This is an official D&R Greenway Land Trust press release:
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Friday, January 18, 2013
Two More Year-End Purchases in East Amwell
Once again, East Amwell in Hunterdon County makes news for land preservation. I would love to live there, but I doubt I ever could afford it!
This is an official D&R Greenway Land Trust press release:
This is an official D&R Greenway Land Trust press release:
'Pony Farm' Preserved in Bedminster
It may seem a 13.3-acre estate may pale in comparison to the 5,000-plus acre monolith just recently preserved down in the Pinelands. And, you would be right. However, considering the tony locale of Bedminster (it's home to such big names as both the now-ex-general manager for the New York Jets and its possibly-soon-to-be-ex headline grabbing second or third string quarterback Tim Tebow ... wait, that's Bernardsville. This is where Jets owner Woody Johnson and the other quarterback live. Whatever, they're all rich), this is definitely a big deal. Because, while land amid the Pinelands may have had development here and there, land in Bedminster is far more monetarily valuable.
The short answer is, yes, this is important. Every acre counts, especially to an acre whore like me.
This originally appeared in Bernardsville News:
The short answer is, yes, this is important. Every acre counts, especially to an acre whore like me.
This originally appeared in Bernardsville News:
The “Pony Farm” - so named because Shetland ponies were once raised there - is located across the road from the McCann Mill Road intersection, within a bend of the Black River. Its preservation completes the protection of 228 contiguous acres of open space and farmland - and over 1,000 preserved acres in the immediate area.
The newly preserved property includes meadows that are now public open space, and a century-old Sears Roebuck kit house that can only be used as offices for small, nonprofit environmental groups.
Bedminster Township and the nonprofit Lamington Conservancy jointly purchased the Pony Farm on Thursday, Dec. 20, from the Brady Foundation.
“Everything the property touches and everything across the street from it was already preserved,” explained outgoing Mayor Robert Holtaway, who advocated for the preservation. “Now we have the Pony Farm and we’re very pleased.”
“The Pony Farm is in the heart of the Lamington Conservancy’s preservation area, so we were excited to be able to use a state Green Acres grant to help Bedminster Township purchase this historic property,” said Alexandra Allen, president of the Lamington Conservancy.
“The 13-plus acres are surrounded by preserved open space and add to the corridor of protected land along the Lamington River,” added Allen.” The preservation of this property made tremendous sense and is wonderful for the community.”
‘Great History’
“We’re very happy about what has happened here,” said James C. Brady, whose family owned the land for four generations. “There’s a great history on this property.”
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the property was part of the farm owned by John Honeyman, believed to be a Revolutionary War double-agent who provided false information to the Hessians to help George Washington win the pivotal Battle of Trenton in 1776. Honeyman settled in Bedminster after the war and became a local legend.
Later, the land became part of Hamilton Farm, the 5,000-acre grand estate assembled by financier James Cox Brady at the turn of the last century. As its name suggests, the Pony Farm was the section of Hamilton Farm on which Brady’s famous show ponies were raised.
Hamilton Farm covered parts of Somerset, Morris and Hunterdon counties and was one of New Jersey’s largest working farms in the early to mid-1900s. Its heyday was brief, however, and much of the Hamilton Farm property has since been sold – including more than 1,000 acres for open space preservation and use by nonprofit groups.
The Brady Foundation approached Bedminster Township last summer about buying the Pony Farm, and New Jersey Conservation Foundation - which serves as land preservation advisor to the township - began working to secure funding.
Bedminster and the Lamington Conservancy each used state Green Acres funds toward the $703,333 purchase, and the township also used funding from its municipal open space trust fund.
Bedminster contributed $423,333 toward the preservation, including $247,500 in state Green Acres funds and $175,833 from its municipal open space trust fund, while the Lamington Conservancy contributed $280,000 from its Green Acres grant.
Holtaway said the Brady Foundation originally intended to demolish the house, leaving nothing but open space. “Then it was brought to my attention that it was a (Sears Roebuck) craftsman house, essentially intact,” he said.
