N.Y. PAR Law § 20.01

§ 20.01 Purpose. With the loss of natural areas through development,\nthere is a critical need for the creation of a new designation of park\nland containing wildlife, flora, scenic, historical and archeological\nsites that are unique and rare in New York state. The commissioner may\ndesignate a system of park preserves to assure the protection of this\nheritage for future generations.\n Furthermore, there is a need to create an additional park designation,\nto be known as park preservation areas, to identify and conserve\nportions of state parks, parkways, historic sites and recreational\nfacilities that, although the entire facility does not qualify as a park\npreserve, nonetheless possess outstanding ecological values, including\nassemblages of flora and fauna that are unique or rare in the state. The\ncommissioner may designate a system of park preservation areas to\nprotect outstanding ecological values within facilities under the\njurisdiction of the office that have not been designated park preserves.\nFor administrative purposes, designated park preservation areas shall be\nconsidered a part of the park preserve system.\n