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A5021Assembly2017-2018 Session

Ban Gas Drilling on State Land

Official title

“Prohibits the lease of state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas and unique areas for the purpose of gas production”

Sponsor Steven EnglebrightAD-4+9 co-sponsorsAffects Environment & Energy
Status
In Assembly Committee
Environmental Conservation
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Environmental Conservation

What's happening

This bill prohibits leasing state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas, and unique areas for gas production in New York.

Why it matters

  1. Protects conservation areas from industrial development. By adding state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas, and unique areas to the list of protected lands, the bill aims to safeguard ecologically sensitive and publicly valued lands from the environmental impacts of gas production.

  2. Prioritizes long-term environmental health. The restriction on leasing for gas extraction helps preserve biodiversity, maintain habitats for wildlife, and protect water quality—resources that can be threatened by drilling and associated infrastructure.

  3. Limits state revenue opportunities in favor of conservation. By prohibiting leases for gas development on these lands, the bill may reduce potential short-term financial gains for the state, signaling a policy choice to prioritize environmental and public interests over extractive industry revenues.

  4. Sets a policy precedent for land management. This amendment could influence future discussions and policies regarding the allowable uses of other state-owned lands, reinforcing a conservation-first approach in state land management decisions.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Ban Gas Drilling on State Land

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Steven Englebright

Assembly Member · Assembly District 4

History

  1. Referred to environmental conservation
  2. Referred to environmental conservation

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

5021

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

February 6, 2017

Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, GUNTHER, TITONE, JAFFEE, ZEBROWSKI, ABINANTI, CAHILL, WEPRIN, COLTON, OTIS -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK, GOTTFRIED, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the lease of state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas and unique areas for gas production

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 23-1101 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 722 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:

a. The exploration, development and production of gas in state-owned lands, except state park lands, state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas, unique areas, and the lands under the waters of Lake Ontario or along its shoreline; and

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD08496-02-7

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.