Bill > A02172

This bill establishes an urban reforestation initiative in New York by creating a new highway use fee for outdoor advertising and a dedicated Urban Reforestation Fund. The bill imposes an annual fee of $1,000 on billboard faces visible from interstate and primary highways, with exemptions for official signs, on-premises signs, and small billboard owners. In cities with over one million residents, the fees will be collected by the city, while in other areas, the state transportation commissioner will collect them. The collected fees will be deposited into the new Urban Reforestation Fund, which will provide grants to cities for urban forestry efforts. Cities with over one million residents will receive grants equal to the amount they collect, while cities between 20,000 and one million residents will receive proportional funding based on population density. The funds can be used for establishing urban forestry plans, hiring professional foresters or landscape architects, conducting tree inventories, and supporting tree planting, maintenance, removal, and pruning. The bill also defines key terms related to urban forestry, such as "conservation," "inventory," and "tree maintenance," and establishes penalties for non-compliance with the new regulations. The law will take effect 60 days after becoming official.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2172