Forest preserve to be forever kept wild; certain uses and exceptions authorized

ARTICLE XIV\n Conservation\n Section 1. The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired,\nconstituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever\nkept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged,\nor be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber\nthereon be sold, removed or destroyed. Nothing herein contained shall\nprevent the state from constructing, completing and maintaining any\nhighway heretofore specifically authorized by constitutional amendment,\nnor from constructing and maintaining to federal standards federal aid\ninterstate highway route five hundred two from a point in the vicinity\nof the city of Glens Falls, thence northerly to the vicinity of the\nvillages of Lake George and Warrensburg, the hamlets of South Horicon\nand Pottersville and thence northerly in a generally straight line on\nthe west side of Schroon Lake to the vicinity of the hamlet of Schroon,\nthen continuing northerly to the vicinity of Schroon Falls, Schroon\nRiver and North Hudson, and to the east of Makomis Mountain, east of the\nhamlet of New Russia, east of the village of Elizabethtown and\ncontinuing northerly in the vicinity of the hamlet of Towers Forge, and\neast of Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain and continuing northerly to the\nvicinity of the village of Keeseville and the city of Plattsburgh, all\nof the aforesaid taking not to exceed a total of three hundred acres of\nstate forest preserve land, nor from constructing and maintaining not\nmore than twenty-five miles of ski trails thirty to two hundred feet\nwide, together with appurtenances thereto, provided that no more than\nfive miles of such trails shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet\nwide, on the north, east and northwest slopes of Whiteface Mountain in\nEssex county, nor from constructing and maintaining not more than\ntwenty-five miles of ski trails thirty to two hundred feet wide,\ntogether with appurtenances thereto, provided that no more than two\nmiles of such trails shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet wide,\non the slopes of Belleayre Mountain in Ulster and Delaware counties and\nnot more than forty miles of ski trails thirty to two hundred feet wide,\ntogether with appurtenances thereto, provided that no more than eight\nmiles of such trails shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet wide,\non the slopes of Gore and Pete Gay mountains in Warren county, nor from\nrelocating, reconstructing and maintaining a total of not more than\nfifty miles of existing state highways for the purpose of eliminating\nthe hazards of dangerous curves and grades, provided a total of no more\nthan four hundred acres of forest preserve land shall be used for such\npurpose and that no single relocated portion of any highway shall exceed\none mile in length. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the state\nmay convey to the village of Saranac Lake ten acres of forest preserve\nland adjacent to the boundaries of such village for public use in\nproviding for refuse disposal and in exchange therefore the village of\nSaranac Lake shall convey to the state thirty acres of certain true\nforest land owned by such village on Roaring Brook in the northern half\nof Lot 113, Township 11, Richards Survey. Notwithstanding the foregoing\nprovisions, the state may convey to the town of Arietta twenty-eight\nacres of forest preserve land within such town for public use in\nproviding for the extension of the runway and landing strip of the\nPiseco airport and in exchange therefor the town of Arietta shall convey\nto the state thirty acres of certain land owned by such town in the town\nof Arietta. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to\nlegislative approval of the tracts to be exchanged prior to the actual\ntransfer of title, the state, in order to consolidate its land holdings\nfor better management, may convey to International Paper Company\napproximately eight thousand five hundred acres of forest preserve land\nlocated in townships two and three of Totten and Crossfield Purchase and\ntownship nine of the Moose River Tract, Hamilton county, and in exchange\ntherefore International Paper Company shall convey to the state for\nincorporation into the forest preserve approximately the same number of\nacres of land located within such townships and such County on condition\nthat the legislature shall determine that the lands to be received by\nthe state are at least equal in value to the lands to be conveyed by the\nstate. