STATUS:

A5738 Lopez P (MS) No Same as

Parks
TITLE....Establishes a 3 year hiking trail safety pilot program
03/06/13 referred to environmental conservation
01/08/14 referred to environmental conservation
05/12/14 held for consideration in environmental conservation
Same-As History:
Bill Version Same-As Bill
A 5738 No Same as
Current Same-As
A 5738 No Same as
SUMMARY:
P. LOPEZ, BUTLER, MONTESANO; M-S: Arroyo, Braunstein, DiPietro, Duprey, Tenney
Directs the DEC and the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation to establish a 3 year
hiking trail safety pilot program.
BILL TEXT:
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5738
2013- 2014 Regul ar Sessi ons
IN ASSEMBLY
Mar ch 6, 2013
___________
I nt r oduced by M. of A. P. LOPEZ, BUTLER, MONTESANO - - Mul t i - Sponsor ed by
- - M. of A. ARROYO, DI PI ETRO, DUPREY - - r ead once and r ef er r ed t o t he
Commi t t ee on Envi r onment al Conser vat i on
AN ACT t o di r ect t he depar t ment of envi r onment al conser vat i on and t he
of f i ce of par ks, r ecr eat i on and hi st or i c pr eser vat i on t o est abl i sh a
hi ki ng t r ai l saf et y pi l ot pr ogr amand pr ovi di ng f or t he r epeal of such
pr ovi si ons upon expi r at i on t her eof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Sect i on 1. The depar t ment of envi r onment al conser vat i on and t he of f i ce
2 of par ks, r ecr eat i on and hi st or i c pr eser vat i on ar e her eby aut hor i zed and
3 di r ect ed t o est abl i sh a hi ki ng t r ai l saf et y pi l ot pr ogr am. Such pr ogr am
4 shal l :
5 a. i ncr ease war ni ngs about t he pot ent i al hazar ds of hi ki ng and t r ai l
6 use ( i ) at t r ai l heads t hr oughout t he pi l ot pr ogr amar ea, and ( i i ) on any
7 new t r ai l maps subj ect t o such pi l ot pr ogr am;
8 b. i ncr ease war ni ngs at sceni c over l ooks t hr oughout t he pi l ot pr ogr am
9 ar ea t hat may pr esent a r i sk of a f al l ;
10 c. devel op bet t er i nf or mat i on f or hi ker s r egar di ng wi l dl i f e encount er s
11 and pr oper pr epar at i on f or hi ki ng, i ncl udi ng, but not l i mi t ed t o, pr oper
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12 f oot wear and at t i r e, how much wat er t o br i ng, r equi si t e navi gat i on
13 ski l l s and l eave no t r ace pr i nci pl es;
14 d. devel op saf et y mar ker s and a not i f i cat i on syst emsi mi l ar t o t hose
15 used at ski r esor t s wi t hi n t he st at e; and
16 e. be i mpl ement ed by J une 1, 2014.
17 2. Thi s act shal l t ake ef f ect i mmedi at el y and shal l expi r e t hr ee
18 year s af t er such dat e when upon such dat e t he pr ovi si ons of t hi s act
19 shal l be deemed r epeal ed.
EXPLANATI ON- - Mat t er i n italics ( under scor ed) i s new; mat t er i n br acket s
[ ] i s ol d l aw t o be omi t t ed.
LBD07316- 01- 3
SPONSORS MEMO:
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5738
SPONSOR: Lopez P ( MS)
TITLE OF BILL: An act t o di r ect t he depar t ment of envi r onment al
conser vat i on and t he of f i ce of par ks, r ecr eat i on and hi st or i c pr eser va-
t i on t o est abl i sh a hi ki ng t r ai l saf et y pi l ot pr ogr amand pr ovi di ng f or
t he r epeal of such pr ovi si ons upon expi r at i on t her eof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Est abl i shes a 3 year saf et y pi l ot
pr ogr am, and di r ect s DEC and OPRHP t o devel op saf et y mar ker s and
i ncr ease war ni ngs at hi ki ng t r ai l s t hr oughout t he st at e.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Aut hor i zes and di r ect s t he Depar t ment
of Envi r onment al Conser vat i on t o est abl i sh a hi ki ng t r ai l saf et y pi l ot
pr ogr am.
JUSTIFICATION: Thi s l egi sl at i on woul d est abl i sh a t r ai l saf et y pi l ot
pr ogr amt o est abl i sh bet t er t r ai l mar ki ngs/ war ni ngs on hi ki ng t r ai l s i n
New Yor k.
I n l i ght of an i ncr eased number of deat hs and i nj ur i es on t r i al s, many
i n or ar ound st at e par kl ands, t hi s pr ogr amwoul d devel op saf et y mar ker s
and a not i f i cat i on syst emsi mi l ar t o t hose used at ski r esor t s ar ound
t he st at e.
The sponsor bel i eves t hat a set of uni f or msaf et y st andar ds, wi t h cl ear
and post ed mar ker s at t r ai l heads woul d wor k t o r educe f ut ur e i nci dent s
l eadi ng t o i nj ur y and l oss of l i f e.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2012: Hel d f or consi der at i on i n Envi r onment al Conser vat i on
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE GOVERNMENT: The Depar t ment of Envi r on-
ment al Conser vat i on woul d be r esponsi bl e f or admi ni st er i ng t he pr ogr am
usi ng exi st i ng appr opr i at i ons t o cover t he cost of devel opi ng t r ai l
mar ker s/ si gnage and saf et y gui del i nes. I n t hi s r egar d, t he scal e of t he
pi l ot ' s i mpl ement at i on i s al so l ef t t o DEC di scr et i on.
DEC, St at e Pol i ce, and ot her st at e emer gency r esponder s woul d see
r educed demand f or r espondi ng t o f ut ur e event s.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: Thi s l egi sl at i on woul d have
a posi t i ve i mpact on l ocal f i r e and r escue or gani zat i ons who ar e cal l ed
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t o r espond t o emer genci es r esul t i ng f r ompubl i c use of r ecr eat i onal
t r ai l s by r educi ng t he f r equency of event s.
EFFECTIVE DATE: I mmedi at el y. Shal l expi r e t hr ee year s af t er such dat e
when upon such dat e t he pr ovi si ons of t hi s act shal l be deemed r epeal ed.
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