4:1B-10. Joint legislative oversight committee

The Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Environment and the Senate Committee on Agriculture are hereby designated as the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for the Agricultural Preserve Demonstration Program. The duties and responsibilities of the committee shall be as follows:

a. To review and evaluate the proposed rules, regulations and guidelines for the implementation and administration of the agricultural preserve program, in terms of feasibility, effect and conformance with the intentions and provisions of this act.

b. To analyze the progress of the program prior to the State acquisition of development easements to prime agricultural lands, so as to determine the advisability of proceeding therewith.

c. To conduct a final program review and evaluation following the State acquisition of such easements; such final review and evaluation shall be conducted and transmitted to the Legislature within 1 year of such acquisition, and shall include the following:

(1) A statement of the social, economic and environmental effects of the program on the program area and on the State;

(2) An evaluation of the impact of the program on agriculture and related industries in this State;

(3) An analysis of the mechanism of the State purchase of developments rights to prime agricultural lands as a means of preserving agricultural open space, the feasibility of further use of such mechanism in other areas of the State, and potential sources of funding therefor; and,

(4) An identification of possible alternative methods of preserving agricultural open space in New Jersey.

d. To review and evaluate all relevant existing and proposed statutes, rules, regulations and ordinances, so as to determine the individual and cumulative effect upon the conduct of agricultural activities in this State.

e. To recommend to the Legislature and to the departments, prior to, during and following the implementation of the program, any legislation, rule, regulation, guideline, or revision thereto which it deems necessary in order to effectuate the purposes of this act or the findings of the committee concerning the program created herein.

The departments are hereby directed to cooperate with the committee in providing any assistance or information necessary for or incident to the performance of the duties and responsibilities of the committee as herein provided.

L.1976, c. 50, s. 10, eff. July 22, 1976.