BILL NUMBER: S7951
SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state finance law and the highway law, in relation
to establishing the native/pollinator planting fund and the pollinator
highway program
 
PURPOSE OF BILL::
To establish and provide for funding of a program to promote the culti-
vation and maintenance of native flowering plants, grasses, and shrubs
on land bordering state highways and other public lands.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS::
Section 1 amends the state finance law by adding a new section 99-ss
which establishes a native/pollinator planting fund in the joint custody
of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the state comptroller.
The fund shall consist of revenue from appropriations, interest earned,
state and federal grants for green infrastructure projects, and revenue
generated from the sale of a dedicated vanity license plate featuring
native plant or pollinator imagery. Money from the fund shall support
the establishment of the pollinator highway program.
Section 2 amends the highway law by adding a new section 67 establishing
the pollinator highway program to promote the cultivation and mainte-
nance of native flowering plants, grasses and shrubs on land bordering
state highways and on other public lands. Objectives for the program
shall include: incorporating native plants into green infrastructure
solutions, establishing and enhancing pollinator habitats, and utilizing
native vegetation to improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce
the need for emissions-intensive maintenance activities. The Department
of Transportation shall consult with other state agencies including the
Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environ-
mental Conservation and with environmental organizations to identify
suitable locations for planting, develop standards for plant selection,
encourage use of innovative stormwater management techniques integrating
native vegetation, and shall coordinate with municipalities and regional
agencies and environmental groups to implement pilot projects and commu-
nity-based initiatives. The Department of Transportation shall support
implementation of the program by establishing grants to municipalities
and public-private partnerships to enhance outreach, and shall work with
the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a vanity license plant
featuring native plant or pollinator imagery with the proceeds support-
ing the program's activities and grants.
 
JUSTIFICATION::
The New York State Pollinator Task Force, formed in 2015, was charged
with developing a plan for New York to conserve and grow its pollinator
population. The New York State Pollinator Protection Plan, issued in
2016, was updated in 2022.1 The New York state efforts were preceded on
the federal level by the release of Presidential Memorandum - Creating a
Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollina-
tors.2
As noted by the Office of General Services, "New York State agencies and
authorities own or lease a significant percentage of the 31,106,541
acres in New York State. In a natural condition, the environment
performs critical, life-supporting functions, such as cleaning the air
and water, controlling floodwater, moderating temperature and wind, and
providing wildlife habitat.... New York State is home  
TO more than 450
wild pollinator species, including bees, birds and other insects, that
support not only pollination needs for commercial crops, but also the
biodiversity in our environment. With insect populations on the decline
all over the world, it is crucial to protect our pollinators."3
According to the state's Pollinator Protection Plan, the Department of
Transportation, which is responsible for providing safe and efficient
transportation systems, has the ability to also provide suitable habitat
and landscape connectivity for pollinators while maintaining rights of
way. DOT owns 15,000 miles of highway outside New York City and 140
miles within New York City and since October 2012 has encouraged polli-
nator-friendly planting along rights of way.4
This bill recognizes the importance of supporting pollinator health and
diversity by expanding native plant habitats along highway rights of way
and on other public lands. The bill creates a dedicated funding mech-
anism through the native/pollinator planting fund which will include
revenues generated through the sale of a dedicated vanity license plate
featuring native plant or pollinator imagery.
The native/pollinator planting fund will enable the department of trans-
portation to establish the pollinator highway program and expand upon
existing efforts and partnerships with other state agencies, munici-
palities, and environmental organizations to create pollinator-friendly
wildlife habitats along rights of way throughout the state.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
To be determined
 
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This bill shall take effect immediately.
1 NYS Office of General Services, Pollinator Protectors,
https://ogs.ny.goy/pollinator-protectors
2 Presidential Memorandum -- Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the
Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators (June 20, 2014),
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/20/
presidential-memorandum-creating-federal-strategy-promote-health-
honey-b
3 Office of General Services, Conserving Natural Resources,
https://ogs.ny.gov/greenny/conservingnatural-resources
4 NYS Department of Environmental Conservation & Agriculture and
Markets, New York State Pollinator Protection Plan (June 24, 2016),
https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_
pdf/nyspollinatorplan.pdf at 12, 16, 17; NYS Agriculture and Markets,
Pollinator Protection Plan Update (June 23, 2022),
https://agriculture.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2023/06/newyorkstate
pollinatorprotectionplanupdate2023.pdf