New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is strongly criticizing Democratic lawmakers for trying to get a bill passed to change open space funding - that he vetoed - by placing it on the November ballot as a constitutional amendment.
New Jersey votes will get to decide in November whether to dedicate a portion of the state's business tax revenue to protecting open space and farmland.
New Jersey's top environmental official said the state's open-space program can limp along for another year with about $100 million from canceled projects and repaid loans but no long-term funding source for land and historic preservation has been established.
In an effort to crackdown on illegal dumping in state parks and natural lands, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has launched a year-long pilot program, "Don't Waste Our Open Space," which combines enforcement and education to combat the problem.
A proposal that would ensure long-term funding for land preservation by redirecting a portion of existing tax collections advanced Monday after its first public hearing.
The stalemate over how to fund future open space purchases continued Thursday, with legislative committees in the Senate and Assembly advancing competing proposals.