Bill Text: NJ A1887 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee [A1887 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1887-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the "New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force," and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of Agriculture, the "New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force." The task force shall be comprised of nine members as follows:
(1) the Secretary of Agriculture, or the secretary's designee, who shall serve ex officio and shall serve as a co-chairperson of the task force;
(2) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve ex officio and shall serve as a co-chairperson of the task force;
(3) the Commissioner of Health, or the commissioner's designee, who shall serve ex officio;
(4) the State Forester, or the State Forester's designee, who shall serve ex officio;
(5) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, the State University, or the Executive Director's designee, who shall serve ex officio; and
(6) four public members, to be appointed as follows: two public members to be appointed by the Governor; one public member to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and one public member to be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, all of whom shall have extensive knowledge of invasive species.
b. All appointed members shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of this act. Any vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
c. The task force shall organize no more than 90 days following the effective date of this act. The task force shall hold public meetings on a quarterly basis. The public meetings shall take place throughout the State, and at least one public meeting shall take place on an annual basis in each of the following locations: (1) southern New Jersey, which shall include Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties; (2) central New Jersey, which shall include Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union Counties; and (3) northern New Jersey, which shall include Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Sussex, and Warren Counties.
d. The members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.
e. At least five members of the task force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of task force business. In addition to the quarterly public meetings, the task force shall meet at the call of the co-chairpersons.
f. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environmental Protection shall provide staff support to the task force. The task force shall, however, be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission or agency, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
g. The task force shall be subject to the provisions of the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.).
h. A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the task force shall be prepared and made available to the public. The minutes shall also be made available on the Department of Agriculture's Internet website.
2. a. The New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force shall:
(1) study the most efficient methods of controlling and limiting the spread of invasive species;
(2) develop a plan to prevent new invasive species from entering the State, and limit the continuing spread of invasive species that are already present;
(3) develop a plan to restore threatened or fragile ecosystems to their natural condition, and to repair damage caused by invasive species;
(4) develop uniform policies and a coordinated response to the threat posed by invasive species to the State's native and agricultural vegetation, and ecological, cultural, historical, or infrastructure resources;
(5) identify regulatory and statutory obstacles and inefficiencies at the federal, State, and local levels impeding the development or implementation of prevention, control, and restoration efforts; and
(6) prepare a comprehensive invasive species management plan for the State that includes an estimate of the resources necessary for its implementation.
b. The task force shall prepare a comprehensive list of all invasive species in the State including, but not limited to, the following groups of invasive species: (1) plants; (2) animals; (3) amphibians; (4) insects; (5) fish; (6) fungi; (7) bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms; (8) algae; and (9) the seeds or eggs of a non-native species. The task force shall classify the invasive species on the list based on the threat the invasive species poses to the native species and biodiversity in the State, and the severity of the existing infestation. The list prepared pursuant to this subsection shall be posted on the department's Internet website.
c. The task force shall update the list of invasive species at least once every three years. When determining whether to add a species to the list of invasive species, the department shall consider:
(1) the threat the species poses to native species in the State;
(2) the threat the species poses to any sensitive habitats or endangered or threatened species in the State;
(3) the threat the species poses to any historical, cultural, or infrastructure resources in the State;
(4) the likelihood that the species will escape intended cultivation areas and propagate uncontrolled in the State; and
(5) the severity of an existing infestation.
d. Within 12 months after the task force's organizational meeting, and at least annually thereafter, the task force shall submit a written report of the task force's findings, plans, and recommendations, to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature. The annual report shall include information outlining the current state of invasive species in the State, common pathways invasive species use to enter the State, any known natural predators of invasive species present in the State, data concerning the annual spread or contraction of invasive species in the State, the impact of invasive species by county, and policy recommendations to control and limit the spread of invasive species, prevent new species from entering the State, and restore ecosystems and repair damage caused by invasive species.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the "New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force" in the Department of Agriculture, comprised of nine members. The task force would be required to: (1) study the most efficient methods of controlling and limiting the spread of invasive species; (2) develop a plan to prevent new invasive species from entering the State and limit the continuing spread of invasive species that are already present; (3) develop a plan to restore threatened or fragile ecosystems to their natural condition; (4) repair damage caused by invasive species; (5) develop uniform policies and a coordinated response to the threat posed by invasive species to the State's native and agricultural vegetation, and ecological, cultural, historical, or infrastructure resources; (6) identify regulatory and statutory obstacles and inefficiencies at the federal, State, and local levels impeding the development or implementation of prevention, control, and restoration efforts; and (7) prepare a comprehensive invasive species management plan for the State that includes an estimate of the resources necessary for its implementation.
The task force which would be comprised of five ex officio members or their designees, including the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of Health, the State Forester, and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, the State University. The task force would also include four public members, all of whom would have extensive knowledge of invasive species, to be appointed as follows: (1) two public members to be appointed by the Governor; (2) one public member to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and (3) one public member to be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
This bill would designate the Secretary of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, or their respective designees, as co-chairpersons of the New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force. The task force would be required to hold quarterly meetings throughout the State, and at least one public meeting would be required to take place on an annual basis in southern New Jersey, central New Jersey, and northern New Jersey.
The task force would also be required to prepare and update every three years, a comprehensive list of all invasive species in the State, and prepare an annual report to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature.
