Bill > A01252

This bill requires forest management plans for lands subject to state-purchased conservation easements, with specific provisions to ensure environmentally responsible forestry practices. The bill mandates that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) develop regulations within six months for creating comprehensive forest management plans that must be approved before any timber harvesting can occur. These plans must include detailed requirements such as descriptions of forest resources, environmental conditions, silvicultural management systems, harvest rationales, monitoring provisions, environmental safeguards, protection of endangered species, and maps of forest resources. The bill also significantly reduces the threshold for Adirondack Park Agency (APA) oversight of clearcutting from 25 acres to 5 acres, meaning that any clearcutting on a land unit larger than 5 acres will now require agency review and approval. Additionally, the bill requires forest management plans to be periodically revised to incorporate new scientific information and respond to changing environmental, social, and economic circumstances, with the goal of maintaining long-term ecological forest functions while allowing for sustainable timber harvesting.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1252