New Jersey S 935: Establishes Forest Fire Preparedness Commission in DEP.

Bill Text

S935 

SENATE, No. 935 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Space and Amato

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Forest Fire Preparedness Commission in 
DEP.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act establishing a Forest Fire Preparedness Commission in 
the Department of Environmental Protection.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� There is established, 
in the Department of Environmental Protection, the "Forest Fire 
Preparedness Commission."

���� b.� The commission shall 
consist of 20 members, as follows:

���� (1) the Commissioner of 
Environmental Protection, ex officio, or the commissioner's designee, who shall 
serve as chairperson;

���� (2) the State Firewarden 
appointed pursuant to R.S.13:9-7, ex officio, or the State Firewarden's 
designee;

���� (3) the three division forest 
firewardens appointed pursuant to R.S.13:9-7, ex officio, or the firewardens' 
designees;

���� (4) the Director of the 
Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs, or the 
director's designee;

���� (5) the New Jersey State 
Police Superintendent, ex officio, or the superintendent's designee;

���� (6) the Director of the 
Division of Fish and Wildlife, ex officio, or the director's designee; and

���� (7) 12 members appointed by 
the Commissioner of Environmental Protection no later than 60 days after the 
effective date of this act, including: 

���� (a) three district forest 
firewardens employed by the State Forest Fire Service;

���� (b) one member of the Highlands 
Water Protection and Planning Council established pursuant to section 4 of 
P.L.2004, c.120 (C.13:20-4);

���� (c) one member of the 
Pinelands commission established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1979, c.11 
(C.13:18A-4);

���� (d) one member of the Fish and 
Game Council;

���� (e) one officer of the New 
Jersey Forestry Association;

���� (f) four members of State, 
regional, county, or municipal firefighting or other emergency response 
organizations; and

���� (g) one member of the public 
with knowledge or experience in managing woodlands.

���� c.� The Forest Fire 
Preparedness Commission shall hold its initial meeting as soon as practicable, 
but no later than 90 days after the effective date of this act.� The commission 
shall meet no less than six times per year at such places and times as the 
chairperson may designate.� The commission shall hold a minimum of two annual 
public hearings. �The chairperson may appoint a secretary who need not be a 
member of the commission.� A majority of the membership of the commission shall 
constitute a quorum for the transaction of commission business.

���� d.� The Forest Fire 
Preparedness Commission shall meet with key stakeholders, advocates, and 
experts, and shall consult with policy experts in firefighting, forest fire 
mitigation techniques, forest stewardship, emergency response, environmental 
science, or other applicable fields.

���� e.� The Department of Environmental 
Protection shall provide professional, stenographic, and clerical staff to the commission, 
as may be necessary for the Forest Fire Preparedness Commission to carry out 
its duties.� The commission shall also be entitled to call upon the services of 
any State, county, or municipal department, board, commission, or agency, as 
may be available to it for its purposes.

���� f.� The duties of the Forest 
Fire Preparedness Commission shall be to carry out an audit of the State's 
readiness to prevent, mitigate, and respond to wildfires, and to establish 
protocols to ensure that municipal, county, regional, and State emergency response 
organizations, including police, firefighting, and medical responders, 
communicate regularly and effectively so that they carry out a coordinated and 
effective response to any wildfires in the State.� To carry out these duties, 
the commission shall:

���� (1) review the existing the 
State forest fire plan prepared pursuant to P.L.1955, c.224 (C.32:24-1 et seq.);

���� (2) review the provisions of 
the Middle Atlantic Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact entered into 
pursuant to P.L.1955, c.224 (C.32:24-1 et seq.);

���� (3) review any relevant local 
or regional forest management plans or fire prevention plans;

���� (4) conduct an audit of the 
current readiness of the State to prevent, mitigate, and respond to wildfires, 
with particular attention paid to areas that have the potential to threaten 
lives and property, and including an assessment of the efficacy of the use of 
controlled burns in the State;

���� (5) provide recommendations to 
the Governor and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 
(