The NJDEP Blue Acres Program purchases improved residential lots in flood prone areas in cooperation with FEMA and once acquired, removes the structures and improvements from the floodplain. The project area for surveys may include lands for which the buyout sales have already closed or are under contract and pending closing. The NJDEP Green Acres Program provides technical support to Blue Acres, including contracting for and reviewing all survey work associated with Blue Acres buyouts. Surveys for Blue Acres must conform to all Green Acres standards, with a few distinctions described below.

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Acquisition Surveys for Blue Acres

No vertical data or Flood Elevation Certificates are required for Blue Acres Acquisition surveys; guidelines for Blue Acres Elevation Surveys and Certificates are pending.

A Blue Acres Survey is for property boundary survey work of land only, described in the NJPCS NAD83 bearings with corner markers set and metes and bounds descriptions provided per the NJDEP Green Acres Standard Scope of Survey Work, which includes standards and requirements for all work reviewed by Green Acres.

As directed by your client (municipality, county, nonprofit or State Government), you may omit locating or showing any structures on the property unless required when it affects boundary such as physical encroachments of fences, buildings, concrete, asphalt or similar items that influence boundary line determination. In a factual note state if “Property is unimproved” or if “Property contains   (list description of structures and improvements and utilities that service the lot)    but have been omitted from being shown per contract with     (name your client)    as all buildings, structures and improvements are to be demolished post acquisition by     (name your client)   .”

In addition to the separate plans and descriptions for each lot or group of lots per N/F owner, produce one signed PDF copy of a composite plan entitled “Blue Acres Project Map” for the entire project area (provide this on the CD deliverable) and two paper copies. The Blue Acres Project Map is a scaled mosaic or drawing of tax map lots (not necessarily a copy from a tax map) identifying all of the PQ lots in this project by N/F owner(s) name, Owner ID (or File) #, tax block and lot numbers, municipality, county and street address. The Blue Acres Project Map will later be utilized as the record drawing to show all corner markers actually set (corner marking is to occur after demolition of structures on all individual project lots is complete), at which time a new signed PDF and two paper copies of this updated plan will be required.

One Surveyor’s Certification and Summary Form (and one paper project map as above) must accompany each set of plans and descriptions per each N/F owner.

Label all corner markers that are going to be installed as “set” and in a factual note indicate that the “corner markers shown hereon as ‘set’ shall be installed by surveyor following notification by client of demolition of all structures hereon.  All markers shall be installed not later than one year from date of survey.”

The Deed Description must follow the requirements for Green Acres surveys.