Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick, 66th Assembly District Manhattan, announced today the passage of her legislation A.9511 to prohibit the leasing of state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas, and unique areas for oil and gas exploration and production. The legislation also clarifies that existing leases on these lands cannot be expanded, renewed, or used to drill new wells.

Assemblymember Glick said, “New York’s state forests and wildlife management areas exist to protect wildlife habitat and natural resources for all New Yorkers, not for fossil fuel extraction. This legislation protects these lands from new oil and gas development while ensuring that existing leases cannot expand and must end when they expire. The leases in these areas represent not more than 1% of production in the state, so there is a de minimis loss of production capacity. It also makes clear that important environmental work, such as well plugging can continue.”

The legislation builds on Chapter 671 of the Laws of 2025, which prohibited the Department of Environmental Conservation from issuing new oil and gas leases on these protected public lands. The amendment clarifies how existing leases may be handled while preventing any expansion of fossil fuel production on these areas.

Companion legislation sponsored by Senator Serrano has been passed in the Senate.