Bill Text: NJ A4052 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Appropriates $84,495,199 from "2009 Green Acres Fund" and "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-06-23 - Substituted by S2857 [A4052 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A4052-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman CONNIE WAGNER
District 38 (Bergen)
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Mainor, O'Donnell, Cryan, Giblin, Greenwald, Assemblywoman Lampitt, Assemblymen Coughlin, Wisniewski, Prieto, Ryan, Schaer, DeCroce, Bramnick, Rumana, Malone, Rudder, Assemblywomen Coyle, Handlin, Assemblyman Amodeo, Assemblywomen Casagrande, McHose, N.Munoz, Assemblymen Holzapfel, Wolfe, Dancer, Assemblywomen Gove, Angelini, Assemblymen Rumpf, Delany, Schroeder, A.M.Bucco, Rible, Thompson, DiCicco, Carroll, Assemblywoman Vandervalk, Assemblymen O'Scanlon, DiMaio and Russo
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $84,495,199 from "2009 Green Acres Fund" and "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act appropriating moneys from the "2009 Green Acres Fund" and the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" to assist local government units to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Densely or highly populated municipality" means a municipality with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile, or a population of at least 35,000 persons, according to the latest federal decennial census.
"Densely populated county" means a county with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile according to the latest federal decennial census.
"Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" means the fund established pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-19).
"Green Acres bond act" means P.L.2009, c.117, P.L.2007, c.119, P.L.1995, c.204, P.L.1992, c.88, P.L.1989, c.183, P.L.1987, c.265, and P.L.1983, c.354.
"Highly populated county" means a county with a population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile according to the latest federal decennial census.
2. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the following sums for the purpose of providing grants or loans, or both, to assist local government units to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to section 3 of this act, for the purpose of providing grants or loans, or both, to assist local government units to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to section 4 of this act, and for the purpose of providing grants to assist local government units to acquire repetitively flooded lands located in the Passaic River Basin for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to section 5 of this act:
a. $55,000,000 from the "2009 Green Acres Fund" established pursuant to section 17 of the "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," P.L.2009, c.117; and
b. $29,495,199 reappropriated from the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund," established pursuant to the "Garden State Preservation Trust Act," P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.), and made available due to interest earnings, loan repayments, and project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings.
3. a. The following projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act:
(1) Planning Incentive Acquisition Projects:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Atlantic County |
Atlantic |
Atlantic County Open Space Acq
|
$900,000 |
|
Franklin Lakes Boro |
Bergen |
Haledon Reservoir Acq |
450,000
|
|
Ridgewood Village |
Bergen |
Open Space Project |
450,000
|
|
River Vale Twp |
Bergen |
Watershed Property Acq |
