NY Gen Mun L § 72-A (2021)
2021 New York Laws GMU - General Municipal Article 5 - Powers, Limitations and Liabilities 72-A - Acquisition and Development of Forest Lands.

§  72-a.  Acquisition  and  development of forest lands. The governing   board of a county, town  or  village  may  severally  acquire  for  such   county,  town  or village, by purchase, gift, lease or condemnation, and   hold as the property of such municipality, tracts of land having forests   or tree growth thereon, or suitable for the growth  of  trees,  and  may   appropriate therefor the necessary moneys of the county, town or village   for  which  the  lands  are  acquired.  Such  lands  shall  be under the   management and control of such board and shall be developed and used for   the planting and rearing  of  trees  thereon  and  for  the  cultivation   thereof  according  to  the  principles  of scientific forestry, for the   benefit and advantage of the county, town or village. The  determination   of  any such board to acquire lands under the provisions of this section   shall be by resolution; but the question of the final adoption  of  such   resolution  shall  be  taken  up  by  the board only after public notice   thereof has been published at least once in each week for two successive   weeks, as follows: If it be a resolution of a board of supervisors,  the   publication  shall  be  made in the newspapers in which the session laws   and concurrent resolutions are required to be published,  provided  that   if publication cannot be made in both such newspapers as herein required   because  of  infrequency of publication of one of them, such notice need   be published in only one such newspaper; if it be a resolution of a town   board or of a board of trustees of a village, the publication  shall  be   made  in  a newspaper published in the town or village respectively. The   first publication of such notice shall be at least fourteen days  before   the  question of final adoption of the resolution may be taken up by the   board. Any period of seven successive days shall constitute a week under   this section. The board shall give a hearing to all persons appearing in   support of or in opposition  to  such  proposed  resolution.  If  it  be   determined  to  purchase such lands the moneys necessary therefor may be   provided as follows: If the acquisition be by a  county,  the  board  of   supervisors  may cause such moneys to be raised, in whole or in part, by   taxation and levied and collected as other county taxes or  such  moneys   may  be  raised, in whole or in part, pursuant to the local finance law;   if the acquisition be by a town, the  moneys  necessary  therefor  shall   constitute a town charge and be raised, in whole or in part, by taxation   as other town charges or such moneys may be raised, in whole or in part,   pursuant  to  the local finance law; if the acquisition be by a village,   the moneys therefor may be raised, in whole or in part, by taxation,  as   other  village  taxes or such moneys may be raised, in whole or in part,   pursuant to the local finance law.   All revenues  and  emoluments  from   lands  so  acquired  shall belong to the municipality and be paid to its   chief fiscal officer for  the  purposes  of  such  municipality  and  in   reduction  of  taxation  therein.  Such forest lands shall be subject to   such rules and regulations as such governing board of  the  municipality   shall  prescribe;  but  the  principal  object  to  be  conserved in the   maintenance of such lands shall be the sale of forest products in aid of   the public revenues and the  protection  of  the  water  supply  of  the   municipality.  Such  lands or portions thereof may be sold and conveyed,   or leased, if a resolution therefor be adopted by the  affirmative  vote   of  two-thirds  of  all the members of such governing board; but no such   resolution directing an absolute conveyance shall  be  effectual  unless   adopted  after  a  public  hearing, held upon notice given in the manner   required in the case of a resolution to acquire such lands.   A deed  of   conveyance  or  lease of such lands, when authorized as aforesaid, shall   be executed by the county treasurer of the  county,  supervisor  of  the   town  or  president  of  the village by which the conveyance or lease is   made. Moneys may be appropriated for the care and  maintenance  of  such   lands  and  the development and use for forests thereon annually, by the    county, town or village, respectively, and the amount thereof raised  by   taxation in the same manner that other expenditures of such county, town   or village are provided for by law.