ARTICLE XV

Canals

Section 1. The legislature shall not sell, abandon or otherwise
dispose of the now existing or future improved barge canal, the
divisions of which are the Erie canal, the Oswego canal, the Champlain
canal, and the Cayuga and Seneca canals, or of the terminals constructed
as part of the barge canal system; nor shall it sell, abandon or
otherwise dispose of any portion of the canal system existing prior to
the barge canal improvement which portion forms a part of, or functions
as a part of, the present barge canal system; but such canals and
terminals shall remain the property of the state and under its
management and control forever. This prohibition shall not prevent the
legislature, by appropriate laws, from authorizing the granting of
revocable permits or leases for periods of time as authorized by the
legislature for the occupancy or use of such lands or structures.