a. During the development of the comprehensive management plan, the commission shall consult with appropriate officials of local governments, including the council, and State or Federal agencies with jurisdiction over lands, waters and natural resources within the pinelands area, with interested professional, scientific, and citizen organizations, and with any citizens advisory committee which may be established by the Governor. The commission shall review all relevant existing information and studies on the pinelands area including, but not limited to, the report of the committee created pursuant to Executive Order 56, issued May 28, 1977.

b. Upon the adoption thereof, the comprehensive management plan shall be submitted to the Governor and to the Legislature. The commission shall further submit such plan to the Secretary of the United States Department of Interior, as provided in the Federal Act.

c. Subsequent to the adoption of the comprehensive management plan, the provisions of any other law, ordinance, rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, no application for development within the pinelands area shall be approved by any municipality, county or agency thereof, and no State approval, certificate, license, consent, permit, or financial assistance for the construction of any structure or the disturbance of any land within such area shall be granted, unless such approval or grant conforms to the provisions of such comprehensive management plan; provided, however, that the commission is hereby authorized to waive strict compliance with such plan or with any element or standard contained therein, upon finding that such waiver is necessary to alleviate extraordinary hardship or to satisfy a compelling public need, is consistent with the purposes and provisions of this act and the Federal Act, and would not result in substantial impairment of the resources of the pinelands area; and provided further, however, that the commission shall, within 90 days of the effective date of this act, and after public hearing thereon, adopt rules and regulations which specify the standards for determining such extraordinary hardship, compelling public need, consistency and substantial impairment.

L.1979, c. 111, s. 9, eff. June 28, 1979.