Article 14, New York State Constitution: The Catskills

               Section  1. The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as  wild  forest  lands.  They  shall  not  be  leased,  sold  or exchanged,  or  be  taken  by  any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the state from  constructing,  completing  andmaintaining   any   highway   heretofore specifically  authorized  by constitutional amendment- nor from constructing  and  maintaining  not  more  than twenty-five  miles  of  ski  trails  thirty  to two hundred feet wide, together with appurtenances thereto, provided that no  more  than  two miles  of  such  trails  shall be in excess of one hundred twenty feet wide, on the slopes of  Belleayre  Mountain  in  Ulster  and  Delaware counties- nor from relocating, reconstructing and  maintaining a  total  of  not more than fifty miles of existing state highways for the purpose of eliminating the hazards of dangerous curves and grades,provided a total of no more than four hundred acres of forest preserve land shall be used for such  purpose  and  that  no  single  relocated portion   of   any   highway   shall   exceed   one  mile  in  length.

               Sec.  2.  The legislature may by general laws provide for the use of not exceeding three per  centum  of  such  lands  for  the construction  and  maintenance  of reservoirs for municipal water supply, and for the canals of the state.  Such  reservoirs  shall be  constructed, owned and controlled by the state, but such work shall not be undertaken until after the boundaries and high  flow lines  thereof shall have been accurately surveyed and fixed, and after public notice, hearing and determination  that  such  lands are  required  for  such  public  use. The  expense of any such improvements shall be  apportioned  on  the  public  and  private property  and  municipalities  benefited  to  the  extent  of the benefits received.  Any such reservoir shall always  be  operated by  the state and the legislature shall provide for a charge upon the property and municipalities benefited for a reasonable return to  the  state  upon  the value of the rights and property of the state used and the services of the state rendered, which shall be fixed for terms of not exceeding ten years and be readjustable at the end of any term.  Unsanitary conditions shall not be  created or continued by any such public works.

               Sec.  3.   1.   Forest  and wild life conservation are hereby declared to be  policies  of  the  state. For  the  purpose  of carrying out such policies the legislature may appropriate moneys for the  acquisition  by  the  state  of  land,  outside  of  the  Catskill  park  as  now  fixed  by law, for the practice of forest or wild life conservation.   The  prohibitions of  section  1  of  this  article  shall  not  apply to any lands heretofore or hereafter acquired or dedicated for  such  purposes within the forest preserve counties but outside of the Catskill park as now fixed by law, except  that  such  lands shall  not  be  leased,  sold  or  exchanged,  or be taken by any corporation, public or private. 2. As  to  any  other  lands  of  the  state,  now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve referred  to in section one of this article, but outside of the Catskill parksas now fixed by law, and consisting in any case of not  more  than  one  hundred contiguous acres entirely separated from any other portion of the forest  preserve,  the  legislature may by appropriate legislation, notwithstanding the provisions of section one of  this  article,  authorize: (a)  the  dedication thereof  for  the practice of forest or wildlife conservation; or (b) the use  thereof  for  public  recreational  or  other  state purposes  or  the  sale,  exchange  or other disposition thereof; provided, however, that all moneys derived from the sale or other disposition  of  any  of  such lands shall be paid into a special fund of the treasury and be expended only for the acquisition  of additional  lands  for  such  forest  preserve within such Catskill park.

               Sec.  4.   The  policy  of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development  and  improvement  of  its agricultural lands for the production  of  food  and  other  agricultural   products. The legislature,  in implementing this policy, shall include adequate provision for the abatement of air and  water  pollution  and  of excessive  and  unnecessary noise, the protection of agriculturallands,  wetlands  and  shorelines,  and   the   development   and regulation  of  water  resources.   The legislature shall further provide for  the  acquisition  of  lands  and  waters,  including improvements thereon and any interest therein, outside the forest preserve counties, and the dedication of properties  so  acquired or  now  owned, which because of their natural beauty, wilderness character, or geological, ecological or historical  significance, shall  be preserved and administered for the use and enjoyment of the people.  Properties so dedicated shall constitute  the  state nature  and  historical  preserve  and they shall not be taken or otherwise disposed of except by law  enacted  by  two  successive regular sessions of the legislature.

               Sec. 5.  A violation of any of the provisions of this article may be restrained at the suit of the people or, with the  consent of  the  supreme  court  in  appellate division, on notice to the attorney-general at the suit of any citizen.