N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 49-0103: General functions, powers and duties of the department

§ 49-0103. General functions, powers and duties of the department.

The department shall have the power and it shall be its duty to:

1. Develop, after consultation with local governments and interested

persons, groups and institutions, policies and programs to preserve and

enhance the natural and man-made beauty of the state, and encourage,

facilitate and assist in the coordination of the activities of the

various state agencies in furtherance of such policies and programs.

2. Advise, encourage and assist local governments in the development

and coordination of policies, programs and activities, and in the full

utilization of powers vested in local governments by the Constitution

and laws of the state, to preserve and enhance the natural and man-made

beauty of the state.

3. Conduct and coordinate studies, surveys and inventories of the vast

natural and man-made resources contributing to the beauty of the state

by virtue of their scenic, aesthetic, or cultural values.

4. Designate scenic sites, areas, and highways in the state and

develop programs for their preservation and enhancement, including but

not limited to programs to discourage littering, defacement, and

blighting of such scenic sites, areas and highways.

5. Promote the application of aesthetic considerations in the

location, design, construction and maintenance of state lands, projects

and buildings.

6. Serve as a clearing house for information relating to the

preservation and enhancement of natural and man-made beauty.