Because of the historic significance of Sears Roebuck houses - which were sold in ready-to-build kits from 1908 to 1940 - Holtaway requested that the house be preserved. The Brady Foundation agreed to use funds that would have been spent demolishing the house to improve it instead. They installed a new well and septic system, and repaired the slate roof.
The township has rented the newly renovated house to North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development, a small environmental nonprofit previously located in Flemington. The land surrounding the house will be open to the public for hiking and other passive recreation.
Michael Catania, president of Conservation Resources Inc. of Chester and an open space advisor to the Brady family for more than 20 years, called the sale “a model transaction in today’s open space environment.”
For generations, Catania said, “the Brady family has been a model of responsible stewardship of the land, as well as visionary conservationists, which has been a great benefit to the community and I salute their legacy.”
Michele S. Byers, executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation, also praised the Bradys’ land conservation ethic.
“Thanks to their generosity, the Pony Farm is taking its place among Bedminster’s preserved lands,” she said. “Not only is a scenic and historic view preserved, but the water quality in the Black River is protected by having no further building on the property.”
Other preserved properties immediately surrounding the Pony Farm include 78 acres of riverfront land purchased from the Brady family in 2005, another 18-acre riverside property known as “The Caves,” and 119 acres of preserved farmland to the east.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Over 5,000 Acres Being Preserved in Pinelands
Holy moley. Over 5,000 acres.
There are two stories. First one is from Philly.com. The second is the official press release from Trenton.
Minutes earlier, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had formally announced acquisition of the parcel and a smaller adjacent one through its Green Acres land-preservation program. The price tag for one of the largest remaining privately held tracts in the state: $9.7 million.
As many as 500 houses could have been built on a property of its size, Estell Manor Mayor Joseph Venezia said. Instead, its woodlands and wetlands will be preserved as part of a 61,000-acre green belt through central Atlantic County that links Estell Manor Park with three DEP wildlife management areas where the Pine Barrens meet a coastal estuary ecosystem.
The total 5,079-acre deal included 109 acres bought from a group called HBH Associates. The acquisition was made in partnership with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, the Nature Conservancy, and Conservation Resources Inc., and is among the largest state preservation efforts in decades, officials said.
The group hired professional foresters and managers to tend the gated property. A tree farm there sold Atlantic White cedar lumber and the harvesting helped ensure biodiversity, Keener said. When a recent problem with pine bark beetles cropped up, he said, the group paid about $10,000 to remove infested trees.
"This has never been a money-making endeavor for this group . . .. It has always been about a love for this land," said Keener, who was Lenape Farms' president.
Besides vast forests and expansive coastal uplands, the property includes a quirky three-story early-19th-century farmhouse that became the owners' lodge on weekend jaunts to hunt deer, duck, pheasant, and quail.
"Seventy years ago, 13 guys fell in love with this place and my grandfather was one of them," Keener said. "When I see it, I think of . . . the family picnics, the cards that were played, the meals that were shared, the first fish that were caught . . . fathers and sons fortifying bonds and lifelong friendships formed."
At a ceremony on the property Thursday, Keener called the place his Walden Pond and read from Thoreau during his remarks before a crowd of 50 state officials, environmental advocates, and others.
The place was used as a sportsmen's getaway for Atlantic City businessmen starting in the early 1920s. According to legend, it was on one such outing that insurance salesman Harry L. Godshall hatched an idea for a bathing beauty contest to keep tourists around after Labor Day. It later came to be known as the Miss America Pageant.
Before that, the place was a country farm and a World War I munitions depot, according to local historians.
About 20 miles west of Atlantic City at the southern edge of the Pinelands, the property is traversed by three tributaries of the Great Egg Harbor River - Steven's Creek, Gibson's Creek, and Mill Creek. State environmental groups say the property was so well managed by Lenape Farms that little needs done to it, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said Thursday.
"The preservation of this property further enhances the quality of life in our state, providing additional outdoor recreational opportunities for our residents while adding environmental protections for an important natural area in southern New Jersey," Martin said at the ceremony.
The Green Acres program was begun in 1961 and now preserves 650,000 acres of open space in New Jersey. The properties offer hiking, fishing, playgrounds, athletic fields, boat ramps, fishing piers, and environmental education for public use. Green Acres projects help improve the state's quality of life and protect water resources, stimulating economic development and job creation, officials said.
