21 Acres Preserved in Jackson Twp., Ocean County

By Phil Stilton

             Almost 21 acres of natural lands in Jackson Township will be preserved as open space by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders.   “This purchase comes with a number of benefits,” said Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr., who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Advisory Committee. “It will preserve this land as open space and provide an added buffer to future encroachment of the Joint Base.”

            As part of the acquisition, the military has committed to fund 50 percent of the purchase price of $450,000.        “The location of this property, near the northern boundary of Joint Base – Dix, McGuire, Lakehurst, makes it eligible for the cost share funding from the Department of Defense,” said Freeholder John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety. “This continuing partnership shows our commitment to the Joint Base and the military’s commitment to continue to work with Ocean County.

 “The purchase helps to minimize future encroachments to base operations,” Kelly said.  Kelly noted that a recently completed Joint Land Use Study with the military bases, surrounding municipalities, Burlington and Ocean counties identified the preservation of certain lands as important to provide a buffer for the Joint Base.

“This parcel is consistent with that recommendation,” Kelly said. The land is located along Toms River Road (County Road 571) and Lakehurst Road in Jackson Township. It is across from properties already preserved.  “This parcel contains a small tributary to the Ridgeway Branch of the Toms River which has been recognized as an important critical habitat corridor,” Bartlett noted. “Acquisition of this property will help create a greenway from the Joint Base north to Patriots’ County Park and the state’s Forest Resource Education Center. This land meets the eligibility requirements of the county’s open space program and has been recommended for preservation by the Natural Lands Advisory Committee.”

The owner of the property is BG Investments @ JoAnn Timbers LLC, Lakewood. “This purchase emphasizes the importance of working in cooperation with different agencies for the best results possible for Ocean County,” said Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. “The military’s contribution to this purchase helps Ocean County and the base which is a vital economic and safety engine for the region.”

294 Acres Preserved in Jackson Twp.

A nice piece from November, from the land of Six Flags Great Adventure: Nearly 300 acres was preserved in Jackson Township!

TOMS RIVER – Ocean County will join with Jackson Township, the state and the non-profit Trust for Public Land in preserving almost 300 acres of land off of Route 528 and Perrineville Road in Jackson Township.

“This purchase again highlights the great work that can be done when agencies come together with one common goal – to preserve environmentally sensitive land,” said Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr., who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Advisory Committee. “This purchase does not just help to preserve land, it helps to preserve the quality of life in Ocean County.”

The parcel is adjacent to the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in addition to open space owned by Jackson Township. It is at the headwaters of the Toms River and close to an additional 167 acres of land already preserved by the county.

The land is zoned for a planned retirement community.

“With its proximity to the headwaters of the Toms River and the wildlife area, this land was a perfect complement to the county’s natural lands program,” Bartlett said. “Preserving environmentally sensitive areas comes with a number of benefits including helping to protect and preserve our waterways.”

The land purchase represents almost half of a 650-acre tract owned by Hovbilt.

“The acquisition removes almost half of that acreage and about 373 planned single-family and age-restricted units from development,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett said the purchase will be completed with the help of funding from Jackson Township, state Green Acres, a grant from the Trust for Public Land and the county’s Natural Lands Trust Fund.

The cost share breakdown is $2 million from Jackson Township, $500,000 from the state Green Acres, $250,000 from the Trust for Public Lands and $1,750,000 from Ocean County. The purchase price for the property is $4.5 million.

“I want to commend the Trust for Public Land for spearheading this project, along with Jackson Township, and the state so we can make this purchase. This partnership is allowing us to save this space and reduce the size of a proposed residential development,” Bartlett said. “The spirit of cooperation among the agencies has resulted in true benefits for the residents and the environment that will last forever.”

The Board of Chosen Freeholders has scheduled a public hearing on the land preservation during the Nov. 17 board meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. in Room 119 of the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave., here.

“Our natural lands program has helped us preserve more than 12,000 acres of open space and farmland in Ocean County,” said Freeholder Director James F. Lacey. “Partnerships with municipalities and non-profit organizations helps the county in its ongoing efforts to acquire environmentally sensitive open space.”