2023 New York Laws › ENV - Environmental Conservation › Article 9 - Lands and Forests › Title 1 - General Provisions › 9-0113 - Adopt-a-Natural Resource Stewardship Program.

§ 9-0113. Adopt-a-natural resource stewardship program.
1.  The  commissioner  may  enter into stewardship agreements with any
  person or persons  for  the  purposes  of  preserving,  maintaining,  or
  enhancing   a   state-owned  natural  resource  or  portion  thereof  in
  accordance with the policies of this article.
2. The stewardship agreement shall provide that the  natural  resource
  be  preserved  and maintained in its natural state or managed to enhance
  or restore the natural resource values they provide, consistent with the
  provisions of this chapter and purposes of this article. Activities  may
  include:   remediating   vandalism,   picking   up   litter  and  trash,
  establishing  or  maintaining  access  or   nature   trails,   providing
  interpretive  services  for  school  groups and other citizens, managing
  fish and wildlife habitat, and otherwise providing positive benefits  to
  the natural resource.
3.  Stewardship  agreement  with any person or persons may provide for
  assistance of personnel, facilities and supplies of the  department  for
  the purposes of supporting appropriate activities under such stewardship
  agreement, in accordance with the provisions of this article.
4.  The  department  shall  establish  procedures by which a person or
  persons may apply for a stewardship agreement, and shall be  responsible
  for  working  with  such  persons  to  identify  specific  sections of a
  state-owned natural resource and specific activities deemed  appropriate
  for such stewardship agreement. The department may consider factors such
  as  safety,  environmental  sensitivity,  need,  cost  and other factors
  deemed relevant in determining which natural resource or activities  may
  be eligible or appropriate for a stewardship agreement.
5.  Consistent  with  other  laws  of the state and regulations of the
  department, the department shall provide recognition of the  stewardship
  activities  by  appropriate  signage  on  or  near  the  adopted natural
  resource, and may provide recognition by such other measures as  it  may
  determine  to  be  appropriate,  including  but  not  limited  to  press
  releases,   certificates,   newsletters,    and    articles    in    the
  conservationist.
6.  The  stewardship  agreement may be modified in scope or altered in
  any  other  manner  at  the  sole  discretion  of  the  department,  not
  inconsistent  with the provisions of this section. The person or persons
  shall have the option of renewing the agreement subject to the  approval
  of  the  department  and  the  continuation  by  the  department  of the
  adopt-a-natural  resource  stewardship  program.  The   department   may
  terminate  the agreement and remove the signs upon thirty day notice, if
  in its sole judgment it finds and determines that the person or  persons
  are not meeting the terms and conditions of the agreement.
7.  The  department  shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide
  assistance to other state agencies that  are  interested  in  developing
  stewardship programs for natural resources under their jurisdiction.
8.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent provision of law, the state and
  its employees shall not be liable for damages  suffered  by  any  person
  resulting from the actions or activities of such volunteers.