13:8C-37. Use of funds appropriated for farmland preservation
37. a. Moneys appropriated from the Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to the State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes shall be used by the committee to:
(1) Provide grants to local government units to pay up to 80% of the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland, and to qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to pay up to 50% of the cost of acquisition of development easements on farmland as provided in section 39 of this act, provided that any funds received for the transfer of a development easement shall be dedicated to the future purchase of development easements on farmland and the State's pro rata share of any such funds shall be deposited in the Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund and provided that the terms of any such development easement to be acquired by a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization shall be approved by the committee;
(2) Provide grants to local government units to pay up to 80% of the cost of acquisition of fee simple titles to farmland from willing sellers only, and to qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations to pay up to 50% of the cost of acquisition of fee simple titles to farmland from willing sellers only as provided in section 39 of this act, which shall be offered for resale or lease with agricultural deed restrictions, as determined by the committee, and any proceeds received from a resale shall be dedicated for farmland preservation purposes and the State's pro rata share of any such proceeds shall be deposited in the Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund;
(3) Pay the cost of acquisition by the State of development easements on farmland, provided that any funds received for the transfer of a development easement shall be deposited in the Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund; and
(4) Pay the cost of acquisition by the State of fee simple titles to farmland from willing sellers only, which shall be offered for resale or lease with agricultural deed restrictions, as determined by the committee, and any proceeds received from a resale or lease shall be deposited in the Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to be used for the purposes of that fund.
b. 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.
L.1999,c.152,s.37.