N.Y. PAR Law § 20.02 — New York Code / Act PAR / Title C / Article 20 / Section 20.02
Powers, functions and duties; commissioner
Status: in_force

§ 20.02 Powers, functions and duties; commissioner.  In addition to\nthe powers, functions and duties provided for in section 3.09, the\ncommissioner shall:\n  1. Conduct scientific and environmental studies to determine the\nselection of state parks, parkways, historic sites or recreational\nfacilities that shall be designated park preserves as well as portions\nof parks that shall be designated park preservation areas.\n  2. Maintain the integrity of park land, flora, fauna, and scenic\nvistas; restore and maintain historical and archeological sites; and\nprovide for the management of all unique, rare, threatened or endangered\nspecies of flora and fauna within designated park preserves and park\npreservation areas.\n  3. Provide personnel trained in the natural sciences, including but\nnot limited to biology, botany, ecology, entomology, geology, and\nzoology, to staff such park preserves and park preservation areas and\nprovide for the management of their educational and scientific\nutilization.\n  4. a. Construct necessary facilities including offices, roads, paths,\nenvironmental centers and parking areas, on no more than fifteen percent\nof the land area of each such state park, parkway, historic site or\nrecreational facility that has been designated a park preserve.\n  b. Maintain portions of facilities that have been designated park\npreservation areas in their undeveloped state, limiting development\nwithin such areas to appropriate passive recreational facilities.\n  5. Establish environmental education classes to be conducted by\nnaturalists for the public in cooperation with other governmental\nagencies.\n  6. Develop a written stewardship plan for each designated park\npreserve and park preservation area. Such plan shall include a\ndescription of stewardship activities required to monitor, protect and\nenhance the fauna, flora, scenic, historical, archeological and other\nresources that merited designation of the park preserve or park\npreservation area. Such plan shall also provide for passive recreational\nuses such as horseback riding, fishing, hiking, nature study, and\nphotography provided that such uses are compatible with the long-term\nprotection of the ecological and historical resources that merited\ndesignation of the park preserve or park preservation area.\n  7. To insure that the types and intensity of use of such park preserve\nlands is commensurate with the goal of maintaining their ecological\nviability and balance, establish an admission control system by permit\non either a group or individual and non-discriminatory basis pursuant to\nrules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner.\n  8. Prepare an environmental impact statement and conduct public\nhearings pursuant to article eight of the environmental conservation law\nprior to acting on any proposal to remove park preserve or park\npreservation area designation from any state park, parkway, historic\nsite or recreational facility designated hereto.\n  9. Promulgate rules and regulations to effectively carry out the\npurposes of this article.\n