13:1L-29 Findings, declarations relative to forest stewardship.

1. a. The Legislature finds and declares that forest lands are critical to the environmental welfare of the State; that forest lands help clean and refresh the air by filtering dust and particulates; that forest lands absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping to reduce global warming; that forest lands help clean and protect the waters of the State, promote replenishment of aquifers, stabilize soils, provide shade, and provide habitat essential to sustaining New Jersey's native biodiversity, including habitat critical for endangered and threatened species and species of special concern; and that it is proper to consider the management of forests in a sustainable manner as an agricultural or horticultural use which yields public benefits.

b. The Legislature further finds and declares that forest lands are critical to the social welfare of the State; that forest lands are a necessary and important part of community and urban environments, and are essential to the maintenance of quality of life in the State; that forest lands afford outdoor recreational opportunities and irreplaceable aesthetic benefits; and that forest lands promote the health of the citizenry by contributing to the availability of clean air and water.

c. The Legislature further finds and declares that forest lands contribute to the economic well being of the State through increased property values, ecotourism, business opportunities, and forest products, and through helping to preserve New Jersey as a place where both employers and skilled and talented employees choose to reside.

d. The Legislature further finds and declares that forest lands are an irreplaceable component of the environment worthy of conservation and stewardship and that they must be nurtured to guarantee sustained and improved yields of forest benefits; that the State's publicly and privately owned forest lands are now seldom managed effectively due to a lack of guidance, resources, and incentives for improved forest stewardship; and that care and management of forest lands could be enhanced through the establishment of a forest stewardship program.

e. The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the public interest to establish a forest stewardship program to develop and promote the long-term active management of the State's forest resources in order to preserve and enhance those resources and realize the benefits thereof.

L.2009, c.256, s.1.