Information for Project Partners
For New Projects
If you would like to submit a new project to the Authority for funding consideration, please read the following information. If your project has already been approved by the Authoritys Board of Commissioners, please read the information in the section below entitled For Existing/Approved Projects.
The Authoritys process for land acquisition follows an annual schedule, which begins with the submission of potential projects to the Authority in June of each year for funding in the following State Fiscal Year (SFY). Following are the general guidelines for project submission and funding, along with a brief description of what is required at each milestone. 
JUNE
All new potential land acquisition projects must be submitted to the Authority no later than June 15th of each year. Information required for the submission includes:
Block, Lot, Municipality, County
Proximity to existing preserved lands, map preferred
Proposed post-closing manager of property, proposed plans for utilization of property
List of potential or confirmed project partners and amount each will contribute
Proposed timeframe for closing
JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
Site visits to new potential land acquisition targets.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
Internal Authority review of all potential land projects.
OCTOBER
Authority Board of Commissioners meeting to discuss and choose final land projects.
NOVEMBER
Authority written notification to all potential project partners of which projects have been chosen.
For Existing/Approved Projects
If your project has already been approved by the Authoritys Board of Commissioners for funding, there are several important milestones and deadlines throughout the calendar year that must be met in order to obtain funding. These deadlines are accurate for the SFY2013 funding cycle, which provides funds for land projects closing at the end of 2012 and into 2013. These deadlines may change from year to year. If you would like to submit a new project to the Authority for funding consideration, please read the information in the section above entitled For New Projects.
MARCH 5, 2012
Deadline to submit required appraisal(s) to Green Acres
Deadline to submit a Preliminary Assessment (PA) to Green Acres
JULY 13, 2012
Deadline to submit Green Acres Certification of Market Value (CMV) to the Authority
Deadline to submit Green Acres PA review/response to the Authority. Any areas of concern identified in the PA must have been addressed and/or remediated to Green Acres satisfaction by this time.
Deadline to submit an Authority-approved and fully executed contract of sale (or assignment agreement) to which the Authority is a party, to the Authority
Deadline to submit the seller-completed Public Law 2005, Chapter 51/ Executive Order 117 paperwork, commonly known as the Pay to Play or Disclosure of Political Contributions documentation to the Authority. Sellers of property that the Authority is purchasing are considered vendors under these requirements. Current versions of these forms are located here.
Deadline to submit a letter from the municipality confirming that the property to be preserved has not been identified by or otherwise designated for use in meeting municipal fair share housing obligations. A template of this letter will be provided by the Authority
General Information About the Acquisition Process
Once your project has been approved by the Authoritys Board of Commissioners and you have been notified in writing of the same, use the deadlines above as a guide for the timing of the project. Following are additional general details and guidelines for negotiations and due diligence during the acquisition process.
In your negotiations with the seller, it is important to remember that the Authority is an Agency of the State of New Jersey, and therefore must follow strict guidelines for its acquisitions (i.e. limitations on political contributions). If you have not worked with the Authority before on an acquisition, it is very important that you discuss these requirements with Authority staff before entering into a contract for sale with a land owner.
The Authoritys land acquisition funds cannot be used as a match for a matching grant from the State Green Acres program. Other partners or funding sources must match Green Acres funds for the purchase price of the property.
The Authority will take a fee simple undivided interest in the property and share the title to the property with the other partner(s) after closing. The Authority no longer participates in the acquisition of conservation easements.
All appraisals, Preliminary Assessments, surveys, and title commitments must adhere to the standard Green Acres rules and technical guidelines. In addition to the standard Green Acres technical requirements for surveys, there are additional survey requirements for properties the Authority plans to purchase. Please discuss this with Authority staff before seeking survey proposals.
The Authority requires that all lands it acquires have a formalized Maintenance and Management Plan with the entity who will be the propertys steward post-closing. A template will be provided by the Authority for this agreement.
A Deed of Conservation Restriction (DCR) will be placed on the property on the corresponding number of acres relative to the percentage of ownership the Authority will hold. For example, if the Authority contributes 20% of the purchase price, then 20% of the acres will be restricted under this DCR. The location of the Restriction is negotiated between the Authority and its project partners. The details of this DCR are very important and should be discussed as early as possible in the acquisition process. The location of the Restriction will be reflected on the survey, so please discuss this with Authority staff before seeking proposals for surveys.
All documents to which the Authority will be a signatory must be reviewed by the Authoritys Deputy Attorney General (DAG) prior to signature. This will be facilitated by Authority staff.
General Information About the Closing Process
As the project draws nearer to the closing date, many details need to be coordinated with Authority staff. In general, the following list outlines the documents and requirements needed to get to closing, many of which have been outlined in previous sections of this page:
Executed Maintenance and Management Agreement; the Authority will provide a template for this document.
Seller-executed Imminent Purchase Letter; the Authority will provide a template for this letter.
The Authority and its DAG must review and approve the survey. The Authority requires 4 paper copies of the final Green Acres-approved survey and a copy of the electronic AutoCAD file. Once these copies are received, the DCR can be prepared and circulated for signature. The DCR must be executed by all eventual owners of the property prior to closing. The preparation and execution of the DCR will be facilitated by Authority staff.
The Authority and its DAG must review and approve the title binder and 24-hour title rundown. This review and approval will be facilitated by Authority staff.
The Authority and its DAG must review and approve the conveyance deed(s). There is specific language that must be included in the deed(s), which Authority staff will provide. The Authority does not prepare these documents. The review and approval of the deed(s) will be facilitated by Authority staff.
For more information on the NJWSA's Land and Resource Preservation Program, contact Julie Anne Hajdusek. Property Administrator, at (908) 685-0315 x226 or Julie@raritanbasin.org
