What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 42
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S3950
Title of bill
An act to amend the state law, in relation to designating black dirt as the state soil and to designate the black dirt region as home to the most fertile soil
Purpose or general idea of bill
Designates black dirt as the state soil and designates the black dirt region in southern Orange County as home to the most fertile soil.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: Amends the State Law by adding a new section 89 which provides that black dirt is the official soil of the State of New York and the black dirt region in southern Orange County is the official home of the most fertile soil in the State of New York.
Section 2: Effective date.
Justification
This bill designates the black dirt as the official soil of New York State and the black dirt region as home to the most fertile soil in the state. The black dirt region is located in Southern Orange County, NY and comprises some 14,000 acres.
About 12,000 years ago, when glaciers receded from what is now lower New York State, they left behind pockets of low-lying bogland that built up deep layers of decayed plant matter. It wasn't until the early 1900s that German, Polish and Dutch immigrants to Orange County drained the bogs with a network of ditches, revealing a sulfur- and nitrogen-rich black soil that in some places is 30 feet deep.
It is known for its dark color and nutrient rich properties perfect for farming, some say the most fertile soil in North America is found in the back dirt region. While most soils 'contain only up to about 10% organic material, the black dirt contains 30-50% even sometimes up to 90% organic material. One half the onions grown in New York State come from the black dirt region. Other crops grown in the black dirt area include lettuce, radishes, cabbage, carrots, corn, pumpkin, squash, as well as sod farms.
Prior legislative history
A.9393 of 2012: Held for consideration in Assembly Governmental Operations
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.