This is a press release from the governor's office, so forgive me if I miss taking out any effusive, fawning language:
The property flanks U.S. Route 50 in Estell Manor. The bulk of the property, known as Lenape Farms, contains large expanses of forested uplands that merge into coastal marshlands. The preserved property is now part of a state wildlife management area, providing hunting, fishing, hiking and bird watching opportunities for the public. It will also protect headwaters of Steven’s Creek, Gibson’s Creek and Mill Creek, which are tributaries to Great Egg Harbor River.
The preserved land directly links Atlantic County’s Estell Manor Park to three DEP wildlife management areas – the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area and Gibson Creek Wildlife Management Area to the south and the Maple Lake Wildlife Management Area to the west. The Great Egg Harbor River Wildlife Management Area and the sprawling Peaslee Wildlife Management are also located nearby.
The newly acquired land is now the Lenape Farms unit of the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area. The public can access the property by foot immediately as the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife develops and implements a management plan, which will include formal trail development.
There are two stories. First one is from Philly.com. The second is the official press release from Trenton.
ESTELL MANOR, N.J. - Standing in a nearly 5,000-acre former game preserve owned for generations by 13 families, his own among them, Stewart Keener was finding it difficult to part Thursday with its nesting bald eagles, meandering streams, and a quiet so pronounced it's almost deafening.
"It's hard for us to let go, Keener, 47, of Philadelphia, said. "This is so unique here."
Minutes earlier, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had formally announced acquisition of the parcel and a smaller adjacent one through its Green Acres land-preservation program. The price tag for one of the largest remaining privately held tracts in the state: $9.7 million.
As many as 500 houses could have been built on a property of its size, Estell Manor Mayor Joseph Venezia said. Instead, its woodlands and wetlands will be preserved as part of a 61,000-acre green belt through central Atlantic County that links Estell Manor Park with three DEP wildlife management areas where the Pine Barrens meet a coastal estuary ecosystem.
The total 5,079-acre deal included 109 acres bought from a group called HBH Associates. The acquisition was made in partnership with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, the Nature Conservancy, and Conservation Resources Inc., and is among the largest state preservation efforts in decades, officials said.
Keener's grandfather Joseph was one of a group of sportsmen who formed Lenape Farms Inc. and bought the 4,970 acres in 1945 for $58,000.
Ownership passed to their children and grandchildren, many of whom continued to fish, hike, and hunt on the land their ancestors previously had leased for the same purpose.
Ownership passed to their children and grandchildren, many of whom continued to fish, hike, and hunt on the land their ancestors previously had leased for the same purpose.
The group hired professional foresters and managers to tend the gated property. A tree farm there sold Atlantic White cedar lumber and the harvesting helped ensure biodiversity, Keener said. When a recent problem with pine bark beetles cropped up, he said, the group paid about $10,000 to remove infested trees.
"This has never been a money-making endeavor for this group . . .. It has always been about a love for this land," said Keener, who was Lenape Farms' president.
Besides vast forests and expansive coastal uplands, the property includes a quirky three-story early-19th-century farmhouse that became the owners' lodge on weekend jaunts to hunt deer, duck, pheasant, and quail.
"Seventy years ago, 13 guys fell in love with this place and my grandfather was one of them," Keener said. "When I see it, I think of . . . the family picnics, the cards that were played, the meals that were shared, the first fish that were caught . . . fathers and sons fortifying bonds and lifelong friendships formed."
At a ceremony on the property Thursday, Keener called the place his Walden Pond and read from Thoreau during his remarks before a crowd of 50 state officials, environmental advocates, and others.
The place was used as a sportsmen's getaway for Atlantic City businessmen starting in the early 1920s. According to legend, it was on one such outing that insurance salesman Harry L. Godshall hatched an idea for a bathing beauty contest to keep tourists around after Labor Day. It later came to be known as the Miss America Pageant.
Before that, the place was a country farm and a World War I munitions depot, according to local historians.
