Bill > A530

Introduced Session

This bill would amend and supplement the "Preserve New Jersey Act" to allocate $10 million annually from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues for providing grants to assist certain entities to pay the cost of development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes for the management and maintenance of lakes. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a program for the issuance of these grants. The bill requires the DEP to develop criteria for the evaluation and ranking of applications to provide priority to projects located in the Highlands Region and Pinelands area and to improve water quality and increase recreational access and use of lakes, including projects to control nutrient levels in lakes in order to prevent future harmful algal blooms. The bill provides priority for funding for projects located in the Highlands Region and Pinelands area in recognition of the critical role lakes in these ecologically significant locations provide in the supply of drinking water to residents throughout the State, watershed protection, and for recreation and conservation purposes. The bill provides that a grant issued pursuant to the bill may be used for stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities, if the DEP determines that those activities would directly enhance, improve, or protect the use of a lake for recreation and conservation purposes. Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of microscopic algae or bacteria grow at exponential rates and produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. Exposure to these algal blooms can cause a range of health effects, including skin rashes, allergy-like reactions, flu-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, respiratory irritation and eye irritation. The issuance by the DEP of "no contact" advisories or other warnings cautioning against contact with the water in certain lakes due to the presence of harmful algal blooms directly impacts the public's use of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes. Certain stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities may control harmful algal blooms, which would result in improvements to water quality and increase recreational access to lakes. The Greenwood Lake Commission, the Lake Hopatcong Commission, and local government units may apply for grants pursuant to the bill. The DEP would be required to approve any applications submitted by the Greenwood Lake Commission and the Lake Hopatcong Commission, and each commission would receive a minimum grant award of $750,000 in each fiscal year under the bill. The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, approved by the voters of the State in November 2014. The "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The act provides that a certain amount of the portion of dedicated CBT revenues allocated each year for the Green Acres program is to be used for: the acquisition of lands for open space, including Blue Acres projects, and development projects, including stewardship activities, on State lands administered by the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry; grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects; and grants to nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes. The "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund" was established by section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." This bill provides that $10 million of the amount currently allocated for development of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes would be used instead to fund the grants to be awarded pursuant to the bill. The bill requires the DEP, each fiscal year, to submit a list of projects to receive funding pursuant to the bill to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly to be introduced in the Legislature as appropriations bills. The bill further provides that the DEP shall not submit, and the Legislature shall not approve, any other list of projects to receive funding pursuant to the "Preserve New Jersey Act" until the DEP has submitted to the Legislature the list of projects recommended to receive funding pursuant to the program established by the bill. The "Preserve New Jersey Act" defines the terms "development," "recreation and conservation purposes," and "stewardship." "Development" means any improvement, including a stewardship activity, made to a land or water area designed to expand and enhance its utilization for recreation and conservation purposes, and includes the construction, renovation, or repair of any such improvement, but does not mean shore protection or beach nourishment or replenishment activities. "Recreation and conservation purposes" means the use of lands for beaches, biological or ecological study, boating, camping, fishing, forests, greenways, hunting, natural areas, parks, playgrounds, protecting historic properties, water reserves, watershed protection, wildlife preserves, active sports, or a similar use for either public outdoor recreation or conservation of natural resources, or both. "Stewardship activity" means an activity, which is beyond routine operations and maintenance, undertaken by the State, a local government unit, or a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization to repair, or restore lands acquired or developed for recreation and conservation purposes for the purpose of enhancing or protecting those lands for recreation and conservation purposes.

Committee Categories

Christian Barranco (R)*,  Jay Webber (R)*,  Dawn Fantasia (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document