N.Y. Const. art. XV, § 1: Disposition of canals and canal properties prohibited

ARTICLE XV

Canals

Section 1. The legislature shall not sell, abandon or otherwise

dispose of the now existing or future improved barge canal, the

divisions of which are the Erie canal, the Oswego canal, the Champlain

canal, and the Cayuga and Seneca canals, or of the terminals constructed

as part of the barge canal system; nor shall it sell, abandon or

otherwise dispose of any portion of the canal system existing prior to

the barge canal improvement which portion forms a part of, or functions

as a part of, the present barge canal system; but such canals and

terminals shall remain the property of the state and under its

management and control forever. This prohibition shall not prevent the

legislature, by appropriate laws, from authorizing the granting of

revocable permits or leases for periods of time as authorized by the

legislature for the occupancy or use of such lands or structures.