Section 49-0209. Regional advisory committees

1.  There  are hereby established regional advisory committees in each
  of the department's regions to provide the department  and  office  with
  advice  and recommendations from the public on the implementation of the
  land acquisition programs of the department and office and in  order  to
  provide  the  public  with  information  regarding the activities of the
  department and office pursuant to this title.
    2. Each regional committee shall:
    a. recommend policies and priorities for protection of  lands  in  the
  region potentially eligible for state acquisition;
    b.  recommend  to  the  department  and  office  specific  studies  or
  assessments which would assist in the development  of  land  acquisition
  policies and priorities for the region;
    c.  establish  working liaison relationships with neighboring regional
  advisory  committees  where  such  liaison  will  further  overall  land
  acquisition objectives;
    d.  develop  guidelines  for  use  in  identifying  priorities of land
  acquisition and recommending specific parcels for possible  acquisition.
  Such guidelines may include:
    (i) the priority ranking of properties for the region;
    (ii)  the  degree to which an acquisition will help to meet a regional
  or statewide need;
    (iii) the future costs and benefits which may be associated  with  the
  project;
    (iv)  the economic impact on adjacent parcels, the community or region
  and the local governments therein; and
    (v) the ecological value of the project taking into account the  type,
  variety and relative scarcity of the resources therein.
    e.  advise  the  commissioners and the state land acquisition advisory
  council  annually  with  respect  to  plans  and  priorities  for  their
  respective  region, and communicate at such other times as may be needed
  to fulfill its responsibilities.
    f. review the state land acquisition plan prepared by  the  department
  and office pursuant to section 49-0207 of this title at least biennially
  and make recommendations regarding such plan as it affects the region.
    g.  review any community preservation project plans developed pursuant
  to section six-s of the general municipal law.
    3. Regional advisory committee members shall be knowledgeable of,  and
  concerned with, the land preservation, conservation, historic, cultural,
  recreation  and  acquisition  goals  of this chapter. No employee of the
  department or office shall serve on a regional committee.  At  any  time
  that  a  member  of  a  regional  committee  has or may have a direct or
  indirect financial interest in or  resulting  from  the  acquisition  or
  decision not to acquire an interest in land pursuant to this title, such
  member  shall  not  participate in any discussion or deliberation of the
  committee concerning such acquisition.
    4. A regional advisory committee shall consist of at  least  thirteen,
  and  not more than twenty-three members. Each county outside the city of
  New York or the city of New York in  the  case  of  a  county  contained
  within  the  city  of  New  York  shall  appoint members to its region's
  advisory committee in a manner designed to provide equal  representation
  for  all  counties  within a region on such committee, provided that the
  total number of local  government  appointees  to  a  regional  advisory
  committee  shall  not exceed one-half of the committee's membership. The
  commissioners  shall  appoint  to  each  regional   advisory   committee
  additional  members  equal  to one more than the total number of members
  eligible for appointment by local government. Each member of a  regional
  advisory committee shall be a resident of that region, provided however,

  the  commissioners may appoint to each regional advisory committee up to
  two members  who  are  not  residents  of  that  region.  Each  regional
  committee  shall  meet  as  it  may  deem  necessary  to  carry  out its
  responsibilities.
    5.  Regional  committees  may  request  and  shall  receive  from  the
  department and the office such assistance and data as may be  determined
  reasonable for the proper execution of their responsibilities.
    6.  Regional  committees  shall be established no later than September
  first, nineteen hundred ninety, and shall make  initial  recommendations
  no   later   than  December  first,  nineteen  hundred  ninety,  to  the
  commissioners and the state land acquisition advisory council and  shall
  report at least biennially thereafter.