About 20 miles west of Atlantic City at the southern edge of the Pinelands, the property is traversed by three tributaries of the Great Egg Harbor River - Steven's Creek, Gibson's Creek, and Mill Creek. State environmental groups say the property was so well managed by Lenape Farms that little needs done to it, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said Thursday.
"The preservation of this property further enhances the quality of life in our state, providing additional outdoor recreational opportunities for our residents while adding environmental protections for an important natural area in southern New Jersey," Martin said at the ceremony.
The Green Acres program was begun in 1961 and now preserves 650,000 acres of open space in New Jersey. The properties offer hiking, fishing, playgrounds, athletic fields, boat ramps, fishing piers, and environmental education for public use. Green Acres projects help improve the state's quality of life and protect water resources, stimulating economic development and job creation, officials said.
(13/P5) TRENTON – The Christie Administration announced today that the Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation Resources, Inc., has preserved 5,079 acres of woodlands and wetlands in Atlantic County’s Great Egg Harbor River watershed at a cost of $9.7 million.
The DEP’s Green Acres program finalized two related land purchases securing 4,970 acres from Lenape Farms and 109 acres from HBH Associates. The more than 5,000-acre project, one of the largest state preservation effort in years, helps link together more than 56,000 acres of previously existing state wildlife management areas, plus thousands of additional acres of county parkland in an area where the Pine Barrens meets a coastal estuary ecosystem.
“The preservation of this property further enhances the quality of life in our state, providing additional outdoor recreational opportunities for our residents while adding environmental protections for an important natural area in southern New Jersey,” DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said during ceremonies at the property. “We commend our partners for working with the state to preserve such a large tract of ecologically important land at the core of tens of thousands of acres of previously preserved lands.’’
The property flanks U.S. Route 50 in Estell Manor. The bulk of the property, known as Lenape Farms, contains large expanses of forested uplands that merge into coastal marshlands. The preserved property is now part of a state wildlife management area, providing hunting, fishing, hiking and bird watching opportunities for the public. It will also protect headwaters of Steven’s Creek, Gibson’s Creek and Mill Creek, which are tributaries to Great Egg Harbor River.
The preserved land directly links Atlantic County’s Estell Manor Park to three DEP wildlife management areas – the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area and Gibson Creek Wildlife Management Area to the south and the Maple Lake Wildlife Management Area to the west. The Great Egg Harbor River Wildlife Management Area and the sprawling Peaslee Wildlife Management are also located nearby.
The newly acquired land is now the Lenape Farms unit of the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area. The public can access the property by foot immediately as the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife develops and implements a management plan, which will include formal trail development.
“This is the largest single New Jersey land deal we have ever been involved in—a huge amount of acreage in a priority conservation area, with important implications for forests, wildlife and water systems,’’ said Barbara Brummer, New Jersey State Director for The Nature Conservancy. “We are deeply gratified to have been a leader in protecting this watershed for the future.’’
The tract had been used as a private hunting game preserve since the early 1900s, and was privately managed for forestry and wildlife purposes for many years.
“Lenape Farms has done a wonderful job of enhancing tree quality, encouraging forest regeneration, reducing wildfire hazards and protecting wildlife habitat for almost 100 years,’’ said Terry Caruso, Supervising Program Development Specialist for the DEP’s Green Acres program.
The property provides habitat for a number of wildlife species, including the barred owl, northern pine snake, Pine Barrens tree frog, Cooper’s hawk, timber rattlesnake, Cope’s gray tree frog, bald eagle, red-headed woodpecker, black rail, osprey, black-crowned night heron and diamondback terrapin.
Under terms of the agreement, Lenape Farms was paid $9.4 million and HBH Associates received $334,000.
The DEP provided $6.5 million in Green Acres funding. The Nature Conservancy provided $3.2 million, which included a $2.3 million Pinelands Conservation grant from the Pinelands Commission and a $264,000 grant from Conservation Resources Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides financial and technical services to the conservation community in New Jersey.
“The Lenape Farms acquisition represents the permanent preservation of one of the largest remaining private parcels in the State” said Michael Catania, President of Conservation Resources, Inc. “This tract, which has been wonderfully managed by private stewards for generations, is reminiscent of one of the huge Adirondack “camp” properties that have recently been preserved by public/private partnerships in New York. CRI salutes both the sellers and the partnership of buyers who had the vision and perseverance to save this gem in perpetuity.”
