N.Y. ENV Law § 49-0103

§ 49-0103. General functions, powers and duties of the department.\n The department shall have the power and it shall be its duty to:\n 1. Develop, after consultation with local governments and interested\npersons, groups and institutions, policies and programs to preserve and\nenhance the natural and man-made beauty of the state, and encourage,\nfacilitate and assist in the coordination of the activities of the\nvarious state agencies in furtherance of such policies and programs.\n 2. Advise, encourage and assist local governments in the development\nand coordination of policies, programs and activities, and in the full\nutilization of powers vested in local governments by the Constitution\nand laws of the state, to preserve and enhance the natural and man-made\nbeauty of the state.\n 3. Conduct and coordinate studies, surveys and inventories of the vast\nnatural and man-made resources contributing to the beauty of the state\nby virtue of their scenic, aesthetic, or cultural values.\n 4. Designate scenic sites, areas, and highways in the state and\ndevelop programs for their preservation and enhancement, including but\nnot limited to programs to discourage littering, defacement, and\nblighting of such scenic sites, areas and highways.\n 5. Promote the application of aesthetic considerations in the\nlocation, design, construction and maintenance of state lands, projects\nand buildings.\n 6. Serve as a clearing house for information relating to the\npreservation and enhancement of natural and man-made beauty.\n