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to\nlegislative approval of the tracts to be exchanged prior to the actual\ntransfer of title and the conditions herein set forth, the state, in\norder to facilitate the preservation of historic buildings listed on the\nnational register of historic places by rejoining an historic grouping\nof buildings under unitary ownership and stewardship, may convey to\nSagamore Institute Inc., a not-for-profit educational organization,\napproximately ten acres of land and buildings thereon adjoining the real\nproperty of the Sagamore Institute, Inc. and located on Sagamore Road,\nnear Raquette Lake Village, in the Town of Long Lake, county of\nHamilton, and in exchange therefor; Sagamore Institute, Inc. shall\nconvey to the state for incorporation into the forest preserve\napproximately two hundred acres of wild forest land located within the\nAdirondack Park on condition that the legislature shall determine that\nthe lands to be received by the state are at least equal in value to the\nlands and buildings to be conveyed by the state and that the natural and\nhistoric character of the lands and buildings conveyed by the state will\nbe secured by appropriate covenants and restrictions and that the lands\nand buildings conveyed by the state will reasonably be available for\npublic visits according to agreement between Sagamore Institute, Inc.\nand the state. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions the state may\nconvey to the town of Arietta fifty acres of forest preserve land within\nsuch town for public use in providing for the extension of the runway\nand landing strip of the Piseco airport and providing for the\nmaintenance of a clear zone around such runway, and in exchange\ntherefor, the town of Arietta shall convey to the state fifty-three\nacres of true forest land located in lot 2 township 2 Totten and\nCrossfield's Purchase in the town of Lake Pleasant.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to legislative\napproval prior to actual transfer of title, the state may convey to the\ntown of Keene, Essex county, for public use as a cemetery owned by such\ntown, approximately twelve acres of forest preserve land within such\ntown and, in exchange therefor, the town of Keene shall convey to the\nstate for incorporation into the forest preserve approximately one\nhundred forty-four acres of land, together with an easement over land\nowned by such town including the riverbed adjacent to the land to be\nconveyed to the state that will restrict further development of such\nland, on condition that the legislature shall determine that the\nproperty to be received by the state is at least equal in value to the\nland to be conveyed by the state.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to legislative\napproval prior to actual transfer of title, because there is no viable\nalternative to using forest preserve lands for the siting of drinking\nwater wells and necessary appurtenances and because such wells are\nnecessary to meet drinking water quality standards, the state may convey\nto the town of Long Lake, Hamilton county, one acre of forest preserve\nland within such town for public use as the site of such drinking water\nwells and necessary appurtenances for the municipal water supply for the\nhamlet of Raquette Lake. In exchange therefor, the town of Long Lake\nshall convey to the state at least twelve acres of land located in\nHamilton county for incorporation into the forest preserve that the\nlegislature shall determine is at least equal in value to the land to be\nconveyed by the state. The Raquette Lake surface reservoir shall be\nabandoned as a drinking water supply source.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to legislative\napproval prior to actual transfer of title, the state may convey to\nNational Grid up to six acres adjoining State Route 56 in St. Lawrence\nCounty where it passes through Forest Preserve in Township 5, Lots 1, 2,\n5 and 6 that is necessary and appropriate for National Grid to construct\na new 46kV power line and in exchange therefore National Grid shall\nconvey to the state for incorporation into the forest preserve at least\n10 acres of forest land owned by National Grid in St. Lawrence county,\non condition that the legislature shall determine that the property to\nbe received by the state is at least equal in value to the land conveyed\nby the state.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the legislature may\nauthorize the settlement, according to terms determined by the\nlegislature, of title disputes in township forty, Totten and Crossfield\npurchase in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton county, to resolve\nlongstanding and competing claims of title between the state and private\nparties in said township, provided that prior to, and as a condition of\nsuch settlement, land purchased without the use of state-appropriated\nfunds, and suitable for incorporation in the forest preserve within the\nAdirondack park, shall be conveyed to the state on the condition that\nthe legislature shall determine that the property to be conveyed to the\nstate shall provide a net benefit to the forest preserve as compared to\nthe township forty lands subject to such settlement.