2023 New York Laws › AGM - Agriculture and Markets › Article 11-B - Soil Health and Climate Resiliency › 151-M - Soil Health Initiative.

§  151-m.  Soil  health  initiative. 1. The department, in cooperation
with the state soil and water conservation committee, and other partners
working on soil health shall encourage agricultural producers in  urban,
suburban  and  rural  communities  to improve and maintain the health of
farm soils by: managing and optimizing soil health to mitigate and adapt
to climate change, and improve water quality while improving  long  term
soil  productivity, efficiency, resiliency and profitability of farming;
ensuring that soil is conserved as a living ecosystem managed to provide
nutrients for the growth  of  agricultural  plants  and  animals  and  a
healthy,  affordable  food  supply;  and  addressing  such environmental
impacts from farm operations, including, but not  limited  to  absorbing
and  holding  rainwater  for  use  during  dry  periods,  filtering  and
buffering potential pollutants from leaving  fields,  improving  climate
resiliency,  and  providing  habitat  for  beneficial  soil  microbes to
flourish and diversify. Such improvement and maintenance  shall  account
for  the  differences  in  soils  in different regions of the state. The
department  shall  coordinate  the  soil  health  initiative  with   the
agricultural  environmental  management  program  established in article
eleven-A of this chapter and  section  eleven  of  the  soil  and  water
conservation districts law.
2.  The department shall encourage soil health practices that include,
but shall not be limited to:
(a) improving, enhancing, or  otherwise  maximizing  soil  health  and
quality, and minimizing soil erosion and sedimentation;
(b)  improving,  enhancing, or otherwise maximizing water infiltration
rates and water holding capacities of soils  for  improved  storm  water
management  and  flood  control,  drought  resilience,  and  groundwater
supply; and
(c) managing and enhancing the healthy  cycling  of  nutrients  within
fields,  to  minimize  nutrient  runoff  and  reduce downstream nutrient
loading, improve  watershed  health  and  reliable  water  availability,
restore  and  enhance  wildlife  habitat,  and  manage  water runoff and
drainage water for improved local and downstream water quality.
3. The department, in  the  development  of  efforts  to  promote  and
encourage   soil  health,  shall  conduct  public  virtually  accessible
stakeholder meetings and provide opportunity for written public  comment
and  consult  with  stakeholders,  as  appropriate,  including,  but not
limited to:  the  state  soil  and  water  conservation  committee,  the
department   of   environmental   conservation,  agricultural  producers
including   historically    marginalized    producers,    not-for-profit
conservation   organizations,   environmental  protection  organizations
including  environmental  justice,  the  United  States  Department   of
Agriculture's  National  Resources  Conservation  Services, the New York
state college of agriculture and life sciences  established  in  section
fifty-seven  hundred  twelve  of  the  education  law  including Cornell
Cooperative Extension, other institutions of  higher  education  in  New
York state working on soil health, and any other organization designated
by the commissioner.
4.  The  department,  in  cooperation  with  the  state soil and water
conservation committee, the New York state college  of  agriculture  and
life  sciences  established in section fifty-seven hundred twelve of the
education law, and with input from other organizations with expertise in
soil health  and  regional  stakeholders,  shall  establish  appropriate
voluntary   standards  and  objectives  for  soil  health  and  quality,
reflective of the different geographic regions, soil types, and  farming
operations.  Such  standards  should include soil quality indicators for
biological, physical, and chemical properties of soil  and  reflect  the
latest scientific advancements.