New Jersey § 13:1l-17

§ 13:1l-17.

The Legislature finds and declares that shade trees and forests are a necessary and

important part of community and urban environments, and are critical to the environmental,

social and economic welfare of the State; that the ability of all county and municipal

governments to care for and manage their shade trees could be enhanced through technical

and financial assistance from a State community forestry program; that local governments

have experienced recurring and damaging exposure to litigation due to the drastic

decline and poor condition of the State's community tree resource; that properly

planned and implemented local community forestry programs can provide the necessary

basis for local governments to reduce or eliminate liability associated with local

tree care programs and shade tree commissions; and that the viability of county and

municipal shade tree commissions is essential to the preservation and enhancement

of the State's community tree resource. The Legislature therefore determines that it is appropriate for the State to encourage,

promote and assist in the establishment, retention and enhancement of shade tree and

community forestry programs by local governments; and that it is altogether fitting

and proper to establish a shade tree and community forest preservation license plate,

the revenues from which would be dedicated to the support of a State community forestry

program.