Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ALIXON COLLAZOS-GILL
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Fantasia, Assemblymen Inganamort, Bergen, Barlas, Azzariti Jr. and Webber
SYNOPSIS
Allocates $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated CBT revenue for preservation of land in Highlands Region; extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the preservation and protection of land in the Highlands Region, amending P.L.2019, c.136 and P.L.1999, c.152, amending and supplementing P.L.2004, c.120, and supplementing P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 26 of P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-26) is amended to read as follows:
26. a. Moneys appropriated from the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection shall be used by the department to:
(1) Pay the cost of acquisition and development of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes;
(2) Provide grants and loans to assist local government units to pay the cost of acquisition and development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes; and
(3) Provide grants to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to pay the cost of acquisition and development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
b. The expenditure and allocation of constitutionally dedicated moneys for recreation and conservation purposes shall reflect the geographic diversity of the State to the maximum extent practicable and feasible.
c. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5 of P.L.1985, c.310 (C.13:18A-34) or [this act] P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et seq.) , or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, the value of a pinelands development credit, allocated to a parcel pursuant to P.L.1979, c.111 (C.13:18A-1 et seq.) and the pinelands comprehensive management plan adopted pursuant thereto, shall be made utilizing a value to be determined by either appraisal, regional averaging based upon appraisal data, or a formula supported by appraisal data. The appraisal and appraisal data shall consider as appropriate: land values in the pinelands regional growth areas; land values in counties, municipalities, and other areas reasonably contiguous to, but outside of, the pinelands area; and other relevant factors as may be necessary to maintain the environmental, ecological, and agricultural qualities of the pinelands area.
(2) No pinelands development credit allocated to a parcel of land pursuant to P.L.1979, c.111 (C.13:18A-1 et seq.) and the pinelands comprehensive management plan adopted pursuant thereto that is acquired or obtained in connection with the acquisition of the parcel for recreation and conservation purposes by the State, a local government unit, or a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization using constitutionally dedicated moneys in whole or in part may be conveyed in any manner. All such pinelands development credits shall be retired permanently.
d. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.70)
e. Moneys appropriated from the fund may be used to match grants, contributions, donations, or reimbursements from federal aid programs or from other public or private sources established for the same or similar purposes as the fund.
f. Moneys appropriated from the fund shall not be used by local government units or qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire lands that are already permanently preserved for recreation and conservation purposes, as determined by the department.
g. Whenever lands are donated to the State by a public utility, as defined pursuant to Title 48 of the Revised Statutes, for recreation and conservation purposes, the commissioner may make and keep the lands accessible to the public, unless the commissioner determines that public accessibility would be detrimental to the lands or any natural resources associated therewith.
h. Whenever the State acquires land for recreation and conservation purposes, the agency in the Department of Environmental Protection responsible for administering the land shall, within six months after the date of acquisition, inspect the land for the presence of any buildings or structures thereon which are or may be historic properties and, within 60 days after completion of the inspection, provide to the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office in the department (1) a written notice of its findings, and (2) for any buildings or structures which are or may be historic properties discovered on the land, a request for determination of potential eligibility for inclusion of the historic building or structure in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Whenever such a building or structure is discovered, a copy of the written notice provided to the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office shall also be sent to the New Jersey Historic Trust and to the county historical commission or advisory committee, the county historical society, the local historic preservation commission or advisory committee, and the local historical society if any of those entities exist in the county or municipality wherein the land is located.
i. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.70)
j. (1) Commencing on the date
of enactment of P.L.2004, c.120 (C.13:20-1 et al.) and through June 30, [2024] 2029
for lands located in the Highlands Region as defined pursuant to section 3 of
P.L.2004, c.120 (C.13:20-3), when the department, a local government unit, or a
qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization seeks to acquire lands for
recreation and conservation purposes using constitutionally dedicated moneys in
whole or in part, Green
Acres bond act moneys in whole or in part, or constitutionally dedicated CBT moneys pursuant to P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.) in whole or in part, it shall conduct or cause to be conducted an appraisal or appraisals of the value of the lands that shall be made using (a) the land use zoning of the lands, and any State environmental laws or Department of Environmental Protection rules and regulations that may affect the value of the lands, subject to the appraisal and in effect at the time of proposed acquisition, and (b) the land use zoning of the lands, and any State environmental laws or Department of Environmental Protection rules and regulations that may affect the value of the lands, subject to the appraisal and in effect on January 1, 2004. The higher of those two values shall be utilized by the department, a local government unit, or a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization as the basis for negotiation with the landowner with respect to the acquisition price for the lands. The landowner shall be provided with