Allows State-owned, municipally-managed Blue Acres lands to be used for freshwater wetlands mitigation projects.
This bill (A 3861) adds State-owned, municipally-managed "Blue Acres" land as a permitted option for developers to compensate for freshwater wetland loss caused by construction projects. It allows wetland creation, enhancement, or restoration on Blue Acres land (property acquired by the State for recreation/conservation, often flood-prone or buffer land managed by municipalities) if both the State and the municipality grant permission. Currently, developers can use private land or contribute to a Wetlands Mitigation Bank when on-site wetland restoration isn't feasible; this bill creates a fourth option using Blue Acres land. The change directly affects developers seeking wetland mitigation, municipalities managing Blue Acres properties, and the Department of Environmental Protection overseeing permit approvals.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Craig Coughlin
DDemocratic
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about A 3861
Scope: NJ
Hi! I can help you understand A 3861. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline