New Jersey-2022-A5654-Introduced

An Act appropriating $9,184,427 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to provide grants to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and for certain administrative expenses.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. For the purposes of this section:

"Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" means the fund established pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-19).

"Green Acres bond act" means P.L.2009, c.117, P.L.2007, c.119, P.L.1995, c.204, P.L.1992, c.88, P.L.1989, c.183, P.L.1987, c.265, and P.L.1983, c.354.

"Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund" means the fund established pursuant to section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48).

"Stewardship activity" means the same as the term is defined in section 3 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-45).

b. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $8,747,073 from the dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution in the "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund," established pursuant to section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48), for the purpose of providing grants to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to subsection c. of this section, to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to subsection d. of this section, and to undertake stewardship activities pursuant to subsection e. of this section.

c. The following projects for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of this section:

Nonprofit Organization	Project	County	Municipality	Approved Amount
(1) D & R Greenway Land Trust	Greenway Acq	Burlington	Beverly City Bordentown City Bordentown Twp Burlington City Burlington Twp Chesterfield Twp Cinnaminson Twp Delanco Twp Delran Twp Edgewater Park Twp Fieldsboro Boro Florence Twp Hainesport Twp Mansfield Twp Maple Shade Twp Moorestown Twp Mount Holly Twp Mount Laurel Twp Palmyra Boro Riverside Twp Riverton Boro Springfield Twp Westampton Twp Willingboro Twp	$1,000,000

		Camden	Audubon Boro Audubon Park Boro Brooklawn Boro Camden City Cherry Hill Twp Collingswood Boro Gloucester City Haddon Heights Boro Haddon Twp Haddonfield Boro Merchantville Boro Mount Ephraim Boro Oaklyn Boro Pennsauken Twp Woodlynne Boro
		Cumberland	Deerfield Twp Fairfield Twp Greenwich Twp Hopewell Twp Stow Creek Twp Upper Deerfield Twp
		Gloucester	National Park Boro West Deptford Twp Westville Boro
		Hunterdon	All municipalities
		Mercer	All municipalities
		Middlesex	All municipalities
		Monmouth	All municipalities
		Morris	All municipalities
		Salem	Elsinboro Twp Lower Alloways Creek Twp Mannington Twp Pennsville Twp
		Somerset	All municipalities
(2) Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space	Hopewell Valley Park Acq	Mercer	Hopewell Boro Hopewell Twp Pennington Boro	174,915
(3) Friends of Princeton Open Space	Millstone River Watershed	Mercer	Princeton Boro	250,000
(4) Hunterdon Land Trust	Hunterdon Open Space Plan Priority Areas	Hunterdon	All municipalities	500,000
(5) New Jersey Conservation Foundation	Priority Area Acq	Atlantic	Buena Vista Twp Egg Harbor City Egg Harbor Twp Estell Manor City Folsom Boro Galloway Twp Hamilton Twp Hammonton Town Mullica Twp Weymouth Twp	1,000,000
		Burlington	Bass River Twp Beverly City Bordentown City Bordentown Twp Burlington City Burlington Twp Chesterfield Twp Cinnaminson Twp Delanco Twp Delran Twp Evesham Twp Fieldsboro Boro Florence Twp Mansfield Twp Medford Twp New Hanover Twp North Hanover Twp Pemberton Twp Shamong Twp Southampton Twp Springfield Twp Tabernacle Twp Washington Twp
		Camden	Camden City Merchantville Boro Pennsauken Twp
		Cape May	Lower Twp Middle Twp
		Cumberland	Fairfield Twp Greenwich Twp Hopewell Twp Maurice River Twp Millville City Stow Creek Twp Upper Deerfield Twp Vineland City
		Gloucester	Franklin Twp Logan Twp South Harrison Twp Woolwich Twp
		Hunterdon	All municipalities
		Mercer	East Windsor Twp Ewing Twp Hamilton Twp Hightstown Boro Hopewell Twp Lawrence Twp Trenton City Princeton Boro Robbinsville Twp West Windsor Twp
		Middlesex	Cranberry Twp Edison Twp
		Monmouth	Allentown Boro Millstone Twp Upper Freehold Twp
		Morris	All municipalities
		Ocean	Lacey Twp Ocean Twp Plumsted Twp
		Passaic	West Milford Twp
		Salem	Alloway Twp Carneys Point Twp Elmer Boro Elsinboro Twp Lower Alloways Creek Twp Mannington Twp Oldmans Twp Pennsville Twp Pilesgrove Twp Pittsgove Twp Quinton Twp Upper Pittsgrove Twp Woodstown Boro
		Somerset	Bedminster Twp Bernards Twp Bernardsville Boro Branchburg Twp Bridgewater Twp Far Hills Boro Hillsborough Twp Montgomery Twp Peapack-Gladstone Boro Raritan Boro
		Sussex	Andover Twp Byram Twp Frankford Twp Green Twp Hampton Twp Hopatcong Boro Sparta Twp Vernon Twp Wantage Twp
		Union	Elizabeth City Linden City Springfield Twp Union Twp
		Warren	Blairstown Twp Franklin Twp Frelinghuysen Twp Greenwich Twp Hardwick Twp Harmony Twp Lopatcong Twp Mansfield Twp Pohatcong Twp Washington Twp White Twp
(6) Ridgeview Conservancy	Ridgeview Conservancy Acq	Mercer	Hopewell Boro Hopewell Twp Princeton Boro	250,000
		Somerset	Montgomery Twp
(7) Sourland Conservancy	True Farmstead Acq	Somerset	Montgomery Twp	285,000

