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SENATE, No. 4424 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 222nd LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED JUNE 4, 2026 Sponsored by: Senator BOB SMITH District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset) Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex) Assemblyman ANTHONY ANGELOZZI District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington) Assemblywoman MAUREEN ROWAN District 2 (Atlantic) Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex) Co-Sponsored by: Senators Wimberly, Turner, Gopal, McKnight, Pennacchio, Corrado and Assemblyman Bhalla SYNOPSIS Appropriates $15,546,575 to DEP from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and for certain administrative expenses. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As introduced. An Act appropriating $15,546,575 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, and for certain administrative expenses. Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. a. 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). b. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection, for the purpose of providing grants to assist qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to subsection c. of this section, to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to subsection d. of this section, and to undertake stewardship activities pursuant to subsection e. of this section: (1) the sum of $8,200,000 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) (2) $6,915,075 from the “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund,” the “Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund,” and any Green Acres fund established pursuant to a Green Acres bond act, made available due to project cancellations and withdrawals. c. The following projects for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of this section: Nonprofit Organization Project County Municipality Approved Amount (1) D & R Greenway Land Trust Greenway Acquisitions Burlington All municipalities $534,948 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 (2) Lamington Conservancy Central Lamington Project Hunterdon Readington Twp, Tewksbury Twp $240,000 Morris Chester Twp, Washington Twp Somerset Bedminster Twp, Peapack-Gladstone Boro (3) New Jersey Conservation Foundation Priority Area Acquisitions Atlantic Buena Vista Twp Egg Harbor City Egg Harbor Twp Estell Manor City Folsom Boro Galloway Twp Hamilton Twp Hammonton Town Mullica Twp Weymouth Twp $5,163,000 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 Essex West Orange Twp Gloucester Franklin Twp Logan Twp South Harrison Twp Woolwich Twp Hudson Jersey City Hunterdon All municipalities Mercer East Windsor Twp Ewing Twp Hamilton Twp Hightstown Boro Hopewell Twp Lawrence Twp Princeton Boro Robbinsville Twp Trenton City West Windsor Twp Middlesex Cranbury 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 Pittsgrove 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 Allamuchy Twp Blairstown Twp Franklin Twp Frelinghuysen Twp Greenwich Twp Hardwick Twp Harmony Twp Hope Twp Independence Twp Knowlton Twp Liberty Twp Lopatcong Twp Mansfield Twp Oxford Twp Pohatcong Twp Washington Twp White Twp (4) Old Pine Farm Natural Lands Trust Old Pine Farm Greenway Gloucester Deptford Twp Gloucester Twp $65,000 (5) Ridge and Valley Conservancy Open Space Conservation Plan Sussex Andover Boro Andover Twp Frankford Twp Fredon Twp Green Twp Hampton Twp Hardyston Twp Lafayette Twp Sandyston Twp Sparta Twp Stillwater Twp Wantage Twp $66,000 Warren Allamuchy Twp Blairstown Twp Frelinghuysen Twp Hardwick Twp Hope Twp Knowlton Twp Mansfield Twp White Twp (6) South Jersey Land and Water Trust South Jersey Watersheds Atlantic All municipalities $519,000 Camden All municipalities Cape May All municipalities Cumberland All municipalities Gloucester All municipalities Salem All municipalities (7) Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum Smith Grover House Acquisition Somerset Montgomery Twp $182,125 (8) The Land Conservancy of New Jersey Priority Areas Acq. Bergen All municipalities $2,827,000 Essex All municipalities Middlesex All municipalities Morris All municipalities Ocean All municipalities Passaic All municipalities Somerset All municipalities Sussex All municipalities Union All municipalities Warren All municipalities TOTAL $9,597,073 d. The following projects for the development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of this section: Nonprofit Organization Project County Municipality Approved Amount Branch Brook Park Alliance Branch Brook Park Improvements Essex Newark City $773,980 Verona Park Conservancy Verona Park Children's Garden Improvements Essex Verona Twp $355,000 Zoological Society of New Jersey Turtle Back Zoo African Adventure Exhibit Improvements Essex West Orange Twp $2,440,862 Camp Dill Foundation Camp Dill Improvements Hunterdon Clinton Twp $19,000 Friends of Hopewell Quarry Hopewell Quarry Development Mercer Hopewell Boro $212,410 Hamilton Area YMCA Sawmill Rehabilitation Project Mercer Hamilton Twp $140,000 Friends of Dey Mansion Dey Mansion Site Improvements Passaic Wayne Twp $475,000 Friends of Passaic County Parks Goffle Brook Park Improvements Passaic Hawthorne Boro $814,250 TOTAL $5,230,502 e. The following stewardship activity projects are eligible for funding with the moneys appropriated pursuant to subsection b. of this section: Nonprofit Organization Project County Municipality Approved Amount Friends of Passaic County Parks Highlands Farm Restoration Passaic Bloomingdale Boro $287,500 TOTAL $287,500 f. Any transfer of any funds, or change in project sponsor, site, or type, listed in subsection c., d., or e. of this section shall require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor. g. To the extent that moneys remain available after the projects listed in subsection c., d., or e. 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. h. 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. 2. There is appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection the sum of $431,500 from 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 paying administrative costs associated with administering the applicable provisions of P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.). 3. 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 $8,631,500 to implement the provisions of this act. 4. This act shall take effect immediately. STATEMENT The bill appropriates $15,546,575 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), of which $15,115,075 is to provide grants to various nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes and $431,500 is to be used by the DEP for associated administrative costs. Of the amount appropriated by the bill to provide grants to various nonprofit entities: $9,597,073 is allocated for eight acquisition projects; $5,230,502 is allocated for eight park development projects; and $287,500 is allocated for one stewardship activity project. The bill also would allow the DEP to re-distribute certain other moneys, which have been returned to the department due to project withdrawals, cancellations, or cost savings, for the purpose of providing additional funding, for recreation and conservation purposes, to previously approved and funded projects of nonprofit entities, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. This additional funding, if provided from a Green Acres bond act, may include administrative costs. The projects listed in the bill have been approved by the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust. The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution. The “Preserve New Jersey Act,” P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The “Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund” was established by section 6 of the “Preserve New Jersey Act.” The act provides that a certain amount of the portion of dedicated CBT revenues allocated each year for the Green Acres program is to be used for: the acquisition of lands for open space, including Blue Acres projects, and development projects on State lands administered by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry; grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects; and grants to nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
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