450,000
|
|
Wyckoff Twp |
Bergen |
Wyckoff Land Acq Program |
450,000
|
|
Burlington County |
Burlington |
Planning Incentive |
900,000
|
|
Bordentown Twp |
Burlington |
Bordentown Twp Open Space Acq
|
450,000 |
|
Eastampton Twp |
Burlington |
Planning Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Medford Twp |
Burlington |
Open Space Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Moorestown Twp |
Burlington |
Open Space Preservation Plan |
450,000
|
|
Shamong Twp
|
Burlington |
Shamong Open Space Acq |
450,000 |
|
Westampton Twp |
Burlington |
Planning Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Clementon Boro |
Camden |
Clementon Open Space Acq |
150,000
|
|
Gibbsboro Boro |
Camden |
Greenway Acq |
434,914
|
|
Haddonfield Boro |
Camden |
Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Voorhees Twp |
Camden |
Planning Incentive Grant |
450,000
|
|
Livingston Twp |
Essex |
Livingston Twp Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Gloucester County |
Gloucester |
Open Space Plan |
900,000
|
|
Bethlehem Twp |
Hunterdon |
Open Space Plan Implementation |
450,000
|
|
Delaware Twp |
Hunterdon |
Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
East Amwell Twp |
Hunterdon |
Open Space & Recreation Plan |
330,000
|
|
High Bridge Boro |
Hunterdon |
Open Space Plan |
450,000
|
|
Kingwood Twp |
Hunterdon |
Open Space Plan |
450,000
|
|
Raritan Twp |
Hunterdon |
Land Acq Plan |
450,000
|
|
Readington Twp |
Hunterdon |
Greenway Incentive Plan |
450,000
|
|
Union Twp |
Hunterdon |
Union Twp Open Space Plan |
450,000
|
|
East Windsor Twp |
Mercer |
East Windsor Open Space Acq |
250,000
|
|
Hopewell Boro |
Mercer |
Hopewell Boro Greenbelt Acq
|
350,000 |
|
Hopewell Twp |
Mercer |
Hopewell Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Pennington Boro |
Mercer |
Pennington Greenbelt Planning Incentive
|
400,000
|
|
Princeton Twp |
Mercer |
Princeton Open Space Acq |
450,000 |
|
Robbinsville Twp |
Mercer |
Green Links Program |
450,000
|
|
Cranbury Twp |
Middlesex |
Cranbury Twp Acq |
450,000
|
|
Allentown Boro |
Monmouth |
Planning Incentive Acq |
350,000
|
|
Manalapan Twp |
Monmouth |
Manalapan Twp Planning Incentive Acq
|
450,000
|
|
Manasquan Boro |
Monmouth |
Manasquan Boro Open Space Acq
|
450,000
|
|
Millstone Twp |
Monmouth |
Millstone Planning Incentive - Project Evergreen
|
450,000
|
|
Tinton Falls Boro |
Monmouth |
Tinton Falls Acq |
450,000
|
|
Upper Freehold Twp |
Monmouth |
Upper Freehold Open Space Acq - 2000
|
450,000
|
|
Wall Twp |
Monmouth |
Wall Twp Open Space Plan |
450,000
|
|
Denville Twp |
Morris |
Denville Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Jefferson Twp |
Morris |
Jefferson Acq Plan |
450,000
|
|
Madison Boro |
Morris |
Madison Boro Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Mendham Twp |
Morris |
Mendham Twp Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Montville Twp |
Morris |
Montville Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Mount Olive Twp |
Morris |
Mount Olive Greenway Acq |
450,000
|
|
Pequannock Twp |
Morris |
Planning Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Ocean County |
Ocean |
Planning Incentive Grant |
900,000
|
|
Ocean Twp |
Ocean |
Planning Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Point Pleasant Beach Boro |
Ocean |
Open Space & Recreation Acq |
450,000
|
|
Ringwood Boro |
Passaic |
Ringwood Boro Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Somerset County |
Somerset |
County Open Space Acq |
900,000
|
|
Bedminster Twp |
Somerset |
Bedminster Parks Exp |
450,000
|
|
Montgomery Twp |
Somerset |
Open Space Acq 5 |
450,000
|
|
Peapack-Gladstone Boro |
Somerset |
Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Warren Twp |
Somerset |
Warren Twp Planning Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Sussex County |
Sussex |
Planning Incentive Grant
|
900,000 |
|
Wantage Twp |
Sussex |
Wantage Twp Plagar Site Acq |
72,500
|
|
New Providence Boro |
Union |
Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
Frelinghuysen Twp |
Warren |
Frelinghuysen Twp Open Space & Recreation Plan |
450,000
|
|
Greenwich Twp |
Warren |
Greenwich Twp Planning Incentive |
450,000
|
|
Hardwick Twp |
Warren |
Hardwick Twp Open Space |
450,000
|
|
Harmony Twp |
Warren |
Harmony Twp Open Space & Recreation Plan |
450,000
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$29,787,414
|
(2) Site Specific Incentive Acquisition Projects:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Chesterfield Twp |
Burlington |
Recreation Fields Acq |
$450,000
|
|
Cape May City |
Cape May |
Lafayette Street Open Space Recreation Area
|
450,000
|
|
Lambertville City
|
Hunterdon |
McCann Tract Acq |
440,000 |
|
West Milford Twp |
Passaic |
Apple Acres/Open Space Acq |
450,000
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$1,790,000
|
(3) Standard Acquisition Projects:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Ocean City |
Cape May |
4th Street Life Saving Station |
$450,000
|
|
Fairfield Twp |
Essex |
Blue Acres Acq |
286,493
|
|
Aberdeen Twp |
Monmouth |
Freneau Lands Acq |
450,000
|
|
Fair Haven Boro |
Monmouth |
Waterfront Park Acq |
325,000
|
|
Mine Hill Twp |
Morris |
Canfield Land Acq |
450,000
|
|
Vernon Twp |
Sussex |
Stanhill Conservation |
151,250
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$2,112,743
|
b. The following projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes located in municipalities eligible to receive State aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.), either as of June 30, 2010 or the effective date of this act, are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Garfield City |
Bergen |
Passaic River Historic Park Acq |
$219,863
|
|
Bayonne City |
Hudson |
Russell Golding Park Expansion |
900,000
|
|
Trenton City |
Mercer |
Assunpink Creek Greenway |
900,000
|
|
Old Bridge Twp |
Middlesex |
Planning Incentive Grant |
900,000
|
|
Woodbridge Twp |
Middlesex
|
Colonia Country Club |
900,000 |
|
Neptune Twp |
Monmouth |
Welsh Farms Site Acq |
844,000
|
|
Rahway City |
Union |
125 Monroe Street Acq |
900,000
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$5,563,863 |
c. The following projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes, located in densely or highly populated municipalities or sponsored by densely populated counties or highly populated counties, are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Margate City |
Atlantic |
Ventnor Ave Park / Beach Parking Lot Acq
|
$675,000 |
|
Teaneck Twp |
Bergen |
Teaneck Open Space Acq |
500,000
|
|
Evesham Twp |
Burlington |
Planning Incentive |
675,000
|
|
Mount Laurel Twp |
Burlington |
Mt. Laurel Acq Plan |
675,000
|
|
Camden County |
Camden |
Bancroft Property Acq |
800,000
|
|
Winslow Twp |
Camden |
Forest Meadows Program |
150,000
|
|
Washington Twp |
Gloucester |
Open Space & Recreation Project |
675,000
|
|
Hudson County |
Hudson |
Open Space Acq |
1,350,000
|
|
Mercer County |
Mercer |
Mercer County Planning Incentive |
1,125,000
|
|
Hamilton Twp |
Mercer |
Hamilton Twp Open Space Acq |
675,000
|
|
Middlesex County |
Middlesex |
Middlesex County Open Space Acq |
1,125,000
|
|
East Brunswick Twp |
Middlesex |
Open Space Plan |
675,000
|
|
North Brunswick Twp |
Middlesex |
North Brunswick Plan |
675,000
|
|
Piscataway Twp |
Middlesex |
Piscataway Open Space Acq |