The DEP provided $6.5 million in Green Acres funding. The Nature Conservancy provided $3.2 million, which included a $2.3 million Pinelands Conservation grant from the Pinelands Commission and a $264,000 grant from Conservation Resources Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides financial and technical services to the conservation community in New Jersey.
“The Lenape Farms acquisition represents the permanent preservation of one of the largest remaining private parcels in the State” said Michael Catania, President of Conservation Resources, Inc. “This tract, which has been wonderfully managed by private stewards for generations, is reminiscent of one of the huge Adirondack “camp” properties that have recently been preserved by public/private partnerships in New York. CRI salutes both the sellers and the partnership of buyers who had the vision and perseverance to save this gem in perpetuity.”
“It has been difficult for Lenape Farms to let go of this beautiful and pristine tract of land,” said Stew Keener, President of Lenape Farms Inc. “Our organization has enjoyed and carefully maintained the Lenape Farms property for multiple generations.
“Our stewardship and tree farming, which has been inspired and implemented by our forester, Bob Williams, is well documented and is a source of great pride for us,’’ said Keener. “We sincerely hope that this tradition of excellence continues in perpetuity now that the land is in the public domain. We are honored to have played a part in preserving one of the largest tracts in the state’s history.”
“This is an excellent addition to our efforts to preserve environmentally-sensitive land,” said Nancy Wittenberg, Executive Director of the Pinelands Commission. “Including this parcel, the Commission has now paid out a total of $7.9 million toward the permanent preservation of 6,670 acres of land.”
“This is an excellent addition to our efforts to preserve environmentally-sensitive land,” said Nancy Wittenberg, Executive Director of the Pinelands Commission. “Including this parcel, the Commission has now paid out a total of $7.9 million toward the permanent preservation of 6,670 acres of land.”
Together with public and private partners, the Green Acres program has directly protected 650,000 acres of open space and provided hundreds of recreational opportunities for a wide range of activities, including natural areas, hiking and fishing areas, city parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, boat ramps, docks, fishing piers and environmental education.
In addition to providing recreation opportunities, Green Acres projects help protect water quality and stimulate economic development by creating jobs, at the same time making cities and towns more attractive places to live and work.
To view a map of the site, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/
For more information on the DEP’s Green Acres Program, visit:
For more information on the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization that works to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. For more information on the organization’s work in New Jersey, please visit:nature.org/newjersey.
For more information on Conservation Resources, please visit: http://conservationresources.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Additional Sourland Mountain Land Purchased
Always wonderful to hear of new preservation in the Sourland Mountain region.
This originally appeared in the Hunterdon County Democrat.
EAST AMWELL TWP. — The township is buying open space in two areas for
conservation and to expand trail networks. Both sets of properties are
wooded.
The Township Committee unanimously approved the acquisitions this month of two lots on South Hill Road, the Polhemus properties, and two at the intersection of Rocktown and Mountain Roads, the Wiedemer properties.
Each set of properties adds about 10 acres to existing public lands for passive recreation.
The Polhemus properties cost $49,200 and the cost is being split with D&R Greenway Land Trust. Professional fees are an additional $2,000, the township reported.
These lots will become part of the Cat Tail Brook Preserve in the Sourland Mountains.
Glorianne Robbi, township Farmland and Open Space Preservation Committee chairwoman, said that D&R Greenway has been preserving land for the Cat Tail Brook Preserve for many years and the Polhemus properties were particularly attractive.
“They are completely wooded,” she said. “And they haven’t been logged in a long time.”
Therefore they provide uninterrupted forest canopy for birds. The Polhemus properties are land-locked, near Lindbergh Road.
The Wiedemer properties are across Rocktown Road from the Omick Preserve, which started with 63 acres and was previously expanded this year with the purchase of the 23-acre Lang property.
The original Omick tract fronted on Route 31, said Robbi, and the township wanted safer access. Visitors now may park on Rocktown Road to enter the preserve, but Robbi said the township has applied for a state grant to build a small parking area, and should receive word in the spring.
