N.J. Admin. Code § 7:36-15.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 7:36-15.1 - General provisions and funding policies

(a) Nonprofits may apply to the Department for Green Acres matching grant funding for the acquisition of land for public recreation and conservation purposes, to a maximum of 50 percent of the allowable project costs at 7:36-15.9. There is no minimum or maximum amount that a nonprofit may request as a matching grant in such an application.

(b) Each year, the Department shall establish a maximum funding limit per project or per applicant based on total funding requests, available funds, project priorities established under 7:36-18.1, the legislative findings of the Garden State Preservation Trust Act (13:8C-2) , and such considerations as the nonprofit's progress in expending any approved Green Acres funding, geographic distribution of applications, and total population or population density of the county and/or municipality(ies) in which the proposed project site is located.

(c) Any Green Acres funding award is subject to legislative appropriation.

(d) A nonprofit that is awarded Green Acres funding shall execute and donate to the State, at no charge, a permanent conservation restriction, historic preservation restriction, or both, as applicable, on the project site. The restriction shall be prepared or approved by the State.

(e) All land acquired with Green Acres funding must be accessible to the public, unless the Commissioner determines that public accessibility would pose an unacceptable risk to the land or its natural resources.

(f) A nonprofit that is awarded Green Acres funding is responsible for obtaining all permits and meeting all requirements of all Federal statutes, Green Acres laws, and other State, County, and local statutes, regulations, and ordinances, as applicable, related to the project.

(g) The disbursement of Green Acres funding to a nonprofit shall not exceed the actual amount the nonprofit expended for all allowable project costs listed under 7:36-15.9.

(h) The Department encourages each nonprofit to review and consider the applicable Landscape Maps, developed by the Department's Division of Fish and Wildlife, during the formulation of its recreation and planning goals, and as part of its preparation of a Green Acres application. Information about the Landscape Maps can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/ fgw/ensp/landscape or by writing to the Division of Fish & Wildlife, P.O. Box 400, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0400.

(i) It is the responsibility of the nonprofit to obtain and utilize the most current applicable forms required as part of a Green Acres acquisition project. All forms can be obtained from Green Acres at PO Box 412, Trenton, New Jersey 08625.

(j) A nonprofit that has not demonstrated reasonable progress in completing a previously approved Green Acres project or is not in compliance with the requirements of this chapter, such as by not maintaining its funded parkland in accordance with the terms of the project agreement or conservation or historic preservation restriction required under (c) above, may be ineligible for funding.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:36-15.1