N.Y. PAR Law § 15.05

§ 15.05 Standards for acquisition. 1. Lands acquired for state park\npurposes pursuant to this article shall be for additions to existing\nstate parks or for the establishment of new state parks of substantial\nacreage.\n 2. Lands acquired for state or municipal parks pursuant to this\narticle shall consist of predominately open or natural lands, including\nlands under water or forested lands, in or near urban or suburban areas,\nor suitable to serve the recreation needs of the expanding populations\nof growing metropolitan regions, or desirable to preserve the scenery or\nnatural resources thereof.\n 3. Lands acquired by a municipality shall be:\n (a) for establishing new parks of not less than fifty acres each in\narea, or\n (b) for expanding existing parks to not less than fifty acres each by\nthe addition of not less than twenty-five acres to such a park, except\nthat upon certification by the governing body of a city or a village\nthat insufficient areas of eligible land exist within said city or\nvillage to permit the establishment or expansion of parks in accordance\nwith such minimum standards, the commissioner may make specific\nexceptions to these minimum standards of area, provided that no new park\nthus established, or existing park thus expanded shall contain less than\ntwenty-five acres, or\n (c) for establishing or expanding existing neighborhood parks\nconvenient to densely-populated areas pursuant to such rules and\nregulations as the state commissioner of housing and community renewal,\nwith the approval of the commissioner, shall prescribe.\n 4. Lands acquired for other than state or municipal park purposes\nshall consist of lands desirable for outdoor recreation, including\npublic camping, fishing, hunting, boating, winter sports, and wherever\npossible, to also serve multiple purposes involving the conservation and\ndevelopment of natural resources, including the preservation of scenic\nareas, watershed protection, forestry and reforestation.\n