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

                                  4817

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 6, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A. ENGLEBRIGHT -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
  McENENY -- read once and referred to the Committee  on  Tourism,  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".

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08690-01-9

              

A. 4817                             2

  S 3. Regional conservation partnership trusts. (a)  Community  founda-
tions  may  apply to the commissioners of environmental conservation and
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.