S3362

An Act appropriating $53,249,310 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues for the acquisition of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and certain administrative expenses.

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

1. a. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $40,600,760 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 the acquisition of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes in accordance with the provisions of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.). Of the amount appropriated pursuant to this subsection, the sum of $207,000 is available due to interest earnings on the dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution.

b. The funds appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be allocated for the acquisition of lands within the locations of the projects set forth in paragraphs (1) through (10) of this subsection:

Project County Municipality

(1) CAPE MAY PENINSULA

Cape May Cape May City

Cape May Point Boro

Dennis Twp

Lower Twp

Middle Twp

Ocean City

Sea Isle City

Upper Twp

West Cape May Boro

Woodbine Boro

(2) CROSSROADS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Bergen Bogota Boro

Carlstadt Boro

East Rutherford Boro

Fort Lee Boro

Garfield City

Hackensack City

Hasbrouck Heights Boro

Leonia Boro

Little Ferry Boro

Lodi Boro

Lyndhurst Twp

Maywood Boro

Moonachie Boro

New Milford Boro

North Arlington Boro

Palisades Park Boro

Ridgefield Park Village

River Edge Boro

Rochelle Park Twp

Rutherford Boro

South Hackensack Twp

Teterboro Boro

Wallington Boro

Wood-Ridge Boro

Burlington Beverly City

Bordentown City

Bordentown Twp

Burlington City

Burlington 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

Essex Belleville Twp

Irvington Twp

Livingston Twp

Maplewood Twp

Millburn Twp

Newark City

Nutley Twp

Gloucester National Park Boro

West Deptford Twp

Westville Boro

Hunterdon Delaware Twp

East Amwell Twp

Flemington Boro

Franklin Twp

Frenchtown Boro

Kingwood Twp

Lambertville City

Raritan Twp

Readington Twp

Stockton Boro

West Amwell Twp

Mercer All municipalities

Middlesex All municipalities

Monmouth Aberdeen Twp

Allentown Boro

Colts Neck Twp

Englishtown Boro

Freehold Boro

Freehold Twp

Holmdel Twp

Manalapan Twp

Marlboro Twp

Matawan Boro

Millstone Twp

Roosevelt Boro

Upper Freehold Twp

Wall Twp

Morris Boonton Town

Boonton Twp

Butler Boro

Chatham Boro

Chatham Twp

Chester Boro

Denville Twp

Dover Town

East Hanover Twp

Florham Park Boro

Hanover Twp

Harding Twp

Kinnelon Boro

Lincoln Park Boro

Long Hill Twp

Madison Boro

Mendham Boro

Mendham Twp

Mine Hill Twp

Montville Twp

Morris Plains Boro

Morris Twp

Morristown Town

Mountain Lakes Boro

Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp

Pequannock Twp

Randolph Twp

Riverdale Boro

Rockaway Boro

Rockaway Twp

Victory Gardens Boro

Wharton Boro

Passaic Clifton City

Passaic City

Somerset All municipalities

Union All municipalities

(3) DELAWARE AND RARITAN CANAL GREENWAY

Hunterdon Delaware Twp

Kingwood Twp

Lambertville City

Stockton Boro

West Amwell Twp

Mercer Ewing Twp

Hamilton Twp

Hopewell Twp

Lawrence Twp

Princeton Boro

Trenton City

Middlesex New Brunswick City

Plainsboro Twp

South Brunswick Twp

Somerset Franklin Twp

(4) DELAWARE BAY WATERSHED GREENWAY

Atlantic Buena Boro

Buena Vista Twp

Cape May Dennis Twp

Lower Twp

Middle Twp

Upper Twp

Cumberland All municipalities

Gloucester Clayton Boro

Elk Twp

Franklin Twp

Glassboro Boro

Monroe Twp

Newfield Boro

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

(5) DELAWARE RIVER WATERSHED GREENWAY

Burlington Bordentown City

Bordentown Twp

Chesterfield Twp

Cinnaminson Twp

Delanco Twp

Delran Twp

Eastampton Twp

Hainesport Twp

Lumberton Twp

Mansfield Twp

Medford Twp

Moorestown Twp

Mount Holly Twp

Mount Laurel Twp

North Hanover Twp

Pemberton Twp

Riverside Twp

Southampton Twp

Springfield Twp

Westhampton Twp

Willingboro Twp

Camden Berlin Twp

Camden City

Clementon Boro

Gibbsboro Boro

Gloucester Twp

Haddon Twp

Lindenwold Boro

Pine Hill Boro

Voorhees Twp

Gloucester Deptford Twp

East Greenwich Twp

Elk Twp

Greenwich Twp

Harrison Twp

Logan Twp

National Park Boro

South Harrison Twp

Westville Boro

Woolwich Twp

West Deptford Twp

Hunterdon Alexandria Twp

Delaware Twp

Frenchtown Boro

Kingwood Twp

Lambertville City

Stockton Boro

West Amwell Twp

Mercer Ewing Twp

Hamilton Twp

Hopewell Twp

Robbinsville Twp

Trenton City

Monmouth Allentown Boro

Millstone Twp

Upper Freehold Twp

Ocean Jackson Twp

Plumsted Twp

Salem Oldmans Twp

Pilesgrove Twp

Upper Pittsgrove Twp

(6) HIGHLANDS GREENWAY

Bergen Mahwah Twp

Oakland Boro

Hunterdon Alexandria Twp

Bethlehem Twp

Bloomsbury Boro

Califon Boro

Clinton Town

