Enacts the monarch preservation plan requiring the department of environmental conservation to take feasible actions to conserve monarch butterflies and the unique habitats they depend upon for successful migration.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7017A
SPONSOR: Simon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
enacting the monarch preservation plan
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds 541 to title 5 article 11 of the environmental conser-
vation law by declaring the threats to monarchs and pollinator popu-
lations; directs the department to take feasible actions to conserve
monarch butterflies and the unique habitats they depend upon for
successful migrations
Section 2 is the effective date; this act shall take effect immediate-
ly.
JUSTIFICATION:
Over the past several decades, the number of monarch butterflies in
North America has steeply declined. From 1996 to 2020, the eastern
monarch populations plummeted, from an estimated 383 million to under 45
million, 88 percent. Major threats to monarchs include habitat loss and
fragmentation, changes in climate and extreme weather, pesticides,
herbicides, genetically modified crops, invasive species, disease and
natural predators. Actively restoring native milkweed and nectar plants,
monarch overwintering habitat, and other pollinator habitat, and ensur-
ing that key habitats are protected from destruction, are critical to
ensuring the survival of monarch butterflies and can also help facili-
tate conservation of other essential pollinators. Enhancing pollinator
populations can result in improved pollination services for neighboring
land, including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems.
This legislation would direct the department to conserve monarch
butterflies and their habitas.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.9295 of 2021-2022 (Hoylman): Died in Environmental Conservation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7017--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, THIELE, GUNTHER, ZINERMAN, SAYEGH,
L. ROSENTHAL, McDONOUGH, K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Environmental Conservation -- recommitted to the Commit-
tee on Environmental Conservation in accordance with Assembly Rule 3,
sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
enacting the monarch preservation plan
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "monarch preservation plan".
3 § 2. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds that over the
4 past several decades, the number of monarch butterflies in North America
5 has steeply declined. The great migration of the eastern monarchs has
6 been named a "threatened phenomenon" by the International Union for
7 Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). As of 2014, the
8 monarch population has declined from approximately one billion butterf-
9 lies to 35 million, around 90% since 1990.
10 Major threat to monarchs include habitat loss and fragmentation,
11 changes in climate and extreme weather, pesticides, herbicides, and
12 genetically modified crops, invasive species, disease and natural preda-
13 tors.
14 Actively restoring native milkweed and nectar plants, and other polli-
15 nator habitat, and ensuring that key habitats are protected from
16 destruction, are critical to ensuring the survival of monarch butterf-
17 lies and can also help facilitate conservation of other essential polli-
18 nators. Enhancing pollinator populations can result in improved poll-
19 ination services for neighboring land, including agriculture and
20 wildlife ecosystems.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05049-02-4
A. 7017--A 2
1 § 3. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new
2 section 11-0541 to read as follows:
3 § 11-0541. Monarch preservation plan.
4 Beginning within one year of the effective date of this section, the
5 department shall take feasible actions to conserve monarch butterflies
6 and the unique habitats they depend upon for successful migration. These
7 actions may include, but are not limited to, habitat restoration on
8 department and state owned lands, education programs, and voluntary
9 agreements with private landowners. The department may partner with
10 federal agencies, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic
11 programs, private landowners, and other entities that undertake actions
12 to conserve monarch butterflies and aid their successful migration. When
13 undertaking actions to conserve monarch butterflies and their habitats
14 pursuant to this section, the department shall use the best available
15 science and consider, as appropriate and feasible, all of the following:
16 1. restoring or revegetating monarch caterpillar habitat using
17 regionally or locally appropriate native milkweed species and native
18 nectar plant species;
19 2. controlling nonnative weed species that threaten native milkweed
20 species, and controlling pests and disease, using current best manage-
21 ment practices consistent with integrated pest management principles
22 that pose low risk to monarch butterflies and their habitat;
23 3. controlling pest management practices that may be harmful to
24 monarch butterflies, their food or their habitat;
25 4. incorporating diverse tree species, structures, and arrangements
26 when restoring or establishing winter habitat sites to match monarch
27 butterfly preferences for temperature, light, moisture, wind, and other
28 microclimate characteristics; and
29 5. increasing the number of partnerships and making the most of part-
30 nerships to use residential and institutional landscaped areas, agricul-
31 tural non-cropped lands, transportation corridors, and conservation
32 easements to create, restore, or enhance monarch butterfly habitat.
33 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
