N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 44-0111: Greenway heritage conservancy for the Hudson river valley

§ 44-0111. Greenway heritage conservancy for the Hudson river valley.

1. It is hereby found, determined and declared that the

reestablishment of the greenway heritage conservancy for the Hudson

river valley and the carrying out of its corporate purposes is in all

respects for the benefit of the people of the state of New York, for the

preservation and enhancement of the natural and historic resources of

the Hudson river valley and in furtherance of their welfare and

prosperity, and is a public purpose, in that the conservancy will be

performing an essential governmental function in the exercise of the

powers conferred upon it by this title and the conservancy shall not be

required to pay taxes or assessments upon any of the real property

interests or rights acquired by it or under its jurisdiction or control,

or upon its activities in the operation and maintenance of such property

interests or rights or use of any moneys, revenues or other income

received by the conservancy. All contributions of real or personal

property interests or rights made to the conservancy whether by gift,

devise or bequest shall to the extent deductible for federal income tax

purposes, be deductible for purposes of the tax law to the extent

provided therein.

2. The heritage task force for the Hudson river valley is hereby

reestablished in the executive department to be the greenway heritage

conservancy for the Hudson river valley a body corporate and politic

constituting a public benefit corporation and to consist of seventeen

voting members and nine non-voting members. All voting members shall

reside within the greenway and may designate representatives to act in

their stead. The governor shall appoint three voting members, one of

whom shall also be the chairperson. Two voting members shall be

appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two voting members

shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one voting member

shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one voting

member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly and

eight voting members shall be appointed by the council. A member of the

council may not be appointed to be a voting member of the conservancy.

The commissioner and the commissioners of the state departments of

transportation, agriculture and markets and economic development and the

offices of parks, recreation and historic preservation and general

services, the secretary of state, the chairman of the state senate

committee on environmental conservation and the chairman of the state

assembly committee on environmental conservation, or such members'

designated representatives, shall be nonvoting, ex-officio members of

the conservancy. The term of office of voting members commencing as of

the effective date of this section shall be four years except that five

of the first voting members appointed pursuant to this section shall

have a two-year term and that another five of the first voting members

appointed pursuant to this section shall have a three-year term. Each

member appointed to such task force by the commissioner before enactment

of this section, shall continue in office until a quorum of voting

members has been appointed. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the

office of any member, such vacancy shall be filled for the balance of

the unexpired term, if applicable, in the same manner as the original

appointment.

3. The conservancy shall actively seek qualified candidates for

membership and shall recommend such candidates to the governor.