§ 147 — Farmland protection working group

* § 147. Farmland protection working group. 1. There is hereby created\nin the executive department a farmland protection working group\nconsisting of appropriate stakeholders, including but not limited to:\n (a) the commissioner of the department of agriculture and markets;\n (b) the commissioner of the department of environmental conservation;\n (c) the executive director of ORES;\n (d) the chief executive officer of the department of public service;\n (e) the president of the New York state energy research and\ndevelopment authority;\n (f) local government officials or representatives from municipal\norganizations representing towns, villages, and counties; and\n (g) representatives from at least two county agricultural and farmland\nprotection boards.\n 2. The working group shall, no later than one year after the effective\ndate of this article, recommend strategies to encourage and facilitate\ninput from municipalities in the siting process of major renewable\nenergy facilities and major electric transmission facilities and to\ndevelop recommendations that include approaches to recognize the value\nof viable agricultural land and methods to minimize adverse impacts to\nany such land resulting from the siting of major renewable energy\nfacilities and major electric transmission facilities.\n 3. The working group, on call of the commissioner of the department of\nagriculture and markets, shall meet at least three times each year and\nat such other times as may be necessary.\n * NB Repealed December 31, 2040\n