NY S09295

Department of Environmental Conservation must take feasible actions within one year to conserve monarch butterflies and their habitats, including habitat restoration, education programs, and voluntary agreements with private landowners.

Actions shall consider restoring native milkweed and nectar plants, controlling nonnative weeds and pests using integrated pest management, avoiding harmful pesticides, and creating winter habitat sites matching monarch preferences.

Establishes the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program funded through the state conservation fund and habitat conservation and access account to provide grants to private landowners, nonprofits, resource conservation districts, and public agencies for habitat restoration and enhancement projects.

Grant applicants must demonstrate clear potential to contribute to monarch conservation and assure that projects will not use glyphosate or neonicotinoid pesticides.

Commissioner must develop project selection guidelines within six months and submit annual reports by December 31st to legislative committees on environmental conservation detailing program progress, monarch status, funded projects, and anticipated regulatory changes.