Assembly Bill A8617

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8617
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
   enacting the "Mohawk River Basin management act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "Mohawk River Basin management act".
   § 2. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 11-0306-b to read as follows:
 § 11-0306-B. MOHAWK RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
   1.  THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED A MOHAWK RIVER BASIN DISTRICT WHICH
 SHALL INCLUDE THE MOHAWK RIVER FROM ITS HEADWATERS IN  LEWIS  COUNTY  TO
 ITS  MOUTH AT THE HUDSON RIVER AT COHOES. THE DISTRICT SHALL INCLUDE THE
 MOHAWK RIVER'S WATERSHED, INCLUDING ALL TRIBUTARIES AND LANDS THAT DRAIN
 TO THE MOHAWK RIVER, AND ANY ADJACENT AREAS ON WHICH  THE  INTEGRITY  OF
 THE  BASIN  DEPENDS,  INCLUDING  THE PORTION OF THE NEW YORK STATE BARGE
 CANAL THAT IS IN OR CONNECTED TO THE MOHAWK RIVER.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A  MOHAWK  RIVER  BASIN
 MANAGEMENT  PROGRAM  FOR  THE  MOHAWK  RIVER BASIN DISTRICT, IN ORDER TO
 CONSERVE, PROTECT AND RESTORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY  OF  THE  MOHAWK
 RIVER, AND TO PROMOTE THE INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED MANAGEMENT OF ENVI-
 RONMENTAL  RESOURCES  IN ITS WATERSHED, WITH CONSIDERATION TO THE MOHAWK
 RIVER'S INFLUENCE ON THE HUDSON RIVER AND ESTUARY, AS WELL AS THE INFLU-
 ENCE OF THE NEW YORK STATE BARGE CANAL.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL APPOINT  A  MOHAWK  RIVER  BASIN  MANAGEMENT
 ADVISORY  COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON REGULATORY, POLICY, AND OTHER
 MATTERS AFFECTING THE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION,  AND  USE  OF  THE  MOHAWK
 RIVER  BASIN DISTRICT AND TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MOHAWK RIVER
 BASIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. THE COMMITTEE SHALL CONSIST OF MEMBERS REPRES-
 ENTING INTERESTS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE MOHAWK RIVER  BASIN  DISTRICT,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13076-01-5
              

