[Amended 9-8-1976 by L.L. No. 18-1976]
The policy of Suffolk County shall be to conserve and protect
its natural resources, including its wetlands and shorelines, and
the quality of its environmental and natural scenic beauty and to
encourage the conservation of its agricultural lands. In implementing
this policy, the County Legislature shall make adequate provision
for the abatement of air, water and soil pollution and of excessive
and unnecessary noise, the protection of wetlands and shorelines,
the conservation and regulation of water resources and the acquisition
of development rights in agricultural lands. The County Legislature
shall also make suitable provision for the acquisition of land and
waters for the County nature preserve or historic trust. To the fullest
extent feasible, the projects and activities of the agencies of County
government shall be carried out and administered in accordance with
the policies set forth in this article.
The Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality is hereby
established. Members of the Council on Environmental Quality shall
not be compensated for their services, but shall be reimbursed for
their necessary and proper expenses incurred in the performance of
their functions.
[Amended 9-12-1972 by L.L. No. 14-1972; 12-18-1990 by L.L. No.
6-1991]
A. The Council on Environmental Quality shall consist of 11 voting members,
one of whom shall be the Chairman of the Environment, Planning and
Agriculture Committee of the County Legislature, or any successor
committee thereto, or his designee, and 10 of whom shall be appointed
by the County Legislature for terms of five years.
[Amended 2-7-2006 by L.L. No. 11-2006; 4-4-2006 by L.L. No.
23-2006; 4-13-2010 by L.L. No. 10-2010]
B. Of the four members first appointed to the Council on Environmental
Quality, one shall be appointed for a term of two years, one for a
term of three years, one for a term of four years and one for a term
of five years; and of the four appointive members, upon the increase
of voting membership to nine, one shall be appointed for a term expiring
March 23, 1974, one for a term expiring March 23, 1975, one for a
term expiring March 23, 1976, and one for a term expiring March 23,
1977. The term of the Chairman of the Environment, Planning and Agriculture
Committee or any successor committee thereto, as a member of the Council
shall be coextensive with the person's term as Chairman of said Committee.
[Amended 4-4-2006 by L.L. No. 23-2006]
C. No person shall be appointed or reappointed to a position under Subsection
A of this section unless and until such person shall first appear at least once before the pertinent legislative committee of the County Legislature having primary jurisdiction over such resolution naming such person for approval to such appointment or reappointment and before such other legislative committees of the County Legislature as shall request an appearance by such person.
D. No person shall be reappointed to a position under Subsection
A of this section unless such person shall have attended at least 75% of the regular and/or special meetings held by said Council. Absences from such meetings caused by death in the immediate family of the members (i.e., spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, in-laws and/or grandparents), caused by a verifiable illness or caused by a verifiable accident shall not be counted for the purpose of this calculation of attendance.
E. No person shall be appointed or reappointed to a position under Subsection
A of this section unless such person shall demonstrate relevant previous personal commitment to health, planning or environmental matters or prior experience or expertise in municipal planning, environmental review, SEQRA compliance or private sector planning work necessary to adhere to SEQRA requirements and/or environmental laws.
F. In addition to the criteria outlined in Subsection
E above, at least one member of the Council shall demonstrate a commitment to environmental preservation and protection through his or her experience and affiliation with a recognized not-for-profit environmental advocacy group for a period of at least five years.
[Added 2-7-2006 by L.L. No. 11-2006]
G. In addition to the criteria outlined in Subsection
E above, at least one member of the Council shall demonstrate a consistent, ongoing commitment to the preservation of historic buildings for a period of at least five consecutive years.
[Added 2-7-2006 by L.L. No. 11-2006]
The County Executive shall have responsibility in accordance with the provisions of Article
III of this Charter for coordinating the efforts of all County agencies to perform their functions in accordance with the policies declared in this article.
The County Executive shall submit to the County Legislature,
at the same time as he submits his proposed capital program, an annual
report on the environmental quality of Suffolk County and shall indicate,
when appropriate, the methods by which the proposed capital program
implements the recommendations made in the report on environmental
quality.
[Added 9-8-1976 by L.L. No. 18-1976]
A. By resolution adopted under Article
II of this Charter, the County may dedicate properties it owns to the conservation of agricultural lands. All development rights in agricultural lands acquired by the County shall be deemed so dedicated upon acquisition.
B. Unless authorized by local law, approved upon mandatory referendum,
County-owned property dedicated to the conservation of agricultural
lands may be alienated only if the development rights therein are
retained by the County. Prior to adopting the local law, upon 45 days'
notice, the Suffolk County Farmland Committee shall submit, for advisory
purposes, its recommendations thereon to the Legislature.
[Amended 9-15-2011 by L.L. No. 47-2011]
[Added 9-9-2014 by L.L. No. 33-2014]
Local Law No. 24-2007, a charter law extending and accelerating
the Suffolk County 1/4% Drinking Water Protection Program for environmental
protection known as the "Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection
Program," was adopted by the County and approved by the electors of
Suffolk County. Local Law No. 24-2007, as amended, or any successor
law thereto, may only be amended, modified, altered or repealed by
enactment of a charter law subject to a mandatory referendum.
In the performance of its functions, the Council on Environmental
Quality shall from time to time confer with agencies of local government
concerned with environmental matters, including town and village conservation
advisory councils and town and village planning boards, and, whenever
feasible, shall consult with such agencies in an area in which any
contemplated County project or activity likely to have a significant
environmental impact may be undertaken.
[Amended 9-8-1976 by L.L. No. 18-1976; 9-9-2014 by L.L. No.
33-2014]
A violation of any of the provisions of §§
C1-7,
C1-8,
C1-9 and
C1-10 may be restrained at the suit of any taxpayer or, with the consent of any court having jurisdiction thereof, at the suit of any citizen.
[Added 12-23-1986 by L.L. No. 5-1987]
A. By resolution adopted under Article
II of this Charter, the County may dedicate properties it owns to the County bird sanctuary, which sanctuary is hereby created to consist of those lands so dedicated in implementation of this section.
B. Only properties found and determined by the County Director of Resource
Management to possess qualities conducive to the attraction and retention
of bird populations of ornithological significance may be dedicated
to the County bird sanctuary.
C. The County Director of Resource Management shall review and evaluate
all County properties and all properties proposed for County acquisition
as parkland, open space, nature preserve or historic trust purposes
and determine whether such properties should be recommended for dedication
to the County bird sanctuary. The Director shall also prepare, no
later than 180 days from the effective date of this section, a written
bird sanctuary management plan for the regulation, monitoring and
management of properties dedicated to the County bird sanctuary. This
management plan and any modifications or amendments thereto shall
be subject to the approval of the County Legislature.
D. Any resolution dedicating County-owned property to the County bird
sanctuary shall provide that all or a specified portion of the property
being dedicated shall be used only for the purpose or purposes specified
in the resolution.
E. Unless authorized by charter law approved by mandatory referendum,
property owned by the County and dedicated under this section to the
County bird sanctuary shall not be taken nor otherwise disposed of;
nor shall it be used for any purpose not specified in the resolution
by which the property was dedicated to the County bird sanctuary;
nor shall it be used in any manner which is inconsistent with the
provisions of the bird sanctuary management plan.
F. The Suffolk County Bird sanctuary management plan, a copy of which
is attached hereto as Exhibit A, is hereby approved and adopted as the official Suffolk
County bird sanctuary management plan for the purpose of defining
and identifying the purpose of bird sanctuaries, establishing criteria
for their designation and outlining general management and use guidelines.
[Added 6-21-1994 by L.L. No. 12-1994]