall
 designate the chairperson of the commission. Vacancies in the membership
 of the commission and among its officers shall be filled in  the  manner
 provided for original appointments or designations.
   (b)  The  members  of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. The  commis-
 sion  may  employ  and  at pleasure remove such personnel as it may deem
 necessary for the performance of its functions  and  fix  their  compen-
 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
   (c)  The  department  of  environmental conservation shall provide the
 commission such facilities, assistance, and  data  as  will  enable  the
 commission  to carry out its powers and duties.  Additionally, all other
 departments or agencies of the state or subdivisions thereof  shall,  at
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD11890-01-9

 S. 6101                             2
 
 the  request of the chairperson, provide the commission such facilities,
 assistance, and data as will enable the  commission  to  carry  out  its
 powers and duties.
   §  3.  The  commission  shall evaluate and make recommendations on the
 loss or degradation of forests and ecological habitats in the  state  of
 New York and ways to mitigate and prevent future loss and degradation of
 such forests and habitats.
   §  4.  (a)  For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission may
 meet and hold public and/or  private  hearings  within  or  without  the
 state, and shall have all the powers of a legislative committee pursuant
 to  the  legislative  law. The commission is authorized and empowered to
 undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or analyses it may deem  rele-
 vant  through  its  own personnel or in cooperation with or by agreement
 with any other public or private agency.
   (b) To the maximum extent feasible, the  commission  may  request  and
 shall be entitled to receive and shall utilize and be provided with such
 facilities,  resources and data from any court in the state and from any
 subdivision, department, board, bureau, commission,  office,  agency  or
 other instrumentality of the state or of any political subdivision ther-
 eof  as  it deems necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its
 powers and duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
   (c) The commission is hereby authorized and empowered  to  enter  into
 any  agreements  and  to  do and perform any acts that may be necessary,
 desirable or proper to carry out the purposes  and  objectives  of  this
 act.
   §  5.  The  commission  shall make recommendations and a report of its
 findings. The commission shall submit such  recommendations  and  report
 developed  by  it  relating  to  issues  involving the reforestation and
 restoration of forests and ecological habitats in the state of New York,
 including any recommendations for legislative  action  as  it  may  deem
 necessary  and  appropriate, to the governor, the temporary president of
 the senate and the speaker of the assembly no  later  than  December  1,
 2020.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6101--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               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
 
 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:
 
   Section 1.  Legislative intent. The state of New York, the nation  and
 the world are facing a climate emergency. There has been a dramatic loss
 of  forests and ecological habitat worldwide. A summary report issued in
 May 2019 by the intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversi-
 ty and ecosystem services of the United  Nations  concludes  that  human
 activity  is  leading an unprecedented number of species into extinction
 which are critical for human survival. Human-made climate  change  is  a
 result  of increased greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. Forests
 and other ecosystems act as natural carbon sinks,  which  absorb  carbon
 and  reduce  the  impact of climate change. The commission shall seek to
 find out the extent of such loss and to make recommendations  for  their
 preservation,  conservation,  mitigation,  restoration and expansion for
 the purpose of stopping climate catastrophe, ensuring clean  water,  air
 and  land  for  the  public health and strong economy, promoting outdoor
 recreation and preserving our natural resources and cultural heritage.
   § 2. A temporary state commission, to be known as the New  York  state
 reforest,  restore  and  sustainable  agriculture  commission, hereafter
 referred to as the commission, is hereby created to  evaluate  and  make
 recommendations  concerning the reforestation and restoration of forests
 and ecological habitats in the state of New York.
   § 3. (a) The commission shall consist  of  seventeen  members,  to  be
 appointed  as  follows:  four  members  to be appointed by the governor;
 three members to be appointed by the temporary president of the  senate;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD11890-03-9

