Requires additional 10% matching grant funding of agricultural environmental programs implemented in watersheds deemed, by the commissioner of environmental conservation, to be critical to recreational fishing.

---

S2442-2013 Actions

• Jan 17, 2013: REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE

S2442-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2442

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in
relation to funding of agricultural environmental management programs
implemented in watersheds deemed critical to recreational fishing

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To increase the matching funds to
farmers from 75% to at least 85% when those farmers are investing in
non-point source pollution control measures in watersheds deemed to be
critical to New York State's fisheries.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section one provides for increased
matching funding of at least ten percent to farms in watersheds deemed
critical by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental
Conservation.

Section two is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION: The Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program
helps farmers develop and implement plans to comply with federal,
state and local regulations relating to water quality and other
environmental concerns. The program helps farmers protect New York's
lakes, streams and rivers from agricultural runoff. New York invests
heavily in recreational fishery and should also invest in protecting
the water quality that is being stocked and promoted as a tourism
attraction. Each year DEC releases over one million pounds of fish
into more than 1,200 public streams, rivers, lakes and ponds across
the state. These fish are stocked for two main purposes: (1) to
enhance recreational fishing; and (2) to restore native species to
waters they formerly occupied. Raising these fish is a big task that
requires precise methods and specialized equipment and facilities.
The DEC runs 12 fish hatcheries, each specializing in raising one or
more species of fish, including brook trout, brown trout, rainbow
trout, lake trout, steelhead, Chinook salmon, coho salmon, landlocked
salmon, walleye, muskellunge and tiger muskellunge. The additional
matching funding is needed to encourage those farmers who may not be
able to afford the 25% required match to implement water pollution
protection. Already in watersheds critical to drinking water (New York
City and Syracuse), the benefiting community offers an additional
incentive to farmers to build the structures and implement standards
necessary to protect the watershed from non-point source pollution.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  2005 - A.1914 -- Agriculture 2006 -
A.11123 -- Agriculture 2007-08 - A2424 -- Agriculture 2009-10 -
S.7299/A.1083 -- AGRICULTURE/Agriculture 2011-2012 - S.4352/A.1194 --
FINANCE/Agriculture

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.

S2442-2013 Text

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

                                    2442

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 17, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
    when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture

  AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to  funding
    of  agricultural  environmental  management  programs  implemented  in
    watersheds deemed critical to recreational fishing

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


    Section  1. Section 151 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended
  by chapter 375 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:

    S 151. Agricultural environmental management program. There is  hereby
  established  within the department an agricultural environmental manage-
  ment program to assist farmers in maintaining the economic viability  of
  their  farm operations while addressing environmental impacts from those
  operations, including, but not limited to, soil, air and water pollution
  and greenhouse gas emissions. The program may also include assistance to
  farmers for the development of agriculturally-derived  renewable  energy
  sources.  The  program  may  consist of planner certification to qualify
  persons to prepare AEM plans; technical assistance  to  farmers  partic-
  ipating in the program; financial assistance, within funds available, to
  soil  and water conservation districts and farmers to prepare and imple-
  ment plans PROVIDED THAT FOR  PLANS  IMPLEMENTED  IN  WATERSHEDS  DEEMED
  CRITICAL  TO  RECREATIONAL FISHING, AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF
  ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, SHALL RECEIVE  NOT  LESS  THAN  TEN  PERCENT
  ADDITIONAL  FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  WHEN  SUCH  ASSISTANCE IS DISTRIBUTED
  THROUGH A MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM; other incentives for  program  partic-
  ipation;  and  evaluation  of  program procedures and projects to assess
  effectiveness.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.


   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00139-01-3