SENATE, No. 1670

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 7, 1996

By Senators McNAMARA and MARTIN

An Act appropriating moneys from the "Water Conservation Bond Act," P.L.1969, c.127, for the acquisition of lands or interests therein in the Highlands area for the purpose of augmenting, increasing, improving, preserving, protecting, or conserving natural water resources and supplies important to New Jersey and facilitating recreational uses incidental thereto.

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

    1. There is appropriated from the "Water Conservation Fund" established pursuant to section 13 of the "Water Conservation Bond Act," P.L.1969, c.127, to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $2,300,000 for the acquisition of lands or interests therein in the Highlands area of New Jersey by the department, in consultation with the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, for the purpose of augmenting, increasing, improving, preserving, protecting, or conserving natural water resources and supplies important to New Jersey and facilitating recreational uses incidental thereto.

    2. To the extent that the balance of the moneys available in the "Water Conservation Fund" that have not been previously appropriated pursuant to law is insufficient to support the sum appropriated pursuant to section 1 of this act, the following shall be made available from the "Water Conservation Fund" to support the remainder of the appropriation made in that section as required:

    a. moneys returned to the "Water Conservation Fund" due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings involving projects previously funded by law; and

    b. moneys previously appropriated pursuant to law from the "Water Conservation Fund" to fund projects but for which no such moneys have been expended, other than for administrative or program purposes, in the five-year period immediately prior to the date of enactment of this act, or to fund projects deemed by the Department of Environmental Protection as of the date of enactment of this act to be otherwise no longer active, the previous appropriation of which is canceled subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor, except that this subsection shall not apply to moneys appropriated pursuant to P.L.1995, c.7.

    3. The expenditure of the sum appropriated from the "Water Conservation Fund" pursuant to section 1 of this act is subject to the provisions and conditions of P.L.1969, c.127, as amended by section 26 of P.L.1979, c.86, and as amended and supplemented by P.L.1981, c.233

    4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would appropriate $2.3 million from the "Water Conservation Fund" established pursuant to the "Water Conservation Bond Act," P.L.1969, c.127, to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to acquire, in consultation with the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, lands or interests therein in the Highlands area of New Jersey for the purpose of augmenting, increasing, improving, preserving, protecting, or conserving natural water resources and supplies important to New Jersey and facilitating recreational uses incidental thereto.

    To the extent that the balance of the moneys available in the "Water Conservation Fund" that have not been previously appropriated pursuant to law is insufficient to support the sums appropriated pursuant to the bill, the bill would make the following available from the "Water Conservation Fund" to support the remainder of the appropriation: (1) moneys returned to the "Water Conservation Fund" due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings involving projects previously funded by law; and (2) moneys previously appropriated pursuant to law from the "Water Conservation Fund" to fund projects but for which no such moneys have been expended, other than for administrative or program purposes, in the five-year period immediately prior to the date of enactment of the bill, or to fund projects deemed by the DEP as of the date of enactment of the bill to be otherwise no longer active, the previous appropriation of which is canceled subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor, except that this provision would not apply to moneys appropriated pursuant to P.L.1995. c.7. That act appropriated $10 million from the "Water Conservation Fund" for use toward the acquisition of lands in Sterling Forest in the State of New York and $1 million for use toward the acquisition of certain lands in the pinelands area of New Jersey.

Appropriates $2.3 million from 1969 "Water Conservation Bond Act" to acquire lands or interests therein in Highlands area.