This bill proposes a supplemental appropriation of $17 million for Fiscal Year 2024 to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to fund grants aimed at the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes. The DEP is tasked with establishing a program to allocate these funds to qualified entities, which include various commissions, local government units, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to lake management. The bill emphasizes the importance of prioritizing projects that enhance water quality and recreational access, particularly those that address nutrient control to prevent harmful algal blooms.

Additionally, the bill outlines that grants may be utilized for stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities that directly benefit lake use for recreation and conservation. The DEP is required to develop criteria for evaluating and ranking grant applications, ensuring that projects submitted by entities responsible for publicly accessible lakes receive priority. This initiative follows a previous appropriation of $10 million made during the 2020-2021 legislative session for similar lake management activities.