 S. 6101--A                          2
 
 three members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member
 to  be  appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one member to be
 appointed by the minority leader of  the  assembly;  one  member  to  be
 appointed  by  the  commissioner of environmental conservation or his or
 her designee; one member to be appointed by the commissioner of agricul-
 ture and markets or his or her designee; one member to be  appointed  by
 the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic preser-
 vation  or his or her designee; one member to be appointed by the execu-
 tive director of the Adirondack park agency or his or her designee;  and
 one  member  to be appointed by the director of the canal corporation or
 his or her designee.  The governor shall designate  the  chairperson  of
 the  commission. Vacancies in the membership of the commission and among
 its officers shall  be  filled  in  the  manner  provided  for  original
 appointments or designations.
   (b)  The  members  of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. The  commis-
 sion  may  employ  and  at pleasure remove such personnel as it may deem
 necessary for the performance of its functions  and  fix  their  compen-
 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
   (c)  The  department  of  environmental conservation shall provide the
 commission such facilities, assistance, and  data  as  will  enable  the
 commission  to carry out its powers and duties.  Additionally, all other
 departments or agencies of the state or subdivisions thereof  shall,  at
 the  request of the chairperson, provide the commission such facilities,
 assistance, and data as will enable the  commission  to  carry  out  its
 powers and duties.
   §  4.  The  commission  shall evaluate and make recommendations on the
 following three major areas:
   (a) Forests and ecological habitats. Explore the  extent  of  loss  or
 degradation of forests and ecological habitats, including wildlife, both
 flora  and  fauna  in  the  state of New York and find ways to mitigate,
 restore and prevent future loss and  degradation  of  such  forests  and
 habitats.
   (b)  Preservation  and  restoration  of  other  natural  resources and
 ecological habitats, including both flora and  fauna  wildlife,  in  the
 state  of  New York. The commission shall research the loss and degrada-
 tion of  natural  resources  other  than  forests,  including  wetlands,
 streams,  rivers,  lakes,  ponds,  coastlines, waterways, grasslands and
 open spaces generally. Open space shall be defined as an area of land or
 water that either remains in its natural state or is used  for  agricul-
 ture,  free  from  intensive  development  for  residential, commercial,
 industrial or institutional use. Open space can be publicly or privately
 owned and shall include agricultural and forest land, undeveloped  coas-
 tal  and  estuarine  lands,  undeveloped  scenic lands, public parks and
 preserves. It shall also include bodies of water such as lakes and bays.
   (c) Sustainable agriculture. The commission shall investigate  various
 forms  of  sustainable  agriculture as defined in 7 USC 3103 as an inte-
 grated system of plant and animal production practices  having  a  site-
 specific application that will over the long term satisfy human food and
 fiber needs, enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base
 upon  which  the  agricultural  economy  depends,  make efficient use of
 nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appro-
 priate, natural biological cycles and  controls,  sustain  the  economic
 viability of farm operations and enhance the quality of life for farmers
 and society overall. The basic goals of sustainable agriculture shall be

 S. 6101--A                          3

 environmental  health,  economic  profitability, and social and economic
 equity, seek to better the  conditions  and  treatment  of  farmworkers,
 including  migrant workers, improve the human treatment of farm animals,
 and  explore  "carbon  farming",  which shall mean farming methods which
 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or capture and hold carbon in  vege-
 tation  and  soils.  Carbon  farming  shall  cover small changes in land
 management, such as introducing  no-till  cropping,  stubble  retention,
 agroforestry, or methane-reducing feed supplements.
   §  5.  (a)  For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission may
 meet and hold public and/or  private  hearings  within  or  without  the
 state, and shall have all the powers of a legislative committee pursuant
 to  the  legislative  law. The commission is authorized and empowered to
 undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or analyses it may deem  rele-
 vant  through  its  own personnel or in cooperation with or by agreement
 with any other public or private agency.
   (b) To the maximum extent feasible, the  commission  may  request  and
 shall be entitled to receive and shall utilize and be provided with such
 facilities,  resources and data from any court in the state and from any
 subdivision, department, board, bureau, commission,  office,  agency  or
 other instrumentality of the state or of any political subdivision ther-
 eof  as  it deems necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its
 powers and duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
   (c) The commission is hereby authorized and empowered  to  enter  into
 any  agreements  and  to  do and perform any acts that may be necessary,
 desirable or proper to carry out the purposes  and  objectives  of  this
 act.
   §  6.  The  commission  shall make recommendations and a report of its
 findings. The commission shall submit such  recommendations  and  report
 developed  by it relating to issues involving: (a) the reforestation and
 restoration of forests and ecological habitats in the state of New York;
 (b) the preservation and restoration  of  other  natural  resources  and
 ecological  habitats,  including  wildlife, both flora and fauna, in the
 state of New York; and (c) the promotion of sustainable  agriculture  in
 the  state of New York. The report shall include any recommendations for
 legislative action as it may deem  necessary  and  appropriate,  to  the
 governor,  the  temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the
 assembly no later than December 1, 2020.
   § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.