She said that acquiring the Wiedemer property will allow expansion of the Omick Preserve’s trails, which have been cut by township and D&R Greenway volunteers. The Wiedemer property is costing $180,000, plus $5,000 in professional costs. Half of that will be covered by state Green Acres grant money, said Robbi.
The township’s share of both properties will be paid from the open space trust fund.
Township property owners pay a dedicated open space tax of 4 cents per $100 of assessed value.
This originally appeared in the Hunterdon County Democrat.
The Township Committee unanimously approved the acquisitions this month of two lots on South Hill Road, the Polhemus properties, and two at the intersection of Rocktown and Mountain Roads, the Wiedemer properties.
Each set of properties adds about 10 acres to existing public lands for passive recreation.
The Polhemus properties cost $49,200 and the cost is being split with D&R Greenway Land Trust. Professional fees are an additional $2,000, the township reported.
These lots will become part of the Cat Tail Brook Preserve in the Sourland Mountains.
Glorianne Robbi, township Farmland and Open Space Preservation Committee chairwoman, said that D&R Greenway has been preserving land for the Cat Tail Brook Preserve for many years and the Polhemus properties were particularly attractive.
“They are completely wooded,” she said. “And they haven’t been logged in a long time.”
Therefore they provide uninterrupted forest canopy for birds. The Polhemus properties are land-locked, near Lindbergh Road.
The Wiedemer properties are across Rocktown Road from the Omick Preserve, which started with 63 acres and was previously expanded this year with the purchase of the 23-acre Lang property.
The original Omick tract fronted on Route 31, said Robbi, and the township wanted safer access. Visitors now may park on Rocktown Road to enter the preserve, but Robbi said the township has applied for a state grant to build a small parking area, and should receive word in the spring.
She said that acquiring the Wiedemer property will allow expansion of the Omick Preserve’s trails, which have been cut by township and D&R Greenway volunteers. The Wiedemer property is costing $180,000, plus $5,000 in professional costs. Half of that will be covered by state Green Acres grant money, said Robbi.
The township’s share of both properties will be paid from the open space trust fund.
Township property owners pay a dedicated open space tax of 4 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
South Branch Preserve Gets 18 More Acres, Mount Olive
Now, here is something to be thankful for!
This originally appeared in The Daily Record
MOUNT OLIVE — The Land Conservancy of New Jersey closed on two properties totaling 18 acres to be added to the South Branch Preserve.
“The Preserve is an important water management resource in Morris County, providing drinking water for 1.5 million New Jersey residents,” said Glenn Schweizer, executive director of the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority.
These are the first two of four projects the Morris County Utilities Authority and New Jersey Water Supply Authority are working on in conjunction with the Land Conservancy, according to a prepared statement from the Conservancy.
These are the fifth and sixth properties to be added to the Preserve since its establishment in 2010, according to the statement, which said that the long-term vision is to increase the South Branch Preserve to 1,000 acres to serve as a showcase for watershed
“We hope this project will inspire our state, county and local agencies to continue to fund these important preservation initiatives to ensure our water resources remain secure and plentiful,” said David Epstein, president of the Land Conservancy.
The South Branch Preserve contains rich forests, agricultural fields, and wetlands. It flows into the main stem of the Raritan River, the largest river basin located entirely within the state of New Jersey and one of its most critical water supply sources, the statement said.
The Land Conservancy and its partners have added five properties to the Preserve, which now totals 390 acres and includes three-quarters of a mile of the river flowing through the Preserve, the statement said.
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member supported nonprofit land trust whose mission is to preserve land and water resources, conserve open space, and inspire and empower individuals and communities to protect our natural land and environment. They have worked with 89 municipalities in 13 counties to preserve a total of 19,500 acres in 330 projects, helping towns secure $224 million in county, state, and federal grants.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
122 Acres Preserved in Frelinghuysen Twp., Warren County
The Township of Frelinghuysen and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey are pleased to announce the recent preservation of the 122 acre Linz Farm in Frelinghuysen.
