SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1670

with Senate committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 11, 1997

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1670 (1R) with amendments.

      Senate Bill No. 1670 (1R), as amended, appropriates $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.

            As amended and reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1535 (1R) (Bateman/Kavanaugh) as amended by this committee on December 11, 1997.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to reduce the amount of the appropriation in the bill from $3.3 million to $2.3 million; to prohibit the expenditure of the monies appropriated for the acquisition of lands in Sussex County; and to require acquisitions to be from willing sellers.

FISCAL IMPACT

      The bill appropriates $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. If the balance of monies in the fund are insufficient to support the appropriation, moneys which had previously been appropriated from this fund, but which have been returned to the fund or which remain unexpended, will be used for the purposes of the appropriation made in this bill, except for monies appropriated pursuant to P.L.1995. c.7. P.L.1995. c.7 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 the State.