Category: What’s New

Wharton State Forest – Guided Land-Based Educational Tours License

The Department has withdrawn the bid opportunity to conduct land-based educational tours in Wharton State Forest.

Additional information may be found here.

High Point State Park – Cross-Country Ski/Snowshoe Concession (Last Updated September 18, 2024)

Last modified on September 18th, 2024 at 3:21 pm

One Concession Opportunity for a Cross-Country Ski/Snowshoe Concession at High Point State Park in Montague Township, Sussex County is now available:

Information about how to apply for the Concession may be found here.

Applications will be accepted until noon on October 3, 2024.

***Please note that revisions were made to the Bid Specification Document, Exhibit F – Payment Schedule, and the Concession Agreement***

Bid Deadline Extended–Spring Meadow – Golf Course & Inn Lease

The Department is seeking bids for the operation of the Spring Meadow Golf Course & Inn in Wall Township, Monmouth County.

Information about how to submit a bid proposal for the lease may be found here.

The Department has extended the bid deadline for this lease.  Bids will now be accepted until noon on August 22, 2024.

New Form–Diversion Exemption Requests for Certain Water Treatment Facilities

Throughout New Jersey, many municipal water systems are grappling with the need to install treatment facilities for their drinking water wells to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or other drinking water contaminants for which the Department has established maximum contaminant levels under the New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act, N.J.S.A. 58:12A-1 et seq.

In many locations, municipal drinking water wells are located on municipally-owned land that is subject to restriction as Green Acres encumbered parkland.  In these locations, while operation of a preexisting well is not a violation of the Green Acres restrictions on the parkland, the installation of treatment equipment, facilities or other improvements to treat the drinking water from the well is not consistent with the Green Acres restrictions (which limit the use of the surrounding land to recreation and conservation purposes).  Under the current Green Acres rules at N.J.A.C. 7:36, construction of such treatment equipment, facilities and improvements constitutes a diversion of parkland.

Given the pressing need to address the public health concerns posed by PFAS and other drinking water contaminants as quickly as possible, on July 20, 2023, Governor Murphy signed legislation creating a process by which municipalities may apply for an exemption from the Green Acres diversion process for certain treatment equipment, facilities and/or improvements proposed to be installed on Green Acres encumbered parkland to serve a pre-existing drinking water well.  The legislation is codified at N.J.S.A. 13:8C-53a and may be found here.

OTPLA has now launched a form for requesting an exemption under N.J.S.A. 13:8C-53a.  The form may be found here:  https://njdepwptest.net/otpla/public-land-compliance/water-treatment-facility-diversion-exemption-requests/.

Rulemaking Update

 

 

 

Starting in late November 2022, the State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration (OTPLA) conducted a series of stakeholder meetings to obtain public input on Subchapters 25 and 26 of the Green Acres Program rules, N.J.A.C. 7:36.  The Green Acres Program rules may be found at:  https://njdepwptest.net/wp-content/uploads/greenacres/pdf/njac7_36.pdf 

Subchapters 25 and 26 govern the maintenance of Green Acres encumbered parkland and other post-funding responsibilities, including the diversion and disposal application processes. The Green Acres rules are not set to expire until December 2025. However, since the Department has not made substantial changes to the rules since 2005, we plan to update the rules before they expire. As part of this update, we will be moving these two subchapters (25 and 26) into a new chapter specific to OTPLA.

Video recordings of the meetings, and additional information about topics that may be addressed in the rulemaking, may be found at: https://njdepwptest.net/otpla/category/plc-public-notices/rulemaking-notices/

If you wish to comment on these subchapters, or have any questions about this rulemaking initiative, please send an email to us at otpla@njdepwptest.net and include the word “Rulemaking” in the subject line.  We would prefer to receive written comments by February 28, 2023.

 

What is OTPLA?

About us 

The Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration (OTPLA) combines the transactional support focus of the Department’s Legal, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs (LRLA) group with the critical land management and compliance functions of the former Green Acres Bureau of Legal Services and Stewardship, the former Office of Leases and Concessions and the former Green Acres real estate closing team.  

Three sections of OTPLA 

Goals of OTPLA 

  • Improve LRLA’s support of the Department’s contracting needs
  • Manage the State acquisition closing process 
  • Implement a consistent approach to the appropriate uses of State and local Green Acres-encumbered parkland 
  • Develop new and updated policies, protocols for public lands under the Department’s ownership or jurisdiction 
  • Standardize review and approval of conveyances, leases, licenses, easements and conservation restrictions, management agreements, requests for proposals and other land management documents 
  • Develop conservation restriction release guidelines  
  • Support key land management initiatives  

OTPLA is led by Director Robert S. Guzek, Jr. Esq. and assisted by Assistant Director Judeth Yeany and Policy Advisor Marlen Dooley. 

Contact us
OTPLA@njdepwptest.net