ASSEMBLY, No. 611

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman LUSTBADER

An Act providing for the cancellation of certain projects funded by Green Acres bond acts or water supply bond acts as necessary, and reappropriating $36,850,000 from those bond acts as necessary for the acquisition or development of certain lands by the State for recreation and conservation or water supply purposes.

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

    1. As used in this act:

    "Green Acres bond acts" means: P.L.1961, c.46; P.L.1971, c.165; P.L.1974, c.102; P.L.1978, c.118; P.L.1983, c.354; P.L.1989, c.183; and P.L.1992, c.88; and

    "Water supply bond acts" means P.L.1969, c.127 and P.L.1981, c.261.

    2. a. The Department of Environmental Projection shall cancel such projects for the acquisition or development of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes that have been funded from Green Acres bond acts, and for which the appropriations therefor were enacted into law at least three years prior to the effective date of this act and have not been expended or legally encumbered, to the extent necessary to amount to a sum of $36,850,000. The department shall have the discretion to select which projects shall be cancelled in whole or in part to provide the sum required by this subsection, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.

    The appropriations for the projects cancelled in whole or in part pursuant to this subsection are respectively cancelled in whole or in part.

    b. There is reappropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection from the appropriate Green Acres bond act funds, as shall be determined by the department based upon the source of funding for the projects cancelled pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the sum of $36,850,000 for the acquisition or development of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes, as follows:

Project                                                County            Estimated Cost

Hilltop parcel, Watchung                   Essex              $32,500,000

  Mountains (Acquisition

  Project)

Wayside property, Ocean                   Monmouth      $ 350,000

  Township (Acquisition

  Project)

Kuser Mansion, High Point                Sussex            $ 4,000,000

  State Park - Replication

  of Kuser Mansion using

  materials from the

  existing structure

  wherever possible

  (Development Project)

    c. Any transfer of any funds listed in subsection b. of this section shall require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.

    3. In the event that the cancellation of projects funded from Green Acres bond acts pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of this act does not provide the amount required for reappropriation pursuant to subsection b. of that section for acquisition of the Hilltop parcel or the Wayside property, the remainder necessary shall be obtained by the department through cancellation of projects involving the acquisition of lands for water supply purposes that have been funded from water supply bond acts, and for which the appropriations therefor were enacted into law at least three years prior to the effective date of this act and have not been expended or legally encumbered. The department shall have the discretion to select which projects shall be cancelled in whole or in part to provide the sum required by this subsection, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor, and that sum is hereby reappropriated to the extent necessary.

    The appropriations for the projects cancelled in whole or in part pursuant to this section are respectively cancelled in whole or in part.

    4. The expenditure of the sums reappropriated by this act is subject to the provisions and conditions of the appropriate Green Acres bond acts and water supply bond acts.

    5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would cancel certain State Green Acres acquisition and development projects involving $36.85 million in prior appropriations (that are at least three years old and have not been expended or legally encumbered) from previous Green Acres bond acts, and would reappropriate that sum to the Department of Environmental Protection to be used for the purpose of acquiring, for recreation and conservation purposes, the approximately 365-acre "Hilltop parcel" located in the Watchung Mountains of Essex county and the approximately 10-acre "Wayside property" located in Ocean Township, Monmouth county, and to replicate Kuser Mansion in High Point State Park, Sussex county. In the event the cancellation of the previously funded State Green Acres projects does not provide sufficient monies for the reappropriation required by the bill, the bill provides for the cancellation of certain water supply projects to make up the difference with regard to the acquisition of the Hilltop parcel and the Wayside property.

Cancels certain prior State Green Acres or water supply projects and appropriations therefor, and reappropriates $36.85 million resulting therefrom for certain other State acquisition or development projects.