Colonie, NY Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)

Colonie's approach to native-plant landscaping is voluntary and education-based rather than mandatory. The Town of Colonie Conservation Advisory Council (CAC), authorized under New York General Municipal Law Article 12-F (§§239-x and 239-y), reviews development and landscape plans of new construction and renovations, conducts site visits, and provides guidance on sustaining or increasing green space, including recommendations on trees to preserve and plant species suited to specific areas (https://www.colonie.org/boards/cac/). The CAC meets the first and third Thursday of each month. The Town of Colonie also hosts an annual Tree and Shrub Giveaway at the Pruyn House (most recently May 9, 2026), supplying native and pollinator-friendly species to residents. At the state level, the NYS DEC Pollinator Protection Program (https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/pesticides/special-initiatives/pollinator-protection) and the New York Pollinator Plan promote native pollinator habitat statewide. New York's Birds and Bees Protection Act, signed by Governor Hochul in December 2023, restricts neonicotinoid pesticide use on certain seeds, ornamental plants, and turf. Within Albany County agricultural districts (Article 25-AA of the NY Agriculture and Markets Law), §305-a protects sound agricultural practices from unreasonable local regulation, supporting native-meadow and pollinator-habitat operations on qualifying parcels. The Town's Property Maintenance article still applies to neglected lots but expressly excludes 'properly tended' plantings from the weed definition.