1. a. Notwithstanding any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to P.L.2016, c.12 (C. 13:8C-43 et seq.) to the contrary, a person who is the owner, operator, or lessee of permanently preserved farmland and who regularly engages in the operation and management of the farming operation on the preserved farmland shall be eligible to apply to the committee for a farmland stewardship wildlife fencing grant for the preserved farmland made available with funding allocated by the committee for stewardship activities pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection b. of section 8 of P.L.2016, c.12 (C. 13:8C-50), provided that an applicant who is an operator or lessee has written approval to install wildlife fencing on the land from the owner of the land on which the wildlife fencing is to be installed.

b. Notwithstanding any other provision of P.L.2016, c.12 (C. 13:8C-43 et seq.), any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, the provisions of N.J.A.C.2:76-20.4, or any other rule, regulation, or requirement established by the committee concerning grant programs for stewardship activities on land acquired for farmland preservation purposes, grant amounts available to applicants for wildlife fencing farmland stewardship activities may be up to 50 percent of eligible costs, not to exceed $50,000 per application.

L.2023, c.223, s.1.