a. There is hereby established a public body corporate and politic, with corporate succession, to be known as the “Pinelands Commission.” The commission shall constitute a political subdivision of the State established as an instrumentality exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the commission of the powers and duties conferred by this act and by the Federal Act shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State. For the purpose of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the commission is hereby allocated within the Department of Environmental Protection, but, notwithstanding said allocation, the commission shall be independent of any supervision or control by such department or by the commissioner or any officer or employee thereof.

b. In addition to the powers and duties herein provided, the Pinelands Commission shall constitute the planning entity authorized in the Federal Act and shall exercise all the powers and duties as may be necessary in order to effectuate the purposes and provisions thereof.

c. Any action taken prior to the effective date of this act by the planning entity established pursuant to the Federal Act shall continue with full force and effect as an action of the commission established hereunder.

L.1979, c. 111, s. 4, eff. June 28, 1979.