SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4313

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 9, 2019

      The Senate Environment and Energy Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 4313. 

      This bill would appropriate the sum of $33.915 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.).  The “Preserve New Jersey Act” established the funding allocations for FY2017 through FY2019, and P.L.2019, c.136 amended the act to establish the funding allocations for FY2020 and thereafter.

      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 $29.314 million 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.  The “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund” was established by section 6 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.”  This appropriation allocates funding for the acquisition by the State of lands for recreation and conservation purposes in eight project categories throughout the State.

      In addition, this bill appropriates $4.601 million to the DEP to provide funding by the State for the acquisition, 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.  Of this funding, $2.482 million is from the “Preserve New Jersey Blue Acres Fund” and $2.119 million is from the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund.”  The “Preserve New Jersey Blue Acres Fund” was established by section 7 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 allocations and two separate funds, both providing moneys to the DEP’s Green Acres program for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes.

      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.