ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5864

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 19, 2025

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5864.

      As amended and reported, the bill appropriates $13,640,000 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), of which $11,959,000 is to provide grants to various nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, $1,000,000 is to establish a new planning grant program, and $681,000 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:  $8,346,000 is allocated for eight acquisition projects; $2,133,000 is allocated for two park development projects; and $1,480,000 is allocated for four stewardship activity projects.  In addition, the bill would appropriate $1,000,000 to the DEP in order to establish a new a Planning Grant program, the purpose of which would be to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations to fund the preparation of plans and other activities necessary to identify needs and opportunities for additional recreation and conservation initiatives in the State.

      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 (JBOC).  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.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments to the bill provide that JBOC approval is not required for grants issued under the Planning Grant program established under the bill.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.