N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 45-0117: Jurisdiction and administration

§ 45-0117. Jurisdiction and administration.

1. The department is hereby authorized to manage and exercise custody

and control over lands dedicated pursuant to this article or to contract

with any city, county, town or village, or any combination thereof, or

any state agency or the Albany Pine Bush commission established under

article forty-six of this chapter for the management, custody and

control of such real property subject to such conditions as may be

approved by the director of the budget.

2. The lands dedicated to the preserve are enumerated as follows:

a. Skenoh Island in the town of Canandaigua, county of Ontario more

fully described in chapter three hundred fifty-two of the laws of

nineteen hundred seventy-five.

b. Showy Lady Slipper parcel in the town of New Hudson, county of

Allegany more fully described in chapter one hundred thirty-three of the

laws of nineteen hundred seventy-seven.

c. Parrish Gully in the town of Italy, county of Yates more fully

described in chapter one hundred thirty-three of the laws of nineteen

hundred seventy-seven.

d. Clark Gully in the towns of Middlesex and Italy, county of Yates

more fully described in chapter one hundred thirty-three of the laws of

nineteen hundred seventy-seven.

e. Cicero Swamp in the town of Cicero, county of Onondaga more fully

described in chapter one hundred thirty-three of the laws of nineteen

hundred seventy-seven.

f. Labrador Hollow in the town of Fabius, county of Onondaga and the

town of Truxton, county of Cortland more fully described in chapter

three hundred thirty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred eighty-six.

g. Reinstein Woods in the town of Cheektowaga, county of Erie more

fully described in chapter five hundred twenty-two of the laws of

nineteen hundred eighty-nine.

h. Bog Brook in the town of Southeast and Patterson, county of Putnam

more fully described in chapter five hundred twenty-two of the laws of

nineteen hundred eighty-nine.

i. The Oak Brush Plain State Preserve in the towns of Babylon and

Huntington, county of Suffolk more fully described in chapter six

hundred thirty-five of the laws of nineteen hundred eighty-seven.

j. The David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens in the town of Southampton,

county of Suffolk more fully described in chapter two hundred forty-nine

of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-three.

k. The Rocky Point Natural Resources Management Area in the town of

Brookhaven, county of Suffolk more fully described in chapter two

hundred forty-nine of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-three.

l. State lands dedicated to the Albany Pine Bush preserve pursuant to

article forty-six of this chapter.

m. The Camillus forest unique area in the town of Camillus, county of

Onondaga more fully described in chapter four hundred sixty-three of the

laws of two thousand five.

n. The Zoar Valley Unique Area in the Towns of Otto and Persia, county

of Cattaraugus and the town of Collins, county of Erie more fully

described in the chapter of the laws of two thousand seven which added

this paragraph.

3. Lands dedicated to the preserve are declared to be put to their

highest, best and most important use and are to be held for one or more

of the following purposes:

a. As natural areas for maintaining plants, animals and natural

communities, including preservation of old-growth forests dedicated to

the preserve specifically for that purpose;

b. As reservoirs of natural materials and ecological processes that

contribute to the state's biological diversity;

c. As field laboratories for scientific research and education in the

natural sciences, including the fields of biology, conservation,

ecology, geology, natural history and paleontology; and

d. As places of natural and historical interest and beauty which

provide the public with passive recreational opportunities including,

where appropriate, fishing, hunting and trapping, or commercial fishing

opportunities that are compatible with protecting the ecological

significance, historic features and natural character of the area.

4. The department, or the city, county, town, village or state agency

exercising control over the site pursuant to subdivision one of this

section, shall develop a written stewardship plan for each site

dedicated to the preserve. Such plan shall include a description of

stewardship activities required to monitor, protect, enhance and where

appropriate actively manage the ecological, scenic, wilderness,

geological or historic resources that merited dedication of the site to

the preserve. Such plan shall also provide for passive recreational

uses, including, where appropriate, fishing, hunting and trapping, or

commercial fishing opportunities that are compatible with protecting the

ecological significance, historic features and natural character of the

site.

5. Nothing in this article shall be construed to diminish an existing

property right held by any person who owns any interest in any real

property that is located adjacent to any real property dedicated to the

preserve.