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History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to the practice of sustainable forestry
In Assembly Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor William Parment
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, the environmental conservation law, the general municipal law, the real property tax law and the town law, in relation to the practice of sustainable forestry
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this legislation is to encourage the practice of sustainable forestry through the use of tax credits and recognition of sustainable forestry. This bill would allow more wood products to qualify for an agricultural assessment. The bill creates a right to sustainable forestry practice similar to that of the right to farm laws. Qualified forest owners may have their land assessed by soil type, providing they have a sustainable forestry plan approved from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: Legislative Findings and purpose.
Read the full memo (713 words)
Section 2: Subdivision 3, paragraph d of subdivision 4, paragraphs b and d of subdivision 9 and subdivision 11 of section 301 of the agriculture and markets law, subdivision 3 is amended, paragraph d of subdivision 4 is amended, subdivision 11 is amended.
Section 3: the environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 9-0817.
Section 4: Section 96-b of the general municipal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 3.
Section 5: the real property tax law is amended by adding a new section 480-b.; section 6 subsection 263 of the town law as amended by chapter 742 of the laws of 1979.
Section 6: Section 263 of the town law is amended. Section 7: Effective Date.
Justification
Almost two-thirds of New York State is covered with forest, with eighteen million eight hundred thousand acres of forest covering 62 percent of the state. Through constitutional protection, New York State has reserved approximately three-million acres of forest in the Adirondack and Catskill parks. Approximately fifteen million eight hundred thousand acres remain available for active economic use. Ninety-two percent of this land is privately owned and the remaining eight percent is publicly owned. It is this private forest that provides economic and commercial benefits to the state.
Forest management, when sustainable, is uniquely compatible with the environment and it is essential in ensuring that New York has clean air and water for future generations. The practice of sustainable forestry is composed of the continuous growing, planting, nurturing, harvesting, transporting, and processing of forest products. These activities recognize the forest as a renewable resource and contribute to the health of the forest through new growth, the creation of wildlife habitats, and recreational resources. Beautiful landscapes and a working forest are the results of the practice of sustainable forestry.
The practice of sustainable forestry on the available land of the state constitutes a beneficial and desirable use of New York's private forest resource. Forestry and its related activities involve recreation, tourism, and industry, which includes manufacturing. The income generated by this activity accounts for billions of dollars of value added to the economy of New York. The forest-based economy in New York provides employment. Forty percent of these jobs are directly related to wood and manufacturing. This generates payrolls in excess of one million seven hundred and eighty-nine dollars that can be attributed to manufacturing. Forest based activity in New York accounts for two percent of total employment and one percent of the total payroll of the state.
This act is necessary to ensure that proper stewardship over the privately owned forest lands of the state contribute to the quality of life and continue to exist for the years to come. This will enable future generations of New Yorkers to enjoy quality forests. The commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation shall, in consultation with the state forest board, issue opinions upon request from any person as to whether a particular forestry practice is sustainable and environmentally acceptable.
Prior legislative history
Formerly A-2802 of 2008, died in Environmental Conservation Committee.
Fiscal implications
This bill would have minimal fiscal implications; a small shift in local property taxes may result.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall become a law and shall apply to assessment rolls prepared pursuant to taxable statues dates occurring on or after its effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.