Clinton Twp

Glen Gardner Boro

Hampton Boro

High Bridge Boro

Holland Twp

Lebanon Boro

Lebanon Twp

Milford Boro

Tewksbury Twp

Union Twp

Morris Boonton Town

Boonton Twp

Butler Boro

Chester Boro

Chester Twp

Denville Twp

Dover Town

Hanover Twp

Harding Twp

Jefferson Twp

Kinnelon Boro

Mendham Boro

Mendham Twp

Mine Hill Twp

Montville Twp

Morris Plains Boro

Morris Twp

Morristown Town

Mount Arlington Boro

Mount Olive Twp

Mountain Lakes Boro

Netcong Boro

Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp

Pequannock Twp

Randolph Twp

Riverdale Boro

Rockaway Boro

Rockaway Twp

Roxbury Twp

Victory Gardens Boro

Washington Twp

Wharton Boro

Passaic Bloomingdale Boro

Pompton Lakes Boro

Ringwood Boro

Wanaque Boro

West Milford Twp

Somerset Bedminster Twp

Bernards Twp

Bernardsville Boro

Far Hills Boro

Peapack-Gladstone Boro

Sussex Byram Twp

Franklin Boro

Green Twp

Hamburg Boro

Hardyston Twp

Hopatcong Boro

Ogdensburg Boro

Sparta Twp

Stanhope Boro

Vernon Twp

Warren Allamuchy Twp

Alpha Boro

Belvidere Town

Franklin Twp

Frelinghuysen Twp

Greenwich Twp

Hackettstown Town

Harmony Twp

Hope Twp

Independence Twp

Liberty Twp

Lopatcong Twp

Mansfield Twp

Oxford Twp

Phillipsburg Town

Pohatcong Twp

Washington Boro

Washington Twp

White Twp

(7) HISTORIC RESOURCES

Allaire State Park

Monmouth Howell Twp

Wall Twp

Fort Mott Officers Quarters

Salem Pennsville Twp

Griggstown Muletenders Barracks

Somerset Franklin Twp

Historic Sites

Burlington Medford Twp

Monmouth Red Bank Boro

Monmouth Battlefield

Monmouth Freehold Twp

Manalapan Twp

New Bridge Landing

Bergen New Milford Boro

River Edge Boro

Princeton Battlefield

Mercer Princeton Boro

Proprietary House

Middlesex Perth Amboy City

Register Eligible Sites

Somerset Green Brook Twp

Watchung Boro

Rockingham Farmstead

Somerset Franklin Twp

Twin Lights

Monmouth Highlands Boro

Washington Crossing State Park

Mercer Ewing Twp

Hopewell Twp

Waterloo Village

Sussex Byram Twp

Stanhope Boro

(8) PINELANDS

Atlantic Brigantine City

Buena Boro

Buena Vista Twp

Corbin City

Egg Harbor City

Egg Harbor Twp

Estell Manor City

Folsom Boro

Galloway Twp

Hamilton Twp

Hammonton Town

Mullica Twp

Port Republic City

Weymouth Twp

Burlington Bass River Twp

Evesham Twp

Medford Lakes Boro

Medford Twp

New Hanover Twp

North Hanover Twp

Pemberton Twp

Shamong Twp

Southampton Twp

Springfield Twp

Tabernacle Twp

Washington Twp

Woodland Twp

Wrightstown Boro

Camden Berlin Boro

Berlin Twp

Chesilhurst Boro

Waterford Twp

Winslow Twp

Cape May Dennis Twp

Middle Twp

Upper Twp

Woodbine Boro

Cumberland Maurice River Twp

Vineland City

Gloucester Franklin Twp

Monroe Twp

Ocean Barnegat Twp

Beachwood Boro

Berkeley Twp

Eagleswood Twp

Jackson Twp

Lacey Twp

Lakehurst Boro

Little Egg Harbor Twp

Manchester Twp

Ocean Twp

Plumsted Twp

South Toms River Boro

Stafford Twp

Toms River Twp

Tuckerton Boro

(9) RIDGE AND VALLEY GREENWAY

Sussex Andover Boro

Andover Twp

Branchville Boro

Frankford Twp

Fredon Twp

Green Twp

Hampton Twp

Lafayette Twp

Montague Twp

Newton Town

Sandyston Twp

Stillwater Twp

Sussex Boro

Walpack Twp

Wantage Twp

Warren Blairstown Twp

Frelinghuysen Twp

Hackettstown Town

Hardwick Twp

Hope Twp

Knowlton Twp

Liberty Twp

(10) URBAN PARKS

Bergen Edgewater Boro

Camden Camden City

Essex Belleville Twp

Bloomfield Twp

Caldwell Boro

Cedar Grove Twp

East Orange City

Glen Ridge Boro

Irvington Twp

Maplewood Twp

Montclair Twp

Newark City

Nutley Twp

Orange City Twp

South Orange Village Twp

West Orange Twp

Hudson All municipalities

Mercer Trenton City

Middlesex Edison Twp

Monmouth Long Branch City

Passaic Paterson City

Totowa Boro

Union Elizabeth City

Fanwood Boro

Garwood Boro

Hillside Twp

Linden City

Plainfield City

Rahway City

Roselle Boro

Roselle Park Boro

Union Twp

Winfield Twp

TOTAL $40,600,760

c. The expenditure of funds appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section for any project listed in subsection b. of this section shall not require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.

d. To the extent that moneys remain available after the projects listed in subsection b. of this section are offered funding pursuant thereto, any State project that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund, established pursuant to the “Garden State Preservation Trust Act,” P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.), or 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 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.

For the purposes of this subsection, “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, and P.L.1989, c.183.

