S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1456

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 12, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

AN ACT to provide for the creation of regional conservation  partnership
  trusts

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings and  purpose.  The  legislature  finds
that  the state's heritage areas, greenways, preserves, partnerships and
other specially designated areas are unique and  special  areas  serving
public  interests in conservation, education, recreation and sustainable
development. Often these areas include all or portions of  many  cities,
towns  and  villages, and their management depends on interrelationships
between state and municipal entities and  private  entities.  They  have
appropriately  been  called "partnership parks". While state funding has
often been available for the acquisition of open space and  recreational
and  historic preservation projects, support for management and steward-
ship of partnership  parks  has  been  insufficient  and  threatens  the
resources for which these areas have been designated.
  The  legislature  further finds that community philanthropic organiza-
tions  and  nonprofit  conservation  organizations  have  provided  some
support  for  partnership parks and if assisted by the state may be able
to maximize public and private funding for management and stewardship.
  Therefore, the legislature hereby establishes a framework for areas of
the state to create regional partnership trusts to raise and  distribute
funds  for nonprofit conservation organizations providing management and
stewardship services for partnership parks and  other  state  and  local
conservation activity.
  S 2. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New
York state regional conservation partnership trust act".
  S  3.  Regional conservation partnership trusts. (a) Community founda-
tions may apply to the commissioners of environmental  conservation  and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD06133-01-5
              

A. 1456                             2

parks,  recreation and historic preservation to be certified as regional
conservation partnership trust boards. Each such partnership trust board
shall be a charitable subsidiary of a community foundation organized  to
support  management  and  stewardship  activities  of  a  not-for-profit
conservation organization within its region. Such  activities  shall  be
provided to partnership parks with the trust board's region.
  (b)  The commissioners of environmental conservation and parks, recre-
ation and historic preservation shall approve and  certify  as  regional
conservation  partnership  trusts those not-for-profit corporations that
are dedicated to raise funds from private donors  for  the  purposes  of
grants  to non-profit organizations consistent with the purposes of this
act. The members of a board of a partnership trust shall  serve  without
compensation  for  their  work. Each partnership trust shall establish a
fund to consist of donations and funds made available therefor from  the
state.
  S  4. The state is hereby authorized, during any state fiscal year, to
disburse not more than one  million  dollars  to  regional  conservation
partnership  trusts  to  match  donations to such trust during the state
fiscal year, and made available  for  grants  to  not-for-profit  corpo-
rations for the purpose of this act.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.