ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 1270

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 15, 1997

      The Assembly Environment, Science and Technology Committee reports favorably an Assembly committee substitute for Assembly Bill No. 1270.

      The committee substitute defines and clarifies those who may qualify as a farmer for the purpose of obtaining the fee exemption provided for farmers for permits to hunt during an either sex deer hunting season.

      The committee substitute would define a qualified farmer as a person who:

      (1) owns or leases a farm on which that person resides that: (a) is at least six acres in area; (b) produces a gross annual income of at least $500; and (c) is valued, assessed and taxed as land actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use pursuant to the "Farmland Assessment Act of 1964," P.L.1964, c.48 (C.54:4-23.1 et seq.); or

      (2) owns or leases a farm on which that person does not reside, provided that: (a) the person actively farms at least 30 acres, which may be noncontiguous but each parcel thereof shall be at least five acres in area; and (b) the farm, or each parcel in the case of noncontiguous parcels, is valued, assessed and taxed as land actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use pursuant to the "Farmland Assessment Act of 1964," P.L.1964, c.48 (C.54:4-23.1 et seq.).

      The committee substitute provides that the fee exemption shall be limited to one permit each for the qualified farmer who owns or leases a farm on which the farmer resides as described in the committee substitute, and the spouse and children of that farmer. In the case of a qualified farmer or farmers who owns or leases a farm or farms, but does not reside thereon, permits shall be limited to a total of five, one each for the qualified farmer or farmers and their spouses and children, for the property described in the committee substitute. The committee substitute also provides that if the qualified farmer's acreage is located in multiple deer management zones, the qualified farmer shall choose one deer management zone for which the qualified farmer and the spouse and children of that farmer may obtain permits pursuant to the bill. Finally, the committee substitute authorizes the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife to adopt rules and regulations implementing its provisions.