Bill Text: NY S07047 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the utilization of pollinator friendly road maintenance techniques including planting and seeding native, locally appropriate low-mow or no mow grasses and wildflowers, implementing mowing strategies that limit disturbances, minimizing the use of pesticides, and implementing the application of integrated vegetation management.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S07047 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S07047-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7047

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

        AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to utilizing  polli-
          nator friendly road maintenance techniques

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

     1    Section 1. Section 14-a of the transportation law, as amended by chap-
     2  ter 661 of the laws of 1972, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 14-a. Preservation of agricultural lands,  public  park  and  recre-
     4  ational  lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges and historical sites. (a)
     5  The commissioner of transportation shall cooperate and consult with  the
     6  commissioners of agriculture and markets, parks and recreation, environ-
     7  mental  conservation  and  health in developing transportation plans and
     8  programs so that such programs include measures to maintain  or  enhance
     9  the  desirable natural characteristics of the land traversed. Such coop-
    10  eration and consultation shall be effected and implemented by  memoranda
    11  of understanding which shall be entered into between the commissioner of
    12  transportation  and each of such commissioners. Such memoranda of under-
    13  standing shall provide for review of proposed transportation projects by
    14  such commissioners at all stages of progress, including preliminary  and
    15  final  planning  and during construction, and for the cooperation by the
    16  department of transportation necessary to facilitate such  review.  Such
    17  memoranda  of  understanding shall also provide that the commissioner of
    18  transportation shall implement any suggestion or recommendation made  by
    19  any of such commissioners which he deems feasible in connection with the
    20  preservation  of  agricultural  lands,  lands of public parks and recre-
    21  ational areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuges and historical sites.
    22    (b) Roads, medians and right-of-ways under  the  jurisdiction  of  the
    23  state  shall  utilize  pollinator  friendly maintenance techniques. Such
    24  techniques shall include, but not be limited to,  planting  and  seeding
    25  native,  locally  appropriate low-mow or no mow grasses and wildflowers,
    26  implementing mowing strategies that limit disturbances during periods of
    27  highest use by pollinators, minimizing the use of pesticides, implement-
    28  ing the application of integrated vegetation management, and  any  other
    29  technique deemed appropriate for pollinator friendly maintenance.
    30    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14351-02-9