N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 49-0505 – State geological planning and advisory council

1. For the purposes of this title, "advisory council" means the state geological planning and advisory council established pursuant to this section.
2. There shall be established within the department the state geological planning and advisory council. The advisory council shall be composed of ten members as follows: a. the commissioner, or his or her designee who is an officer or employee of the department; b. the commissioner of economic development, or his or her designee who is an officer or employee of the department of economic development; c. the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation, or his or her designee who is an officer or employee of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation; d. the commissioner of transportation, or his or her designee who is an officer or employee of the department of transportation; e. two members appointed by the governor, of whom:
1. (1) one shall have been or is engaged in trail planning and/or management, and
2. (2) one shall teach geology or be a geology professional; f. two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate, having expertise in the field of ecology, conservation or trail planning; and g. two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly, having expertise in the field of ecology, conservation or trail planning.
3. The members of the advisory council appointed pursuant to paragraphs e, f and g of subdivision two of this section shall serve terms of four years. Vacancies in the membership of the advisory council shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
4. The commissioner, or his or her designee, shall be the chair of the advisory council. The advisory council shall meet not less than three times each calendar year, and more frequently at the call of the chair.
5. The advisory council may establish: a. criteria for signage on the state geological trail, including means of providing information about geological features associated with each particular portion of such trail. Provided, however, that all such signage shall comply with the New York state manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic control devices as such manual and specifications may be amended from time to time, certified by a licensed professional engineer who specializes in traffic operations. For the purposes of this section, the term "New York state manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic control devices" shall mean the national manual of uniform traffic control devices promulgated by the federal highway administration pursuant to subpart (f) of part 655 of title 23 of the code of federal regulations and the New York state supplement adopted by the commissioner of transportation pursuant to section sixteen hundred eighty of the vehicle and traffic law; and b. state geological trail publications, guidelines for interpretive programs and themes relating to portions of the state geological trail, and an internet website providing directional information on educational institutions that have programs relating to the geological and conservation aspects of the portions of the state geological trail.