 A. 8617                             2
 
 INCLUDING  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY,
 RECREATIONAL FISHING,  RECREATIONAL  AND  COMMERCIAL  BOATING,  TOURISM,
 RESEARCH,  CONSERVATION,  NATURAL  RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, AGRICULTURE AND
 REGIONAL  PLANNING. THE MOHAWK RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF  RELEVANT  STATE  AGENCIES  AND
 AUTHORITIES, AND OTHERS, SUCH AS REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES, AS
 DETERMINED TO BE NEEDED BY THE COMMISSIONER BY INVITATION.
   4.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL APPOINT IN THE DEPARTMENT THE POSITION OF
 MOHAWK WATERSHED COORDINATOR TO ASSIST THE COMMISSIONER AND THE ADVISORY
 COMMITTEE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE  MOHAWK  RIVER  BASIN  MANAGEMENT
 PROGRAM.
   5.  THE DEPARTMENT, IN COOPERATION WITH THE MOHAWK RIVER BASIN MANAGE-
 MENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SHALL PUBLISH A  MANAGEMENT  STRATEGY  FOR  THE
 MOHAWK  WATERSHED  AND  AN  ACTION  AGENDA  TO IMPLEMENT ECOSYSTEM-BASED
 MANAGEMENT GOALS. THE ACTION AGENDA SHOULD BE UPDATED BY JANUARY  FIRST,
 TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN AND ON A REGULAR BASIS THEREAFTER, AT INTER-
 VALS NOT GREATER THAN TEN YEARS. SUBJECT TO CONSULTATION WITH THE MOHAWK
 RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE MANAGEMENT  STRATEGY  AND
 ACTION AGENDA SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
 ISSUES  RELATED  TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE, LAND USE AND DEVELOP-
 MENT, FISHERIES AND HABITATS, POINT AND  NON-POINT  POLLUTION,  DRINKING
 WATER, RECREATION AND CANAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SUBJECT TO CONSULTATION WITH
 THE  MOHAWK  RIVER BASIN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND
 ACTION AGENDA SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING  GOALS:
 IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO REDUCE RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH, SAFEGUARD WATER
 SUPPLIES,  PROVIDE  SAFE  RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND PROTECT AQUATIC
 HABITATS; ENHANCING FISHERIES AND HABITATS TO  INCREASE  POPULATIONS  OF
 DESIRABLE  FISHES,  MITIGATE  THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES AND SUPPORT
 RECREATIONAL ANGLING OPPORTUNITIES; SUPPORTING  COMMUNITY  PLANNING  AND
 THE  SUSTAINABLE  USE OF WORKING LANDSCAPES TO ENHANCE THE RESILIENCE OF
 MOHAWK RIVER COMMUNITIES AND  THEIR  ABILITY  TO  RECOVER  FROM  EXTREME
 WEATHER EVENTS AND DISTURBANCES; AND IMPROVING AND INCREASING RECREATION
 AND  STEWARDSHIP  BY CREATING AND FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS AND STAKEHOLDER
 ENGAGEMENT THROUGH EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND COLLABORATION.
   6. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION,  THE  MOHAWK
 WATERSHED  COORDINATOR  APPOINTED  PURSUANT  TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS
 SECTION SHALL DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE PREVENTION OF THE PROLIFERATION  OF
 ALL  TAXA  OF  AQUATIC  INVASIVE SPECIES IN AND THROUGH THE MOHAWK RIVER
 BASIN DISTRICT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT, THE NEW YORK  STATE
 CANAL  CORPORATION,  AND THE MOHAWK RIVER BASIN PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMIT-
 TEE.  SUCH PLAN SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSIONER  AND  THE  CHAIR-
 PERSONS OF THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVA-
 TION  NO  LATER  THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
 THE PLAN SHALL IDENTIFY STRATEGIES TO PREVENT  THE  PASSAGE  OF  AQUATIC
 INVASIVE  SPECIES  ACROSS HISTORICAL WATERSHED DIVIDES CONNECTED VIA THE
 NEW YORK STATE BARGE CANAL. SUCH PLAN SHALL THEN BE IMPLEMENTED VIA  THE
 ACTION AGENDA DEVELOPED UNDER SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS SECTION.
   7. ON OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST OF EACH YEAR, THE MOHAWK WATERSHED COOR-
 DINATOR  SHALL  REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE MOHAWK RIVER BASIN MANAGE-
 MENT PROGRAM, INCLUDING VIA A REPORT SUBMITTED TO  THE  CHAIRPERSONS  OF
 THE  ASSEMBLY  AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ON OR
 BEFORE MARCH FIRST OF EACH YEAR.
   8. THE MOHAWK RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE  SHALL  REPORT
 TO  THE  COMMISSIONER  FROM  TIME  TO  TIME, AND AT LEAST ANNUALLY ON OR
 BEFORE DECEMBER FIRST OF EACH YEAR  ON  ITS  ACTIVITIES,  CONCERNS,  AND
 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MOHAWK RIVER WATERSHED.
 A. 8617                             3
 
   9.  THE  MOHAWK  WATERSHED  COORDINATOR  SHALL CONSULT WITH THE MOHAWK
 RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE  REGULARLY  IN  PREPARING  AND
 IMPLEMENTING  THE  WATERSHED MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND ACTION AGENDA UNDER
 THIS SECTION, AS WELL AS RELEVANT REGULATORY OR POLICY CHANGES AFFECTING
 THE MOHAWK RIVER WATERSHED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.