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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey allocates $500,000 to Department of Environmental Protection for Peckman River dredging and restoration
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste CommitteeSponsors: Al Barlas and 2 others
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What This Bill Would Do
New Jersey appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund dredging, cleaning, and restoration work along the Peckman River. The funds are allocated to the Township of Cedar Grove, the Township of Little Falls, the Township of Verona, and the Borough of Woodland Park through an application process established by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. The measure also requires the Department of Environmental Protection to waive permit fees for activities consistent with the and the municipalities' joint plan.
Local municipalities gain access to state grant funding and fee waivers to offset the costs of river maintenance projects intended to manage waterways and reduce flood risks.
- The Peckman River is a tributary of the Passaic River flowing through Essex and Passaic counties in New Jersey. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Township of Cedar Grove
Eligible to receive a share of the supplemental appropriation and submit a joint application for river restoration activities.
Township of Little Falls
Eligible to receive a share of the supplemental appropriation and submit a joint application for river restoration activities.
Township of Verona
Eligible to receive a share of the supplemental appropriation and submit a joint application for river restoration activities.
Borough of Woodland Park
Eligible to receive a share of the supplemental appropriation and submit a joint application for river restoration activities.
Department of Environmental Protection
Receives the $500,000 appropriation, administers the application process, and waives applicable permit fees.
Key Facts
- The bill appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection for the Peckman River Dredging and Restoration Project.
- Funds are allocated to the Township of Cedar Grove, the Township of Little Falls, the Township of Verona, and the Borough of Woodland Park.
- Allocation of funds is subject to an application process established by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and approval by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.
- Eligible activities include dredging, restoration, cleaning, desnagging, and other purposes consistent with the Statewide general permit and the municipalities' joint plan.
Show all 6 facts
- The Department of Environmental Protection is required to waive any permit fee for activities consistent with the general permit and joint plan.
- Participating municipalities must file a joint application on a form prescribed by the commissioner, including their joint plan for the river restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which municipalities are eligible to receive funding from this appropriation?
What activities are covered by the Peckman River Dredging and Restoration Project?
Do the participating municipalities have to pay permit fees to the Department of Environmental Protection?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Inter-municipal Grant Distribution
Funds are distributed across four municipalities in two different counties through a coordinated joint plan submitted to the state.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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