Establishment of state geological trail

§ 49-0503. Establishment of state geological trail.

1. The commissioner, in cooperation with the commissioners of transportation and economic development, shall establish a state geological trail to include the areas, territories and sites designated by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision two of section 49-0501 of this title. The purpose of such trail shall be to identify and promote such areas, territories and sites to the public, and promote the economic, scientific, cultural and conservation aspects thereof.

2. To the greatest extent practicable, the state geological trail shall include areas and sites across the state going east and west, and north and south throughout the entire state. Consideration shall be given to having the designated portions of the state geological trail intersect at the city of Albany, in recognition of its importance in the geology of the state. In designating the state geological trail consideration shall also be given to scientific and/or scenic importance relating to geological, and related cultural, ecological and archeological features.

3. In developing and approving such trail, the commissioner shall ensure that proposed trail routes do not conflict with existing scenic byways designated pursuant to section three hundred forty-nine-dd of the highway law or wine trails designated pursuant to section three hundred forty-three-k of the highway law, and ensure that the trail route is designed and laid out so that it is relatively simple and easy to follow for users and contains few branches or laterals that dead end.