ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 42

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 13, 1996

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 42.

      Assembly Bill No. 42 approves projects of certain local government units in central New Jersey as eligible for funding with moneys made available from the "Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation, and Blue Acres Bond Act of 1995," P.L.1995, c.204, the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, the "Open Space Preservation Bond Act of 1989," P.L.1989, c.183, or the "New Jersey Green Acres Bond Act of 1983," P.L.1983, c.354. The funding will be used to provide low-interest loans or grants, or both, to assist the local government units to acquire and develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and includes administrative costs. The total sum of the approved amounts for the central New Jersey projects is $21,009,000. This bill is part of a four-bill legislative package, together with Assembly Nos. 41, 43 and 44, approving the funding of Green Acres projects of local government units around the State.

      The bill authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to use funds remaining after those local government unit projects in central New Jersey listed in this bill are offered funding, with the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, for local government unit projects listed in the three other "local government" bills of this legislative package as well as for local government unit projects previously approved for funding pursuant to various acts implementing the 1983, 1987, 1989, and 1992 Green Acres bond acts.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill approves projects of certain local government units in central New Jersey for Green Acres funding in total amount of $21,009,000. The funds for the projects approved by this bill are appropriated by Assembly Bill No. 41 of 1996.