Senate Bill S8102

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8102

SPONSOR: LANZA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend chapter 306 of the laws of 2011, authorizing owners of
residential real property in high risk brush fire areas in the borough
of Staten Island to cut and remove reeds from their property, in
relation to extending the expiration and repeal date thereof for an
additional year

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To establish a general residential fire break permit for the borough of
Staten Island, city of New York to allow the owner of residential real
property to cut and remove phragmites.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends Section 3 of chapter 306 of the laws of 2011 authoriz-
ing owners of residential real property in high risk brush fire areas in
              

the borough of Staten Island to cut and remove reeds from their proper-
ty, as amended by chapter 393 of the laws of 2019.

Section 2. Provides for an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Every year on Staten Island there are series of dangerous brushfires.
Many areas on Staten Island are prone to brushfires because they are
thick with an invasive, nonnative species of weed - phragmites communis.
Phragmites are reeds and combustible plants that commonly grow seven
feet tall and often turn into tinderboxes especially during the spring
and fall seasons. They have been the proven source of numerous brush
fires which often escalate and threaten surrounding properties. Accord-
ing to information provided by the New York City Fire Department, in the
past 15 plus years there have been over 7,400 reported brush fires on
Staten Island with close to 200 of them being "all hands on" requiring
all fire houses on the Island to send assistance.

This legislation extends chapter 108 of the laws of 2017 for another
year. It allows a residential property owner in a high risk brush fire
area in the borough of Staten Island to obtain a no-cost permit to cut
down these invasive combustible reeds thereby reducing the life-threat-
ening phragmite fires that not only destroy property and homes but put
our first responders at risk as they battle these blazes.

The no-cost permits can be obtained via telephone or in person through
the Staten Island borough president's office. Furthermore, information
regarding the availability of the residential fire break permits can be
found on the Department of Environmental Conservation website.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019: A.7006/S.2388 - Chapter 393
2018: A.9873/S.7734 - Chapter 144;
2017: A.1189/S.1865 - Chapter 108;
2016: A.9876/S.7332 - Chapter 206;
2015: A.1460/S.2546 - Chapter 245;
2014: A.8862/S.6656 - Chapter 267;
2012: A.9046/S.6219 - Chapter 34;
2011: A.7463-A/S.4377-A - Chapter 306.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed December 31, 2021.