2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 42 - Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways › 912 - Declaration of Policy.

§ 912. Declaration  of  policy. It is hereby declared to be the public
  policy of the state of New York within  the  coastal  areas  and  inland
  waterways:
1.  To achieve a balance between economic development and preservation
  that will permit the beneficial  use  of  coastal  and  inland  waterway
  resources  while  preventing  the  loss  of  living marine resources and
  wildlife, diminution of  open  space  areas  or  public  access  to  the
  waterfront, shoreline erosion, impairment of scenic beauty, or permanent
  adverse changes to ecological systems.
2.  To  encourage  the development and use of existing ports and small
  harbors   including   use   and   maintenance   of    viable    existing
  infrastructures,  and  to  reinforce  their  role as valuable components
  within the state's transportation and industrial network.
3. To conserve, protect and where appropriate promote  commercial  and
  recreational  use  of  fish  and  wildlife resources and to conserve and
  protect fish and wildlife  habitats  identified  by  the  department  of
  environmental   conservation   as   critical   to   the  maintenance  or
  re-establishment of species of fish or wildlife. Such  protection  shall
  include  mitigation  of  the  potential impact from adjacent land use or
  development.
4.  To  encourage  and  facilitate  public  access  for   recreational
  purposes.
5.  To minimize damage to natural resources and property from flooding
  and  erosion,  including  proper  location  of  new  land   development,
  protection of beaches, dunes, barrier islands, bluffs and other critical
  coastal and inland waterway features and use of non-structural measures,
  whenever possible.
6.  To  encourage  the  restoration  and revitalization of natural and
  man-made resources.
7. To encourage the  location  of  land  development  in  areas  where
  infrastructure and public services are adequate.
8.  To  conserve  and protect agricultural lands as valued natural and
  ecological resources which provide for open spaces, clean air sheds  and
  aesthetic value as well as for agricultural use.
9.  To  assure  consistency  of  state actions and, where appropriate,
  federal actions, with policies of the coastal area and inland waterways,
  and with accepted waterfront revitalization programs of the area defined
  or addressed by such programs.
10.  To  work  cooperatively  with  the  federal   government,   local
  governments  and  private  parties  to implement programs to control and
  abate sources of nonpoint source pollution that may affect  coastal  and
  inland waterways.
11.  To  cooperate  and  coordinate  with  other  states,  the federal
  government and Canada to attain a consistent policy towards coastal  and
  inland waterway management.
12.  To encourage and assist local governments in the coastal area and
  inland waterways to use all their powers that can be applied to  achieve
  these objectives.
13. To facilitate the redevelopment of urban waterfronts.
14.  To  encourage  local  governments  to  enter  into intermunicipal
  agreements  to  protect  their  shared  environment  and  improve  their
  region's economic strength.
15.  To  encourage  state  agencies to provide technical and financial
  assistance  for  implementation  of  local   waterfront   revitalization
  programs.
16.  To  encourage  local governments and state agencies to celebrate,
  protect and enhance the special places that  made  waterfronts  distinct

  ecological  systems and the preferred locations for people to live, work
  and recreate.