N.J. Admin. Code § 7:7A-11.24

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 7:7A-11.24 - New Jersey In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program grant funding procedures

(a) The Program Administrator shall publish, on the Department's website, a request for grant proposals for the water regions in which funding is available in the Wetland Mitigation Fund in accordance with the ILF Program Instrument.

(b) To be eligible for funding, interested applicants must submit a conceptual ILF grant proposal in response to the request for proposals. A conceptual proposal shall be prepared in accordance with the ILF Program Instrument and shall:

1. Identify the location of the project (including service area, county, and municipality);

2. Identify the amount of wetlands to be preserved, enhanced, created, or restored;

3. Identify the amount of money requested for the project;

4. Include a detailed explanation of the proposed budget;

5. Identify the amount of proposed credits to be generated; and

6. Include a summary of the proposal.

(c) If the Council determines that a conceptual proposal is eligible to be submitted as a full proposal, the full proposal shall be submitted within 90 days after conceptual approval and shall include:

1. The information required in the appropriate restoration, creation, and/or enhancement mitigation proposal checklist, available from the Department's website at the address set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-1.4, and described at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-11.6(i); and

2. The following information prepared in accordance with the ILF Program Instrument:

i. A cover page that identifies the title of the project, location of the project including lot and block numbers, municipality, county, and watershed management area, applicant's name, address, phone number, and e-mail, funding amount requested, and project cost;

ii. A scope of work that includes background information, goals, objective, and approach, and project partners;

iii. A project implementation schedule;

iv. Detailed budget narratives justifying all proposed expenses; and

v. An appendix that includes any prior permits or Letters of Interpretation issued for the property; maps, aerial photographs, photographs, plans, or drawings of the proposed project, a map of known contaminated sites, and a landscape map for the project area.

(d) Prior to the Council and the grantee entering into a contract, the Council shall send all approved proposals to the USEPA for review and consultation as follows:

1. The grantee must address any comments or concerns raised by the USEPA; and

2. The USEPA shall have 15 business days to review the proposed project. The USEPA may or may not issue comments on the project. If no response is received by the Council from the USEPA, the Council will assume that the USEPA has no objections to the project and will proceed with the contracting process.

(e) Each approved project shall have a project contract agreement. The grantee and the Council shall be held to the terms and the conditions of the contract.

(f) At any point during the contract, if the grantee fails to perform in accordance with the proposal, the contract, or the permit, the Council can take the steps necessary to terminate the contract and return any unused money back to the Wetland Mitigation Fund to be reallocated to another wetland mitigation project.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:7A-11.24

Adopted by 49 N.J.R. 3849(a), effective 12/18/2017