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 Greenway Acq Burlington Beverly City $1,000,000
Land Trust 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
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 Hopewell Valley Mercer Hopewell Boro 174,915
Valley Open Space Park Acq Hopewell Twp
Pennington Boro
(3) Friends of Princeton Millstone River Mercer Princeton Boro 250,000
Open Space Watershed
(4) Hunterdon Land Trust Hunterdon Open Hunterdon All municipalities 500,000
Space Plan
Priority Areas
(5) New Jersey Priority Area Acq Atlantic Buena Vista Twp 1,000,000
Conservation Egg Harbor City
Foundation Egg Harbor Twp
Estell Manor City
Folsom Boro
Galloway Twp
Hamilton Twp
Hammonton Town
Mullica Twp
Weymouth Twp
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 Mercer Hopewell Boro 250,000
Conservancy Hopewell Twp
Acq Princeton Boro
Somerset Montgomery Twp
(7) Sourland Conservancy True Farmstead Somerset Montgomery Twp 285,000
Acq
(8) Stoutsburg Sourland True Farmstead Somerset Montgomery Twp 285,000
African American Acq
Museum
(9) The Nature Conservancy Priority Area Acq Atlantic Estell Manor City 500,000
Galloway Twp
Hamilton Twp
Mullica Twp
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 Watershed Mercer Hopewell Boro 140,000
Institute Connectors Hopewell Twp
Pennington Boro
Princeton Boro
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 Branch Brook Park Essex Newark City $500,000
Park Alliance Improvements
Camp Dill Foundation Camp Dill Hunterdon Clinton Twp 100,000
Improvements
Deal Lake Deal Lake Wickapecko Monmouth Ocean Twp 41,658
Watershed Alliance Park Phase II
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo Essex West Orange Twp 500,000
Parks Foundation Australian Exhibit
& Playground
Flat Rock Brook Jones Road Streamside Bergen Englewood City 500,000
Nature Association Restoration Project
Phase 2 & 3
NJ Community Westside Park Passaic Paterson City 500,000
Development Corp Improvements
Open Space Institute Westside Park Passaic Paterson City 500,000
Land Trust, Inc. Improvements
Trust for Public Land Multi Park Essex Newark City 500,000
Improvements
Zoological Society of NJ Turtle Back Zoo Essex West Orange Twp 500,000
Australian Exhibit
& Playground
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 Mountain Lakes Mercer Princeton Boro $124,500
Open Space Preserve Riparian
Restoration
Tenafly Nature Pfister's Pond Bergen Tenafly Boro 121,000
Center Association Restoration Project
The Watershed Institute Wargo Pond Mercer Hopewell Twp 475,000
Restoration
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.
Approved June 30, 2023.