Enacts the "bird-friendly building council act" to establish a council to promote the use of bird-friendly building materials and design features in buildings

BILL NUMBER:S4204A

Title of bill

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to enacting the "bird-friendly building council act"

Purpose

To create the bird-friendly building council act.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 titles this the bird-friendly building council act. Section 2 states legislative findings. Section 3. Creates the bird friendly building council which shall consist of between 11-15 members and includes language as to who some of those members shall be. Further this section lays out specific requirements of the council, including attempting to figure out the magnitude of bird strikes, developing criteria and guidelines for identifying existing buildings that pose a threat for collision, identify emerging products and technology to help reduce or eliminate the threat, identify potential funding sources to fund a retrofit or replacement of windows for problematic buildings, promote public awareness, support and fund additional research to understand bird building collisions, coordinate with other design organizations. Further the council in cooperation with DEC and OGS shall develop a set of proposed standards governing bird-friendly building designs. Section 4 is the effective date.

Justification

Bird species confront a number of threats which, acting individually and collectively, have caused many to decline, some to the point of endangerment. Window/building-bird collisions appear to be one of the more significant causes of mortality, with estimates ranging from 100 million to as many as 1 billion birds a year. Most avian researchers in the field indicate that this cause of morality ranks among the top three causes for bird decline among North American birds. A comprehensive approach, commensurate with the magnitude of the treat, is needed if New York State is to succeed in meaningfully reducing bird deaths from window/building collisions. By necessity this must involve both existing and future buildings. This proposed legislation contains a number of elements which together help to achieve this goal by addressing both existing problem buildings and new construction.

Prior legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.