New Jersey § 54:4-23

§ 54:4-23.

a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection d. of this section, land, five acres in area, shall be deemed to be actively devoted

to agricultural or horticultural use when the amount of the gross sales of agricultural

or horticultural products produced thereon, any payments received under a soil conservation

program, fees received for breeding, raising or grazing any livestock, income imputed

to cropland pastured and permanent pasture land used for grazing in the amount determined by the State Farmland Evaluation Committee created pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1964, c. 48 ( C.54:4-23.20 ), and fees received for boarding, rehabilitating or training any livestock where

the land under the boarding, rehabilitating or training facilities is contiguous to

land which otherwise qualifies for valuation, assessment and taxation under P.L.1964, c. 48 , have averaged at least $1,000 per year during the two-year period immediately preceding the tax year in issue,

or there is clear evidence of anticipated yearly gross sales , payments , fees, and imputed income amounting to at least $1,000 within a reasonable period of time , or such amount as may be established by the State Farmland Evaluation Committee

pursuant to this section. In the case of woodland subject to a woodland management plan pursuant to section

3 of P.L.1964, c. 48 ( C.54:4-23.3 ), the amount shall be at least $500, or such amount as may be established by the

State Farmland Evaluation Committee pursuant to this section. Every three years, or sooner at the call of the Secretary of Agriculture or the

Director of the Division of Taxation, the State Farmland Evaluation Committee shall

review the minimum gross sales, payments, fees, and imputed income requirements, and

anticipated yearly gross sales, payments, fees, and imputed income requirements, established

in this section for the first five acres, and may, by rule or regulation adopted pursuant

to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c. 410 ( C.52:14B-1 et seq. ), raise the amounts of those minimums to such levels as the committee determines

appropriate. Any increase made to the minimum gross sales, payments, fees, and imputed income

requirements, and anticipated yearly gross sales, payments, fees and imputed income

requirements, for the first five acres as authorized pursuant to this section shall

not be enforced until the third tax year following adoption of the increase . In addition, where the land is more than five acres in area, it shall be deemed to

be actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use when the amount of the gross

sales of agricultural or horticultural products produced on the area above five acres,

any payments received under a soil conservation program, fees received for breeding,

raising or grazing any livestock, income imputed to cropland pastured and permanent pasture land used for grazing in the amount determined by the State Farmland Evaluation Committee created pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1964, c. 48 ( C.54:4-23.20 ), and fees received for boarding, rehabilitating or training any livestock where

the land under the boarding, rehabilitating or training facilities is contiguous to

land which otherwise qualifies for valuation, assessment and taxation under P.L.1964, c. 48 , have averaged at least $5.00 per acre per year during the two-year period immediately

preceding the tax year in issue, or there is clear evidence of anticipated yearly

gross sales , payments , fees, and imputed income amounting to an average of at least $5.00 per year within a reasonable period of

time; except in the case of woodland and wetland, where the minimum requirement shall

be an average of $0.50 per acre on the area above five acres. In addition, in order for land to be deemed to be actively devoted to agricultural

or horticultural use, the activity and use must be consistent with the guidelines

describing generally accepted agricultural and horticultural practices developed and

adopted pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2013, c. 43 ( C.54:4-23.3d ). As used in this section, “livestock” shall not include dogs. For the purposes of this section, the presence of an intervening public thoroughfare

shall not preclude a finding of contiguity. b. (1) Land previously qualified as actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use

under P.L.1964, c. 48, but failing to meet the additional requirement on acreage above five acres , shall not be subject to the roll-back tax because of such disqualification, but shall

be treated as land for which an annual application has not been submitted , provided that the land remains in agricultural or horticultural use . (2) Land previously qualified as actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural

use under P.L.1964, c. 48, but failing to meet any increase in the minimum amount

of gross sales, payments and fees received, and imputed income requirements, and anticipated

yearly gross sales, payments, fees, and imputed income requirements, established pursuant

to subsection a. of this section, shall not be subject to the roll-back tax because

of such disqualification, but shall be treated as land for which an annual application

has not been submitted, provided that the land remains in agricultural or horticultural

use. (3) Land qualified as actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use as of

the day before the date of enactment of P.L.2013, c. 43 ( C.54:4-23.3d et al.) due to the use of payments or other compensation received under a soil conservation

program agreement with any agency of the federal government, but which payments or

other compensation do not meet the minimum amounts required pursuant to subsection

a. of this section as amended by P.L.2013, c. 43 ( C.54:4-23.3d et al.), shall continue to be deemed to be actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural

use for purposes of valuation, assessment and taxation under P.L.1964, c. 48 until

the end of the soil conservation program agreement period. c. In determining the eligibility of land for valuation, assessment and taxation pursuant

to P.L.1964, c. 48 ( C.54:4-23.1 et seq. ), the assessor of the taxing district in which the land is located shall, upon request

by the owner of the land, exempt the owner from the income requirements of this section

if the owner demonstrates to the satisfaction of the assessor that the failure to

meet the income requirements was due to an injury, illness or death of the person

responsible for performing the activities which produce the income necessary to meet

the income eligibility requirement of this section. The request of the owner shall be accompanied by a certificate of a physician stating

that the person was physically incapacitated or by a certified copy of the death certificate,

as the case may be. The assessor may only grant an exemption once for a particular illness, injury or

death. d. The gross sales, payments, fees, and imputed income received pursuant to the requirements of this section shall not apply to land that

(1) is the subject of a forest stewardship plan approved by the Department of Environmental

Protection pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2009, c. 256 ( C.13:1L-31 ) which is fully implemented, and (2) otherwise qualifies under the “Farmland Assessment

Act of 1964,” P.L.1964, c. 48 ( C.54:4-23.1 et seq. ), for valuation, assessment and taxation as land in agricultural or horticultural

use pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1964, c. 48 ( C.54:4-23.3 ).