SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1085

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 24, 1996

      The Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee favorably reports Assembly Bill No. 1085.

      This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to prepare and distribute to local planning board and environmental commission officials, and make available for the cost of reproduction and postage to any other interested party, informational materials regarding open space preservation. These materials would be required to synthesize those land preservation techniques permitted by law, methods to raise funds for open space acquisition, and programs successful in other jurisdictions in preserving open space.

FISCAL IMPACT

      According to a fiscal estimate prepared by the Office of Legislative Services, the department would require no additional funding to develop and distribute the materials described in the bill. These services, which are already carried out to a certain degree, could be handled well within the existing budgets of the department's public information and appropriate program units.