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the state may authorize NYCO\nMinerals, Inc. to engage in mineral sampling operations, solely at its\nexpense, to determine the quantity and quality of wollastonite on\napproximately 200 acres of forest preserve land contained in lot 8,\nStowers survey, town of Lewis, Essex county provided that NYCO Minerals,\nInc. shall provide the data and information derived from such drilling\nto the state for appraisal purposes. Subject to legislative approval of\nthe tracts to be exchanged prior to the actual transfer of title, the\nstate may subsequently convey said lot 8 to NYCO Minerals, Inc., and, in\nexchange therefor, NYCO Minerals, Inc. shall convey to the state for\nincorporation into the forest preserve not less than the same number of\nacres of land, on condition that the legislature shall determine that\nthe lands to be received by the state are equal to or greater than the\nvalue of the land to be conveyed by the state and on condition that the\nassessed value of the land to be conveyed to the state shall total not\nless than one million dollars. When NYCO Minerals, Inc. terminates all\nmining operations on such lot 8 it shall remediate the site and convey\ntitle to such lot back to the state of New York for inclusion in the\nforest preserve. In the event that lot 8 is not conveyed to NYCO\nMinerals, Inc. pursuant to this paragraph, NYCO Minerals, Inc.\nnevertheless shall convey to the state for incorporation into the forest\npreserve not less than the same number of acres of land that is\ndisturbed by any mineral sampling operations conducted on said lot 8\npursuant to this paragraph on condition that the legislature shall\ndetermine that the lands to be received by the state are equal to or\ngreater than the value of the lands disturbed by the mineral sampling\noperations.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions and subject to legislative\napproval prior to actual transfer of title, a total of no more than two\nhundred fifty acres of forest preserve land shall be used for the\nestablishment of a health and safety land account. Where no viable\nalternative exists and other criteria developed by the legislature are\nsatisfied, a town, village or county may apply, pursuant to a process\ndetermined by the legislature, to the health and safety land account for\nprojects limited to: address bridge hazards or safety on county\nhighways, and town highways listed on the local highway inventory\nmaintained by the department of transportation, dedicated, and in\nexistence on January first, two thousand fifteen, and annually plowed\nand regularly maintained; elimination of the hazards of dangerous curves\nand grades on county highways, and town highways listed on the local\nhighway inventory maintained by the department of transportation,\ndedicated, and in existence on January first, two thousand fifteen, and\nannually plowed and regularly maintained; relocation and reconstruction\nand maintenance of county highways, and town highways listed on the\nlocal highway inventory maintained by the department of transportation,\ndedicated, and in existence on January first, two thousand fifteen and\nannually plowed and regularly maintained, provided further that no\nsingle relocated portion of any such highway shall exceed one mile in\nlength; and water wells and necessary appurtenances when such wells are\nnecessary to meet drinking water quality standards and are located\nwithin five hundred thirty feet of state highways, county highways, and\ntown highways listed on the local highway inventory maintained by the\ndepartment of transportation, dedicated, and in existence on January\nfirst, two thousand fifteen, and annually plowed and regularly\nmaintained. As a condition of the creation of such health and safety\nland account the state shall acquire two hundred fifty acres of land for\nincorporation into the forest preserve, on condition that the\nlegislature shall approve such lands to be added to the forest preserve.\n Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the construction, operation,\nand maintenance to international standards for Nordic skiing and\nbiathlon trails that will accommodate global competitions, training, and\nevents, totaling not more than three hundred twenty-three acres of\ntrails and appurtenances thereto, is authorized on one thousand\nthirty-nine acres of forest preserve lands at the Mount Van Hoevenberg\nOlympic Sports Complex in the town of North Elba in Essex county, and as\nan offset thereto the state must acquire for incorporation into the\nforest preserve at least two thousand five hundred acres of forest land\nfor inclusion in the forest preserve in the Adirondack Park on condition\nthat the legislature shall determine that such lands are equal to or\ngreater in value.\n