Bill Text: NY S04198 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Enacts the "New York wildlife crossing act"; directs the department of transportation and the New York state thruway authority to identify sites along all highways, thruways and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity and create a priority list of wildlife opportunity areas where federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects identified.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-5)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-13 - returned to senate [S04198 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S04198-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Enacts the "New York wildlife crossing act"; directs the department of transportation and the New York state thruway authority to identify sites along all highways, thruways and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity and create a priority list of wildlife opportunity areas where federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects identified.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-5)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-13 - returned to senate [S04198 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S04198-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4198 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 6, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to enact the "New York wildlife crossing act"; to direct the department of transportation to identify sites along all highways, thruways, and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity; and to create a priority list of wildlife crossing opportunity areas where federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects identified The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act maybe known and cited as the "New 2 York wildlife crossing act". 3 § 2. For the purposes of this act: 4 "Wildlife crossing" means a structure designed or retrofitted to 5 enable wildlife to successfully cross roads and other human-caused 6 barriers to wildlife movement. Such crossings may include but not be 7 limited to culverts, bridges, wildlife underpass tunnels, wildlife over- 8 pass bridges, and fencing associated with such structures. 9 § 3. The department of transportation is hereby authorized and 10 directed to assess all highways, thruways, and parkways in the state for 11 potential wildlife crossings to improve wildlife habitat connectivity, 12 reduce wildlife vehicle collisions, and increase public safety for New 13 York motorists. The department of transportation shall use the findings 14 of their assessment to finalize a top ten wildlife crossings priority 15 list no later than two years after the effective date of this act. The 16 priority list of crossing sites shall be determined by the following: 17 (a) (i) Identification of road segments that pose a risk to successful 18 wildlife movement and habitat connectivity, or that pose a risk to the 19 traveling public due to wildlife-vehicle collisions; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02060-03-3S. 4198 2 1 (ii) Any available or subsequently collected data, or recommendations 2 provided by the department of environmental conservation, the department 3 of transportation, and the department of motor vehicles on needed road- 4 way mitigation measures to improve wildlife movement and habitat connec- 5 tivity. 6 (b) Identification of bridges and culverts that block or impede, espe- 7 cially road segments that negatively affect wildlife habitat and move- 8 ment; 9 (c) Information about how increased movement of species could benefit 10 overused and highly impacted habitat areas; 11 (d) Maps that identify locations of: 12 (i) existing wildlife crossings; and 13 (ii) potential sites for additional wildlife crossings based on this 14 study; 15 (e) Economic benefits anticipated from preserving wildlife movement 16 patterns, including the potential impact of reduced wildlife-vehicle 17 collisions; 18 (f) The feasibility and constructability of wildlife crossing infras- 19 tructure; and 20 (g) Any additional information that the department of environmental 21 conservation deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the intent and 22 purposes of this act. 23 § 4. Two years after the effective date of this act, the department of 24 transportation shall make public its identified list of priority wild- 25 life crossing opportunities. The priority opportunity list and accompa- 26 nying information listed below shall be updated every five years after 27 publication of the initial list. The publicized list of the top ten 28 priority wildlife crossing opportunities shall be accompanied by the 29 following information: 30 (a) Feasibility factors impacting construction for the top five of the 31 top ten wildlife crossing opportunities, which should include any avail- 32 able and helpful estimate costs, the availability and habitat quality of 33 the land on either side of the crossings, and any relevant public 34 support for the crossings; 35 (b) A description of any methodologies used beyond the requirements 36 listed in subdivisions (a) and (b) of section three of this act to 37 create the top ten list; and 38 (c) A list of available federal grant funds that the top five projects 39 are eligible for. 40 § 5. The department of transportation may consult with any state or 41 local office, agency, or department and request information from any 42 such entity that is relevant and material to the completion of this 43 study and report. 44 § 6. The department of transportation is hereby directed to addi- 45 tionally update appropriate design guidance, including the Highway 46 Design Manual, by July 1, 2026, to incorporate design concepts for wild- 47 life passage features and related standard plans and specifications as 48 appropriate. 49 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.