CHAPTER 104
An Act appropriating $15,284,000, and reappropriating $2,788,000, from the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, and reappropriating $328,000, and appropriating $2,675,000 in interest earnings, from the "Open Space Preservation Bond Act of 1989," P.L.1989, c.183, for farmland preservation; authorizing the use of unexpended balances and interest earnings from certain farmland preservation bond funds for farmland preservation; approving certain farmland preservation projects in southern New Jersey as eligible for funding; appropriating $750,000 from the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, for soil and water conservation projects; and appropriating $1,000,000 from the "Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation, and Blue Acres Bond Act," P.L.1995, c.204, for costs incurred in implementing the farmland preservation program.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is appropriated from the "1992 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 24 of the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $15,284,000 for the purpose of: (1) providing grants to counties and municipalities for up to 80% of the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland, provided that any funds received for the transfer of a development easement shall be dedicated to the future purchase of development easements, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105; and (2) providing for up to 100% of the cost of acquisition of development easements under such emergency conditions as the State Agriculture Development Committee determines, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105.
b. There is reappropriated from the "1992 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 24 of the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, to the State Agriculture Development Committee the unexpended balances of $2,788,000 appropriated pursuant to P.L.1995, c.60, for the purpose of: (1) providing grants to counties and municipalities for up to 80% of the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland, provided that any funds received for the transfer of a development easement shall be dedicated to the future purchase of development easements, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105; and (2) providing for up to 100% of the cost of acquisition of development easements under such emergency conditions as the State Agriculture Development Committee determines, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105.
c. There is reappropriated from the "1989 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 22 of the "Open Space Preservation Bond Act of 1989," P.L.1989, c.183, to the State Agriculture Development Committee the unexpended balances of $328,000 appropriated or reappropriated pursuant to P.L.1993, c.262, P.L.1993, c.263, P.L.1993, c.264, P.L.1995, c.60, P.L.1995, c.61, P.L.1995, c.62, and P.L.1996, c.56, for the purpose of: (1) providing grants to counties and municipalities for up to 80% of the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland, provided that any funds received for the transfer of a development easement shall be dedicated to the future purchase of development easements, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105; and (2) providing for up to 100% of the cost of acquisition of development easements under such emergency conditions as the State Agriculture Development Committee determines, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105.
d. There is appropriated from the "1989 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 22 of the "Open Space Preservation Bond Act of 1989," P.L.1989, c.183, to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $2,675,000 in interest earnings for the purpose of: (1) providing grants to counties and municipalities for up to 80% of the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland, provided that any funds received for the transfer of a development easement shall be dedicated to the future purchase of development easements, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105; and (2) providing for up to 100% of the cost of acquisition of development easements under such emergency conditions as the State Agriculture Development Committee determines, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and section 1 of P.L.1997, c.105.
2. The following projects are eligible for funding with the monies appropriated or reappropriated pursuant to subsections a., b., c., and d. of section 1 of this act:
Project County Municipality Acres Amount of
(farm) (+/-) Grant Not
To Exceed
Hall Estate Burlington North Hanover/ 222 $525,000
Chesterfield
Croshaw Burlington North Hanover 185 475,000
Rahilly Burlington Springfield 40 75,000
Cape May/ Stites Cape May Dennis 35 75,000
Cape May/ Conover Cape May Middle 29 100,000
Cape May/ Hoff Cape May Middle 58 150,000
Cape May/ Shivers Cape May Middle 173 325,000
Kiefer Cumberland Greenwich 186 275,000
Willis Cumberland Hopewell 216 325,000
Dubois Cumberland Upper Deerfield 102 200,000
Johnson Farms Ent. Cumberland Upper Deerfield 112 225,000
Mae Partnership Gloucester Elk/ Harrison 317 550,000
Sorbello Gloucester South Harrison 55 150,000
Blasig, Jr. Mercer East Windsor 96 375,000
Skeba Mercer East Windsor 60 300,000
DiDonato Mercer Lawrence 84 600,000
Hendrickson Mercer Lawrence 92 625,000
Johnson Mercer Lawrence 65 475,000
Blasig, Sr. Mercer Washington 46 200,000
Washington Twp./ Mercer Washington 85 325,000
Mercrock
Concorde Stud Monmouth Upper Freehold 248 950,000
Freiberger South Monmouth Upper Freehold 91 225,000
Leonard, CP Monmouth Upper Freehold 395 1,725,000
Red Bird Inc./ Ocean Plumsted 128 300,000
C.W. Plan Inc.
Myers Salem Upper Pittsgrove 292 500,000
3. There is appropriated from the "1992 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 24 of the "Green Acres, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1992," P.L.1992, c.88, to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $750,000 for the purpose of providing grants to landowners for up to 50% of the cost of soil and water conservation projects approved as eligible for such funding.
4. There is appropriated from the "1995 Farmland Preservation Fund," established pursuant to section 25 of the "Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation, and Blue Acres Bond Act of 1995," P.L.1995, c.204, to the State Agriculture Development Committee the sum of $1,000,000 for the purpose of providing for costs, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1995, c.204, incurred in implementing the provisions of the "Agriculture Retention and Development Act," P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-11 et seq.).
5. The expenditure of the sums appropriated or reappropriated by this act is subject to the provisions and conditions of P.L.1989, c.183, P.L.1992, c.88, or P.L.1995, c.204, as appropriate.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
Approved June 2, 1997.