ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 651

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 9, 2021

      The Assembly Agriculture Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 651.

      This bill provides that, upon notice to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), any person may collect seeds from a wild native plant without a permit or other approval from the State.  The DEP may establish guidelines for the form and manner of notice to the department for the collection of seeds from wild native plants and best practices for the collection of seeds.  The State may prohibit the collection of seed from a wild native plant:

      1)   where expressly prohibited by federal law, rule, or regulation;

      2)   where expressly prohibited by the Pinelands Commission for the most sensitive ecosystems in the pinelands area; or

      3)   that is deemed by federal or State law, rule, or regulation to be threatened, endangered, rare, or of special concern including, but not limited to, any plant on the endangered species plant list adopted by the DEP pursuant to the State’s "Endangered Plant Species List Act."

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.