An Act appropriating $14,687,510 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to provide grants to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations 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. a. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $14,687,510 from the dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution in the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund,” established pursuant to section 6 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48), for the purpose of providing grants to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to subsection b. of this section, to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to subsection c. of this section, and to undertake stewardship activities pursuant to subsection d. of this section. Of the amount appropriated pursuant to this subsection, the sum of $504,090 is available due to interest earnings on the dedicated corporation business tax revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution.
b. The following projects for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section:
Nonprofit Project County Municipality Approved
Organization Amount
(1) Bergen SWAN Ramapo Mountain Bergen Mahwah Twp $500,000
Conservation Area Oakland Boro
(2) D & R Greenway Land Trust Greenway Acq Burlington Beverly City 1,000,000
Bordentown City
Bordentown Twp
Burlington City
Burlington Twp
Chesterfield Twp
Cinnaminson Twp
Delanco Twp
Delran Twp
Edgewater Park Twp
Fieldsboro Boro
Florence Twp
Hainesport Twp
Mansfield Twp
Maple Shade Twp
Moorestown Twp
Mount Holly Twp
Mount Laurel Twp
Palmyra Boro
Riverside Twp
Riverton Boro
Springfield Twp
Westhampton Twp
Willingboro Twp
Camden Audubon Boro
Audubon Park Boro
Brooklawn Boro
Camden City
Cherry Hill Twp
Collingswood Boro
Gloucester City
Haddon Heights Boro
Haddon Twp
Haddonfield Boro
Merchantville Boro
Mount Ephraim Boro
Oaklyn Boro
Pennsauken Twp
Woodlynne Boro
Cumberland Deerfield Twp
Fairfield Twp
Greenwich Twp
Hopewell Twp
Stow Creek Twp
Upper Deerfield Twp
Gloucester National Park Boro
West Deptford Twp
Westville Boro
Hunterdon All municipalities
Mercer All municipalities
Middlesex All municipalities
Monmouth All municipalities
Morris All municipalities
Salem Elsinboro Twp
Lower Alloways Creek Twp
Mannington Twp
Pennsville Twp
Somerset All municipalities
(3) Friends of Hopewell Quarry, Inc. Quarry Swim Club Mercer Hopewell TwP 91,450
(4) Friends of Hopewell Valley Hopewell Valley Park Acq Mercer Hopewell Boro 500,000
Open Space Hopewell Twp
Lawrence Twp
(5) Friends of Princeton Open Space Millstone River Watershed Mercer Princeton Boro 250,000
(6) Greater Culver Lake Watershed Watershed Protection Program Sussex Frankford Twp 230,000
Conservation Foundation
(7) Hunterdon Land Trust Hunterdon Open Space Plan Hunterdon All municipalities 500,000
Priority Areas
(8) Lamington Conservancy Central Lamington Project Hunterdon Readington Twp 500,000
Tewksbury Twp
Morris Chester Twp
Washington Twp
Somerset Bedminster Twp
Peapack-Gladstone Boro
(9) Monmouth Conservation Open Space Plans 2 Monmouth All municipalities 500,000
Foundation
(10) Natural Lands Trust, Inc. Delaware Estuaries Cumberland Commercial Twp 100,000
Acquisition Downe Twp
Greenwich Twp
Hopewell Twp
Lawrence Twp
Maurice River Twp
Millville City
Stow Creek Twp
Salem Alloway Twp
Lower Alloways Creek Twp
Quinton Twp
(11) New Jersey Conservation Priority Area Acq Atlantic Buena Vista Twp 1,000,000
Foundation Egg Harbor City
Egg Harbor Twp
Estell Manor City
Folsom Boro
Galloway Twp
Hamilton Twp
Hammonton Town
Mullica Twp
Weymouth Twp
Burlington Bass River Twp
Beverly City
Bordentown City
Bordentown Twp
Burlington City
Burlington Twp
Chesterfield Twp
Cinnaminson Twp
Delanco Twp
Delran Twp
Evesham Twp
Fieldsboro Boro
Florence Twp
Mansfield Twp
Medford Twp
New Hanover Twp
North Hanover Twp
Pemberton Twp
Shamong Twp
Southampton Twp
Springfield Twp
Tabernacle Twp
Washington Twp
Woodland Twp
Camden Camden City
Merchantville Boro
Pennsauken Twp
Cape May Lower Twp
Middle Twp
Cumberland Fairfield Twp
Greenwich Twp
Hopewell Twp
Maurice River Twp
Millville City
Stow Creek Twp
Upper Deerfield Twp
Vineland City
Gloucester Logan Twp
South Harrison Twp
Woolwich Twp
Hunterdon All municipalities
Mercer East Windsor Twp
Ewing Twp
Hamilton Twp
Hightstown Boro
Hopewell Twp
Lawrence Twp
Trenton City
Princeton Boro
Robbinsville Twp
West Windsor Twp
Middlesex Cranberry Twp
Edison Twp
Monmouth Allentown Boro
Millstone Twp
Upper Freehold Twp
Morris All municipalities
Ocean Lacey Twp
Ocean Twp
Plumsted Twp
Passaic West Milford Twp
Salem Alloway Twp
Carneys Point Twp
Elmer Boro
Elsinboro Twp
Lower Alloways Creek Twp
Mannington Twp
Oldmans Twp
Pennsville Twp
Pilesgrove Twp
Pittsgove Twp
Quinton Twp
Upper Pittsgrove Twp
Woodstown Boro
Somerset Bedminster Twp
Bernards Twp
Bernardsville Boro
Branchburg Twp
Bridgewater Twp
Far Hills Boro
Hillsborough Twp
Montgomery Twp
Peapack-Gladstone Boro
Raritan Boro
Sussex Andover Twp
Byram Twp
Frankford Twp
Green Twp
Hampton Twp
Hopatcong Boro
Sparta Twp
Vernon Twp
Wantage Twp
Union Elizabeth City
Linden City
Springfield Twp
Union Twp
Warren Blairstown Twp
Franklin Twp
Frelinghuysen Twp
Greenwich Twp
Hardwick Twp
Harmony Twp
Lopatcong Twp
Mansfield Twp
Pohatcong Twp
Washington Twp
White Twp
(12) Rancocas Conservancy Rancocas Watershed Acq Burlington All municipalities 495,000
