Chapter 19. Land Use 366
Implementation of these changes require updating State regulations, developing internal and external
guidance, and greater administration and enforcement. Over 75,000 acres of farmland has been protected
from development through the Farmland Protection Implementation Grant Program and tens of thousands
of additional acres of forestland have been protected from conversion through land purchases and
easements with funds from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). In New York, there are more than
three million acres of Forest Preserve, 900,000 acres of working forest conservation easements, 800,000
acres of state forest reforestation areas, 124,000 acres of wildlife management areas, and nearly one
million acres of forest in local and federal ownership. Programs like Regenerate NY, Agricultural
Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control (AgNPS), the Hudson River Estuary Program, and annual
spring seedling sales by both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery and statewide Soil and Water Conservation
Districts (SWCDs) assist landowners with tree planting efforts and have resulted in the planting of tens of
thousands of trees. The Downtown Revitalization Initiative promotes compact, mixed-use development
that is energy-efficient, focuses development in downtown areas, and promotes the use of public transit
and reduced dependence on personal vehicles. Since 2016, 59 communities have completed the
Downtown Revitalization Initiative planning process. The Brownfield Cleanup, Environmental
Restoration, and Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) programs offer incentives, planning and technical
assistance, tax credits, and liability relief for brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. New York State
Department of State (DOS) promotes smart growth through the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program,
the Smart Growth Comprehensive Planning Grant Program, and the Countywide Resiliency/Smart
Growth Planning Grants Program. DEC offers the Adirondack and Catskill Smart Growth Grants
Program and the Climate Smart Communities Program.
Key Stakeholders
Stakeholders that promulgate and enforce land use regulations include municipalities at every level,
including cities, towns, villages, counties, and special districts. Stakeholders that guide land use policy
and investment include municipal planning organizations (MPOs), county planning boards, regional
planning councils, Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs), industrial development agencies
and authorities, and local and regional authorities, such as the Adirondack Park Agency. Stakeholders that
hold forest land in New York include DEC, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
(AGM), New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), New York
State Department of Transportation (DOT), New York Power Authority (NYPA), land trusts, utility
companies, municipalities, municipal associations, local communities, and private landowners.
Stakeholders involved in outreach, education, and other forms of landowner assistance include U.S.