N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 15-2701

§ 15-2701. Statement of policy and legislative findings.\n 1. The legislature hereby finds that many rivers of the state, with\ntheir immediate environs, possess outstanding natural, scenic, historic,\necological and recreational values.\n 2. Improvident development and use of these rivers and their immediate\nenvirons will deprive present and future generations of the benefit and\nenjoyment of these unique and valuable resources.\n 3. It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state that certain\nselected rivers of the state which, with their immediate environs,\npossess the aforementioned characteristics, shall be preserved in\nfree-flowing condition and that they and their immediate environs shall\nbe protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future\ngenerations.\n 4. The purpose of this act is to implement this policy by instituting\na state wild, scenic and recreational rivers system, by designating the\ninitial components of that system and by prescribing the methods by\nwhich and standards according to which additional components may be\nadded to the system from time to time.\n