(8) Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum	True Farmstead Acq	Somerset	Montgomery Twp	285,000
(9) The Nature Conservancy	Priority Area Acq	Atlantic	Estell Manor City Galloway Twp Hamilton Twp Mullica Twp	500,000
		Burlington	Bass River Twp Pemberton Boro Pemberton Twp Washington Twp Woodland Twp
		Cape May	Cape May City Cape May Point Boro Dennis Twp Lower Twp Middle Twp West Cape May Boro
		Cumberland	Commercial Twp Downe Twp Fairfield Twp Lawrence Twp Maurice River Twp Millville City Vineland City
		Gloucester	Franklin Twp
		Ocean	Barnegat Twp Eagleswood Twp Lacey Twp Little Egg Harbor Twp Ocean Twp Stafford Twp
		Passaic	North Haledon Boro Wayne Twp
		Salem	Pittsgrove Twp
		Sussex	Andover Boro Andover Twp Frankford Twp Fredon Twp Green Twp Hampton Twp Hardyston Twp Lafayette Twp Montague Twp Newton Town Sandyston Twp Stillwater Twp Walpack Twp Wantage Twp
		Warren	Allamuchy Twp Blairstown Twp Frelinghuysen Twp Hardwick Twp Hope Twp Knowlton Twp
(10) The Watershed Institute	Watershed Connectors	Mercer	Hopewell Boro Hopewell Twp Pennington Boro Princeton Boro	140,000
TOTAL				$4,384,915

d. The following projects for the development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of this section:

Nonprofit Organization	Project	County	Municipality	Approved Amount
Branch Brook Park Alliance	Branch Brook Park Improvements	Essex	Newark City	$500,000
Camp Dill Foundation	Camp Dill Improvements	Hunterdon	Clinton Twp	100,000
Deal Lake Watershed Alliance	Deal Lake Wickapecko Park Phase II	Monmouth	Ocean Twp	41,658
Essex County Parks Foundation	Turtle Back Zoo Australian Exhibit & Playground	Essex	West Orange Twp	500,000
Flat Rock Brook Nature Association	Jones Road Streamside Restoration Project Phase 2 & 3	Bergen	Englewood City	500,000
NJ Community Development Corp	Westside Park Improvements	Passaic	Paterson City	500,000
Open Space Institute Land Trust, Inc.	Westside Park Improvements	Passaic	Paterson City	500,000
Trust for Public Land	Multi Park Improvements	Essex	Newark City	500,000
Zoological Society of NJ	Turtle Back Zoo Australian Exhibit & Playground	Essex	West Orange Twp	500,000

TOTAL				$3,641,658

e. The following stewardship activity projects are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of this section:

Nonprofit Organization	Project	County	Municipality	Approved Amount
Friends of Princeton Open Space	Mountain Lakes Preserve Riparian Restoration	Mercer	Princeton Boro	$124,500
Tenafly Nature Center Association	Pfister's Pond Restoration Project	Bergen	Tenafly Boro	121,000
The Watershed Institute	Wargo Pond Restoration	Mercer	Hopewell Twp	475,000
TOTAL				$720,500

f. Any transfer of any funds, or change in project sponsor, site, or type, listed in subsection c., d., or e. of this section shall require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.

g. To the extent that moneys remain available after the projects listed in subsection c., d., or e. of this section are offered funding pursuant thereto, any project of a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for recreation and conservation purposes shall be eligible to receive additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.

h. There is reappropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the unexpended balances, due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings, of the amounts appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for the purposes of: (1) this section; and (2) providing additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, to any project of a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for recreation and conservation purposes, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor. Any such additional funding provided from a Green Acres bond act may include administrative costs.

2. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $437,354 from dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution in the "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund," established pursuant to section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48), for paying administrative costs associated with administering the applicable provisions of P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.).

3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund," established pursuant to section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48), the sum of $9,184,427 to implement the provisions of this act.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

The bill appropriates $9,184,427 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), of which $8,747,073 is to provide grants to various nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and $437,354 is to be used by the DEP for associated administrative costs.

The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution. The "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund" was established by section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." The act provides that a certain amount of the portion of dedicated CBT revenues allocated each year for the Green Acres program is to be used for: the acquisition of lands for open space, including Blue Acres projects, and development projects on State lands administered by the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry; grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects; and grants to nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.

This bill appropriates funds to be used to provide grants to nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes. Further, of the funding allocated for acquisition and development projects by nonprofit entities, a certain percentage is to be used to fund stewardship activities undertaken by nonprofit entities. A "stewardship activity" is defined in the "Preserve New Jersey Act" as an activity, which is beyond routine operations and maintenance, undertaken to repair or restore lands acquired or developed for recreation and conservation purposes for the purpose of enhancing or protecting those lands for recreation and conservation purposes.

Of the amount appropriated by the bill to provide grants to various nonprofit entities: $4,384,915 is allocated for 10 acquisition projects; $3,641,658 is allocated for nine park development projects; and $720,500 is allocated for three stewardship activity projects. In addition, the bill appropriates $437,354 to the DEP for the purposes of paying administrative costs associated with administering the applicable provisions of the "Preserve New Jersey Act."

The projects listed in the bill have been approved by the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust.

The bill also would allow the DEP to re-distribute certain other moneys, which have been returned to the department due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings, for the purpose of providing additional funding, for recreation and conservation purposes, to previously approved and funded projects of nonprofit entities, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. This additional funding, if provided from a Green Acres bond act, may include administrative costs.