2. a. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $10 million 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 the acquisition, for recreation and conservation purposes, of lands throughout the State that have been damaged by, or may be prone to incurring damage caused by, storms or storm-related flooding, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage. Of the amount appropriated pursuant to this subsection, the sum of $71,000 is available due to interest earnings on the dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution.

b. The funds appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be allocated as follows:

Project County Municipality Amount

BLUE ACRES $10,000,000

Every county Every municipality

TOTAL $10,000,000

c. The expenditure of moneys appropriated pursuant to this section is subject to the provisions of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.).

3. a. There is reappropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the unexpended balances, due to project cancellations or cost savings, of the amounts appropriated or reappropriated from this act, any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund, established pursuant to the “Garden State Preservation Trust Act,” P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.), or 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 State projects to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for the purpose of providing additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, to any State project that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund, or the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund” for recreation and conservation purposes or that receives funding approved pursuant to section 1 of this act, 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.

b. For the purposes of this section, “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, and P.L.1989, c.183.

4. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $2,648,550 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.).

5. 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 $53,249,310 to implement the provisions of this act.

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill appropriates the sum of $53,249,310 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide funding for the acquisition by the State of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including for Blue Acres projects, pursuant to the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.).

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, approved by the voters of the State in November 2014. The “Preserve New Jersey Act” implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. 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 moneys for State open space acquisition projects, including for Blue Acres projects.

Specifically, this bill appropriates $40,600,760 to the DEP from the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund” to provide funding for the acquisition by the State of lands for recreation and conservation purposes. This appropriation allocates funding for the acquisition by the State of lands, for recreation and conservation purposes, located throughout the State within the ten project categories identified in section 1 of the bill. The bill also appropriates $10 million to the DEP to provide funding for the acquisition by the State, for recreation and conservation purposes, of properties throughout the State that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage, i.e., “Blue Acres” projects. In addition, the bill appropriates $2,648,550 to the DEP for the purposes of paying administrative costs associated with administering the applicable provisions of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.”

The “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund” was established by section 6 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.” P.L.2019, c.136 amended the “Preserve New Jersey Act” to incorporate the purposes of the “Preserve New Jersey Blue Acres Fund” into the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund,” rather than having two separate funds, both providing moneys to the DEP’s Green Acres program for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes. Of the funding allocated for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes by the State, a minimum of 10 percent is to be allocated for Blue Acres projects.

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

Lastly, the bill authorizes the department to re-distribute certain other moneys made available by project cancellations or cost savings to provide additional funding, for recreation and conservation purposes, to previously approved and funded State projects, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. The bill provides that the additional funding, if provided from a Green Acres bond act, may include administrative costs.