SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 4921
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: DECEMBER 11, 2025
The Senate Environment and Energy Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 4921.
This bill appropriates the sum of $44.4 million 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.).
Specifically, this bill appropriates $21,375,000 to the DEP 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 15 project categories identified in section 1 of the bill. The bill also appropriates $21,375,000 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, section 3 of the bill appropriates $1,650,000 to the DEP for the purposes of paying administrative costs associated with administering the applicable provisions of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.” Of the total funds appropriated in the bill, the sum of $10,804,000 million is available due to interest earnings on the constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues.
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.