Bill Text: NJ S4424 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Appropriates $15,546,575 to DEP from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and for certain administrative expenses.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-08 - Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading [S4424 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4424-Introduced.html

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SENATE, No. 4424

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 4, 2026

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  BOB SMITH

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Senator  LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Appropriates $15,546,575 to DEP from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and for certain administrative expenses.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act appropriating $15,546,575 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.  (1) There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection, 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:

     (1) the sum of $8,200,000 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)

     (2) $6,915,075 from the "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund," the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund," and any Green Acres fund established pursuant to a Green Acres bond act, made available due to project cancellations and withdrawals.

     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 Acquisitions	Burlington	All municipalities	$534,948
		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) Lamington Conservancy	Central Lamington Project	Hunterdon	Readington Twp, Tewksbury Twp	$240,000
		Morris	Chester Twp, Washington Twp
		Somerset	Bedminster Twp, Peapack-Gladstone Boro
(3) New Jersey Conservation Foundation	Priority Area Acquisitions	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	$5,163,000
		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 Woodland 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
		Essex	West Orange Twp
		Gloucester	Franklin Twp Logan Twp South Harrison Twp Woolwich Twp
		Hudson	Jersey City
		Hunterdon	All municipalities
		Mercer	East Windsor Twp Ewing Twp Hamilton Twp Hightstown Boro Hopewell Twp Lawrence Twp Princeton Boro Robbinsville Twp Trenton City West Windsor Twp
		Middlesex	Cranbury 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 Pittsgrove 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	Allamuchy Twp Blairstown Twp Franklin Twp Frelinghuysen Twp Greenwich Twp Hardwick Twp Harmony Twp Hope Twp Independence Twp Knowlton Twp Liberty Twp Lopatcong Twp Mansfield Twp Oxford Twp Pohatcong Twp Washington Twp White Twp
(4) Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust	Old Pine Farm Greenway	Gloucester	Deptford Twp Gloucester Twp	$65,000
(5) Ridge and Valley Conservancy	Open Space Conservation Plan	Sussex	Andover Boro Andover Twp Frankford Twp Fredon Twp Green Twp Hampton Twp Hardyston Twp Lafayette Twp Sandyston Twp Sparta Twp Stillwater Twp Wantage Twp	$66,000
		Warren	Allamuchy Twp Blairstown Twp Frelinghuysen Twp Hardwick Twp Hope Twp Knowlton Twp Mansfield Twp White Twp
(6) South Jersey Land and Water Trust	South Jersey Watersheds	Atlantic	All municipalities	$519,000
		Camden	All municipalities
		Cape May	All municipalities
		Cumberland	All municipalities
		Gloucester	All municipalities
		Salem	All municipalities
(7) Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum	Smith Grover House Acquisition	Somerset	Montgomery Twp	$182,125
(8) The Land Conservancy of New Jersey	Priority Areas Acq.	Bergen	All municipalities	$2,827,000
		Essex	All municipalities
		Middlesex	All municipalities
		Morris	All municipalities
		Ocean	All municipalities
		Passaic	All municipalities
		Somerset	All municipalities
		Sussex	All municipalities
		Union	All municipalities
		Warren	All municipalities
TOTAL				$9,597,073

 

     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	$773,980
Verona Park Conservancy	Verona Park Children's Garden Improvements	Essex	Verona Twp	$355,000
Zoological Society of New Jersey	Turtle Back Zoo African Adventure Exhibit Improvements	Essex	West Orange Twp	$2,440,862
Camp Dill Foundation	Camp Dill Improvements	Hunterdon	Clinton Twp	$19,000
Friends of Hopewell Quarry	Hopewell Quarry Development	Mercer	Hopewell Boro	$212,410
Hamilton Area YMCA	Sawmill Rehabilitation Project	Mercer	Hamilton Twp	$140,000
Friends of Dey Mansion	Dey Mansion Site Improvements	Passaic	Wayne Twp	$475,000
Friends of Passaic County Parks	Goffle Brook Park Improvements	Passaic	Hawthorne Boro	$814,250
TOTAL				$5,230,502

 

     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 Passaic County Parks	Highlands Farm Restoration	Passaic	Bloomingdale Boro	$287,500
TOTAL				$287,500

 

     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 $431,500 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 $8,631,500 to implement the provisions of this act.

 

     4.  This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     The bill appropriates $15,546,575 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), of which $15,115,075 is to provide grants to various nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes and $431,500 is to be used by the DEP for associated administrative costs. 

     Of the amount appropriated by the bill to provide grants to various nonprofit entities:  $9,597,073 is allocated for eight acquisition projects; $5,230,502 is allocated for eight park development projects; and $287,500 is allocated for one stewardship activity project.

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

     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.