(13) Raritan Headwaters Association Raritan Headwaters Acq Hunterdon Alexandria Twp 500,000
Bethlehem Twp
Califon Boro
Clinton Town
Clinton Twp
Delaware Twp
East Amwell Twp
Flemington Boro
Franklin Twp
Glen Gardener Boro
Hampton Twp
High Bridge Boro
Lebanon Boro
Lebanon Twp
Raritan Twp
Readington Twp
Tewksbury Twp
Union Twp
West Amwell Twp
Morris Chester Boro
Chester Twp
Mine Hill Twp
Mendham Boro Mendham Twp
Mount Arlington Twp
Mount Olive Twp
Randolph Twp
Roxbury Twp
Washington Twp
Somerset Bedminster Twp
Bernards Twp
Bernardsville Boro
Branchburg Twp
Bridgewater Twp
Far Hills Boro
Hillsborough Twp
Peapack-Gladstone Boro
Raritan Boro
(14) Ridge and Valley Conservancy Open Space Conservation Sussex Andover Boro 500,000
Plan Andover Twp
Frankford Twp
Fredon Twp
Green Twp
Hampton Twp
Hardyston Twp
Lafayette Twp
Sandyston Twp
Stillwater Twp
Wantage Twp
Warren Allamuchy Twp
Blairstown Twp
Frelinghuysen Twp
Hardwick Twp
Hope Twp
Knowlton Twp
Mansfield Twp
White Twp
(15) Ridgeview Conservancy Province Line Woods Acq Mercer Princeton Boro 250,000
(16) South Jersey Land and Water South Jersey Watersheds Gloucester All municipalities 394,410
Salem Carney's Point Twp
Oldmans Twp
Pilesgrove Twp
(17) The Land Conservancy Priority Areas Acq Bergen All municipalities 1,000,000
of New Jersey Essex All municipalities
Middlesex All municipalities
Morris All municipalities
Passaic All municipalities
Somerset All municipalities
Sussex All municipalities
Union All municipalities
Warren All municipalities
(18) The Watershed Institute Watershed Connectors Mercer Hopewell Boro 500,000
Hopewell Twp
Pennington Boro
Princeton Boro
TOTAL $8,810,860
c. The following projects for the development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section:
Nonprofit Project County Municipality Approved
Organization Amount
Branch Brook Park Alliance Branch Brook Park Essex Newark City $500,000
Improvements 2021
Brookdale Park Conservancy Brookdale Park Essex Bloomfield Twp 500,000
Improvements 2021 Montclair Twp
Congregation Ahavas Sholom Lincoln Elementary Essex Orange City Twp 250,000
Schoolyard Improvements
Essex County Parks Foundation Amazing Asia Exhibit – Essex West Orange Twp 500,000
Turtle Back Zoo
Flat Rock Brook Nature Jones Road Area Restoration Bergen Englewood City 500,000
Association
Friends of Passaic County Parks, Inc. Rifle Camp Park Amphitheater Passaic Woodlawn Park Borough 500,000
Hamilton Partnership for Paterson Alexander Hamilton Visitor Passaic Paterson City 225,000
Center Landscaping
South Mountain Conservancy South Mountain Reservation Essex Millburn Twp 500,000
Improvements 2021
SPARK Friends, Inc. Independence Park Essex Newark City 500,000
Trust for Public Land
Improvement 2021
Multi Park Improvements Essex Newark City 500,000
Zoological Society of NJ Amazing Asia Exhibit – Essex West Orange Twp 500,000
Turtle Back Zoo
TOTAL $4,975,000
d. The following stewardship activity projects are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection a. of this section:
Nonprofit Project County Municipality Approved
Organization Amount
African American Fund of NJ Ambrose Ward Mansion Essex East Orange Twp $273,750
Grounds Renovation
D&R Greenway Land Trust Multi-Park Stewardship Burlington Bordentown City 172,900
Hunterdon East Amwell Twp
Mercer Hopewell Twp
Flat Rock Brook Nature Association Boardwalk Trail Restoration Bergen Englewood City 25,000
Friends of Passaic County Parks, Inc. Lambert Tower Historic Passaic Paterson City 290,000
Landscape
Harding Land Trust Gatehouse and Primrose Phase 2 Morris Harding Twp 80,000
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey Nancy Conger West Brook Passaic West Milford Twp 60,000
Riparian Restoration
TOTAL $901,650
e. Any transfer of any funds, or change in project sponsor, site, or type, listed in subsection b., c., or d. of this section shall require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.
f. To the extent that moneys remain available after the projects listed in subsection b., c., or d. of this section are offered funding pursuant thereto, any project of a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization 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 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.
g. 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 qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for the purposes of: (1) this section; and (2) providing additional funding, as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection, to any project of a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization 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, 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.
h. For the purposes of this section:
“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.
“Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund” means the fund established pursuant to section 6 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48).
“Stewardship activity” means the same as the term is defined in section 3 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-45).
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund,” established pursuant to section 6 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-48), the sum of $14,687,510 to implement the provisions of section 1 of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Approved January 18, 2022.