Overview

The Pinelands Infrastructure Fund (PITF) was established in 1985 with the passing of the Pinelands Infrastructure Trust Bond Act (the PITF Act). The PITF Act was intended to help local governments and utility authorities defray the infrastructure costs associated with supporting the population and economic growth in Pinelands Regional Growth Management Areas. The Regional Growth Area is the receiving area for Pinelands Development Credits (PDCs), which represent development rights severed from lands in the Preservation Area District, Special Agricultural Production Area, and Agricultural Production Area. Therefore, by supporting growth in the Regional Growth Area, the PITF Act also simultaneously offered land value equity to property owners through implementation of the PDC Program. The PITF Act funding may support a variety of infrastructure categories in the Regional Growth Area, including wastewater and water supply projects, as prioritized by the Pinelands Commission.

The PITF Act required the Pinelands Commission to create a Pinelands Infrastructure Master Plan. (See the 1986 Master Plan here). The Infrastructure Master Plan accomplished three things. It delineated a funding structure for loans, grants, and local matching funds. It created a ranking system by which proposed infrastructure projects would be judged for funding eligibility. Lastly, it generated the list of projects that were deemed eligible for the initial round of funding. Projects proposed for funding must first be approved by the Pinelands Commission and then forwarded to the State Infrastructure Bank for legislative approval.  The Pinelands Infrastructure Master Plan must be amended for each round of funding.  An amendment to the Pinelands Infrastructure Master Plan may alter the ranking system, the allocation of funds, and/or the projects deemed eligible for funding. PITF funds are only available to aid projects that serve a Pinelands Regional Growth Area.

Pinelands Infrastructure Master Plan Amendment

The Infrastructure Master Plan has been amended multiple times since 1986, revising eligible projects, priority projects, and funding structure. On August 14, 2026, the Commission adopted an amendment to the Infrastructure Master Plan to identify eligible categories of infrastructure, revise the ranking criteria, and adjust the interest rate on any loan awarded from the PITF. The adopted amendment can be viewed here on the Commission’s website. A second amendment will be necessary to adopt a new list of priority projects into the Infrastructure Master Plan.


Pinelands Infrastructure Request for Proposals

The Pinelands Commission is currently soliciting proposals for wastewater and water supply infrastructure projects from local governmental entities and utility authorities that are eligible to receive funding based on the Pinelands Infrastructure Bond Act. A total of approximately $11M is anticipated to be awarded through a future Pinelands Infrastructure Master Plan Amendment. An estimated timeline for the amendment is included in the Request for Proposals. The Request for Proposals (RFP) can be found here on the website. Any questions about this RFP may be directed by email to planning@pinelands.nj.gov.

Please note that the deadline for submitting proposals is 3:00 pm on Monday, January 11, 2027. Bid packages may be submitted by email to the planning@pinelands.nj.gov, or in person or by courier to the Pinelands Commission at 15C Springfield Road, New Lisbon, NJ 08064. Packages submitted by regular mail may be sent to the Pinelands Commission, PO Box 359, New Lisbon, NJ 08064. Please direct packages to ATTN: Claire Osei.