675,000
|
|
South Brunswick Twp |
Middlesex |
Open Space Acq |
675,000
|
|
Monmouth County |
Monmouth |
Planning Incentive Acq |
1,125,000
|
|
Howell Twp |
Monmouth |
Howell Twp Planning Incentive |
675,000
|
|
Marlboro Twp |
Monmouth |
Marlboro Open Space Acq |
416,442
|
|
Middletown Twp |
Monmouth |
Middletown Twp Planning Incentive |
675,000
|
|
Morris County |
Morris |
Morris County Planning Incentive
|
1,125,000 |
Morristown Town |
Morris |
Hillcrest Park Acq |
100,000
|
|
Jackson Twp |
Ocean |
Jackson Twp Open Space Acq Plan
|
675,000 |
|
Manchester Twp |
Ocean |
Planning Incentive |
675,000
|
|
Passaic County |
Passaic |
Open Space Plan Acq |
1,125,000
|
|
Wayne Twp |
Passaic |
Wayne Open Space Acq |
675,000
|
|
Bridgewater Twp |
Somerset |
Bridgewater Open Space Plan |
24,283
|
|
Hillsborough Twp |
Somerset |
Hillsborough Land Acq |
675,000
|
|
Union County |
Union |
Union County Open Space & Recreation Plan |
1,350,000
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$20,440,725 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
GRAND TOTAL |
|
|
$59,694,745
|
4. a. The following projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
East Rutherford Boro |
Bergen |
Saint Joseph's Park Renovation |
$250,000
|
|
Secaucus Town |
Hudson |
Multi Parks |
450,000
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$700,000
|
b. The following projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, located in municipalities eligible to receive State aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) either as of June 30, 2010 or the effective date of this act, or sponsored by densely populated counties, are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Camden City |
Camden |
Pyne Point Park Rehabilitation |
$500,000
|
|
Pennsauken Twp |
Camden |
Crescent Field Renewal
|
900,000 |
|
Essex County |
Essex |
Multi-Parks Improvements (Belleville Twp Bloomfield Twp Caldwell Twp Boro East Orange City Essex Fells Twp Irvington Twp Montclair Twp Newark City Orange City Twp South Orange Village Twp Verona Twp West Orange Twp)
|
1,350,000
|
|
Essex County |
Essex |
Riverfront Park Improvements (Newark City) |
1,350,000
|
|
Bloomfield Twp |
Essex |
Foley Field Restoration |
900,000
|
|
Newark City |
Essex |
Minish Park Passaic Riverfront Development Project
|
900,000
|
|
Orange City Twp |
Essex |
Multi-Park Improvements - Phase III and IV |
900,000
|
|
Hoboken City |
Hudson |
Hudson River Waterfront Reconstruction
|
900,000
|
|
Jersey City |
Hudson |
City Wide Park Improvements |
900,000
|
|
North Bergen Twp |
Hudson |
Riverfront Park Development |
900,000
|
|
Union City |
Hudson |
Washington Park Improvements |
900,000
|
|
West New York Town
|
Hudson |
Donnelly and Veteran's Park Rehab |
900,000 |
|
Carteret Boro |
Middlesex |
Carteret Park Improvements 4 |
650,000
|
|
Long Branch City |
Monmouth |
Boardwalk Repair |
842,400
|
|
Brick Twp |
Ocean |
Trader's Cove Marina Park |
900,000
|
|
Clifton City |
Passaic |
Athenia Steel Recreational Complex |
900,000
|
|
Passaic City |
Passaic |
Christopher Columbus Park Rehabilitation
|
900,000
|
|
Paterson City |
Passaic |
Paterson Great Falls and Pocket Parks - Phase 1
|
696,000
|
|
Union County |
Union |
Oak Ridge Park Phase I (Clark Twp)
|
1,350,000
|
|
Roselle Boro |
Union |
Multi-Park Improvement Project |
900,000
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$18,438,400 |
c. The following projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, located in densely or highly populated municipalities or sponsored by highly populated counties, are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act:
|
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT |
COUNTY |
PROJECT |
APPROVED AMOUNT |
|
Bergen County |
Bergen |
Improvements to Westvale Park (Westwood Boro)
|
$123,461
|
|
Cliffside Park Boro
|
Bergen |
Auxiliary Field Improvements |
151,350 |
|
Little Ferry Boro |
Bergen |
Indian Lake Park Recreation Improvements - Ph III
|
230,650 |
|
Ridgefield Park Village |
Bergen |
Veteran's Park Multipurpose Grass Field Project |
259,000
|
|
Rutherford Boro |
Bergen |
Wall Field Improvements |
422,593
|
|
Camden County |
Camden |
Cooper River Park Improvements (Pennsauken Twp)
|
1,125,000 |
|
Hudson County |
Hudson |
Pond and Lake Improvements (Bayonne City Jersey City)
|
1,350,000 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
$3,662,054
|
|
GRAND TOTAL |
|
|
$22,800,454 |
5. Of the funds appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of this act, $2,000,000 shall be made available for the purpose of providing grants to assist local government units to acquire, for recreation and conservation purposes, properties that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage located in the Passaic River Basin, as follows:
COUNTY MUNICIPALITY
Bergen Allendale Boro
Carlstadt Boro
East Rutherford Boro
Elmwood Park Boro
Fair Lawn Boro
Franklin Lakes Boro
Garfield City
Glen Rock Boro
Hackensack City
Hasbrouck Heights Boro
Hillsdale Boro
Ho-Ho-Kus Boro
Lodi Boro
Lyndhurst Twp
Mahwah Twp
Maywood Boro
Midland Park Boro
Montvale Boro
North Arlington Boro
Oakland Boro
Paramus Boro
Ramsey Boro
Ridgewood Village
Rochelle Park Twp
Rutherford Boro
Saddle Brook Twp
Saddle River Boro
South Hackensack Twp
Upper Saddle River Boro
Waldwick Boro
Wallington Boro
Washington Twp
Woodcliff Lake Boro
Wood-Ridge Boro
Wyckoff Twp
Essex Belleville Twp
Bloomfield Twp
Caldwell Boro
Cedar Grove Twp
East Orange City
Essex Fells Twp
Fairfield Twp
Glen Ridge Twp Boro
Livingston Twp
Millburn Twp
Montclair Twp
Newark City
North Caldwell Twp
Nutley Twp
Orange City Twp
Roseland Boro
South Orange Village Twp
Verona Twp
West Caldwell Twp
West Orange Twp
Hudson East Newark Boro
Harrison Town
Kearny Town
Morris Boonton Town
Boonton Twp
Butler Boro
Chatham Boro
Chatham Twp
Denville Twp
Dover Town
East Hanover Twp
Florham Park Boro
Hanover Twp
Harding Twp
Jefferson Twp
Kinnelon Boro
Lincoln Park Boro
Long Hill Twp
Madison Boro
Mendham Boro
Mendham Twp
Mine Hill Twp
Montville Twp
Morris Plains Boro
Morris Twp
Morristown Town
Mount Arlington Boro
Mountain Lakes Boro
Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp
Pequannock Twp
Randolph Twp
Riverdale Boro
Rockaway Boro
Rockaway Twp
Roxbury Twp
Victory Gardens Boro
Wharton Boro
Passaic Bloomingdale Boro
Clifton City
Haledon Boro
Hawthorne Boro
Little Falls Twp
North Haledon Boro
Passaic City
Paterson City
Pompton Lakes Boro
Prospect Park Boro
Ringwood Boro
Totowa Boro
Wanaque Boro
Wayne Twp
West Milford Twp
Woodland Park Boro
Somerset Bernards Twp
Bernardsville Boro
Bridgewater Twp
Far Hills Boro
Warren Twp
Sussex Hardyston Twp
Sparta Twp
Vernon Twp
Union Berkeley Heights Twp
New Providence Boro
Summit City
6. a. Any transfer of funds, or change in project sponsor, site, or type, listed in section 3, section 4 or section 5 of this act shall require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.
b. To the extent that moneys remain available after the projects listed in section 3, section 4 or section 5 of this act are offered funding pursuant thereto, any project of a local government unit that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for recreation and conservation purposes, or that receives funding approved pursuant to this act, shall be eligible to receive additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.
7. a. There is reappropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the unexpended balances, due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings, of the amounts appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund to assist local government units to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for the purposes of providing:
(1) grants or loans, or both, to assist local government units to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to this act; and
(2) additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, to any project of a local government unit that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for recreation and conservation purposes or that receives funding approved pursuant to this act, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor. Any such additional funding provided from a Green Acres bond act may include administrative costs.
b. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection such sums as may be, or may become, available on or before June 30, 2011, due to interest earnings or loan repayments in any "Green Trust Fund" established pursuant to a Green Acres bond act or in the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund," for the purpose of providing:
(1) grants or loans, or both, to assist local government units to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for projects approved as eligible for such funding pursuant to this act; and
(2) additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, to any project of a local government unit that previously received funding appropriated or reappropriated from any Green Acres bond act, any annual appropriations act, or the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for recreation and conservation purposes or that receives funding approved pursuant to this act, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor. Any such additional funding provided from a Green Acres bond act may include administrative costs.
8. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill appropriates $84,495,199 from the "2009 Green Acres Fund" and the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide grants or low-interest loans, or both, to assist local government units in the State to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Of the amount appropriated, $55 million is from the "2009 Green Acres Fund" and $29,495,199 is reappropriated from the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund." The "2009 Green Acres Fund" was established pursuant to the "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," P.L.2009, c.117, and the "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" was established pursuant to the "Garden State Preservation Trust Act," P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.).
The total amount of funding allocated for local government projects that are listed in this bill is $84,495,199. Of this amount, $61,694,745 is for projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservations purposes, of which $2 million is allocated for a new local block grant program for "Blue Acres" acquisitions by counties and municipalities of properties that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage located in the Passaic River Basin for recreation and conservation purposes, and $22,800,454 is for projects to develop lands for recreation and conservations purposes.
Of the sum for projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservations purposes: $29,787,414 is allocated for planning incentive open space acquisition projects; $1,790,000 is allocated for site specific incentive open space acquisition projects; $2,112,743 is allocated for standard open space acquisition projects (i.e., projects located in municipalities that do not have an open space tax); $5,563,863 is allocated for projects in "urban aid" municipalities; and $20,440,725 is allocated for projects in densely or highly populated municipalities or sponsored by densely or highly populated counties.
Of the sum for projects to develop lands for recreation and conservations purposes: $700,000 is allocated for "standard" open space development projects (i.e., located in non-urban municipalities and counties); $18,438,400 is allocated for local park development projects in urban aid municipalities or sponsored by densely populated counties; and $3,662,054 is allocated for local park development projects in densely or highly populated municipalities or sponsored by highly populated counties.
The projects listed have been approved by the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT). The project list approved by the DEP and the GSPT originally totaled $85,395,199, of which $23,700,454 was allocated for development projects. However, the Ivy Point Interpretive Center project in Salem City, approved for an amount of $900,000, in the category for development projects in urban aid municipalities or sponsored by densely populated counties, was subsequently withdrawn by the project sponsor. That withdrawn project is not included in the project lists and totals contained in this bill.
The projects approved by the bill include projects in "urban aid" and densely or highly populated municipalities and counties. The bill defines a "densely or highly populated municipality" as a municipality with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile or a population of at least 35,000 persons; a "densely populated county" as a county with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile; and a "highly populated county" as a county with a population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile.
To the extent that there are funds remaining after those local government unit projects listed in this bill are offered funding, the bill also authorizes the DEP, with the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC), to use those funds to provide additional funding for local government unit projects listed in this bill as well as for local government unit projects previously approved for funding pursuant to various other laws.
The bill also allows the DEP, subject to the approval of the JBOC, to re-distribute moneys, which have been returned to the department due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings, or which have or will become available on or before June 30, 2011 due to interest earnings and loan repayments from various Green Acres bond act funds, for the purpose of providing additional funding, for recreation and conservation purposes, to previously approved and funded projects of local government units, or to local government unit projects listed in this bill. This additional funding, if provided from a Green Acres bond act, may include administrative costs.