“The Township of Frelinghuysen is please to add another valuable piece of farmland to its preservation effort,” stated Charlie Schaffer, Chairman of the Frelinghuysen Township Farmland Preservation Committee.
Prior to the preservation of the Linz Farm there were 1,659 acres of permanently preserved farmland in Frelinghuysen Township and with the addition of the Linz Farm, there are now 1,780 acres, ensuring a permanent agricultural legacy in the Township.
“Frelinghuysen Township deserves credit for spearheading this project,” explained Corey Tierney, Director of the Warren County Department of Land Preservation. “Mayor Charles and the Township Committee, Chairman Schaffer and the Farmland Preservation Committee, and Gail McDonald from The Land Conservancy of New Jersey all deserve special thanks for their hard work and commitment to preserving farmland. This is an investment in the future. Farmland preservation helps keep agriculture viable for generations to come and ensures that we’ll always have access to locally grown produce and products. We’re happy to see Frelinghuysen Township taking advantage of this great program. By teaming up on this project, the county and municipality each paid less than 15% towards the total purchase price. Working together, we were able to leverage our combined investment in farmland preservation and secure state funding for the 70% balance. We are immensely grateful to the State Agriculture Development Committee for its substantial contributions to this and other preserved farms throughout Warren County.”
“The Land Conservancy of New Jersey appreciates the landowner’s commitment to preservation and the Township and County’s proactive approach to farmland preservation,” stated Gail McDonald, Land Preservation Specialist with The Land Conservancy. “Each partner plays a significant role in the preservation of each farm, and The Land Conservancy is pleased to have been able to assist in preserving this beautiful farm in perpetuity.”
The Linz Farm has been a family farm for three generations. This farm consists mostly of gently rolling open farmland with moderately sloped woodland areas in the easterly portion of the tract and small areas of steep slopes. There is a small stream that flows through the center of the property. The land is currently farmed for hay. In the past, the farm was one of the best working dairies in the area. Corn and other grain crops have also been grown on the farm.
“Since some of that region is already protected, this will provide a wider buffer of protection, while still maintaining viable farmland,” said Freeholder Richard D. Gardner, who is liaison to the Warren County Agriculture Development Board. “As properties become available, the county is pleased to participate in protecting them,” Gardner said. “The open space we have, we owe much to the diligence of the state working hand-in-hand with the county and municipalities,” he said.
Founded in 1981, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member supported non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting our vital natural lands and water resources. We are working to inspire and empower individuals and communities to take action to preserve land and protect the environment in New Jersey. The Conservancy has preserved more than 20,000 acres of land and helped towns secure $220 million in county, state, and federal grants for their land conservation projects. We have worked in 89 municipalities in 13 counties benefiting millions of people who live, work, or visit our state. Accredited by the National Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2009, The Conservancy joins 181 organizations nationwide recognized for meeting the highest quality standards for protecting open space, upholding the public trust, and ensuring that our conservation efforts are permanent.
For more information, to volunteer or make a donation, call (973) 541-1010, or visit our website at tlc-nj.org.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Salem County Town Adding 17 Acres to Park
Be vewy qwiet, I'm hunting open space.
Sorry.
This article originally appeared in South Jersey Times.
ELMER — Though Salem County currently leads the state in total acres of preserved farmland under the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program, local and county officials this week announced the first major “open space” acquisition in the county.
Salem County freeholders, in cooperation with officials in Elmer and Upper Pittsgrove, have reached an agreement to set aside 17 acres of land in Elmer as open space, with the goal of eventually expanding Elmer Community Park.
According to Upper Pittsgrove Mayor Jack Cimprich, his township had been looking to preserve a 117 acre piece of property known as the “Anthony Estate Farm.”
Most of the farm — roughly 100 acres — falls in Upper Pittsgrove, but 17 acres of the land is located in eastern Elmer, along Harding Highway adjacent to the borough’s baseball fields.
“We were looking at preserving the entire property as farmland,” said Cimprich. “But when (Deputy Freeholder Director) Ben Laury took me out there to walk the property, he pointed out that the Elmer parcel could be preserved as open space and used to expand Elmer Community Park — providing much-needed space for all our residents.”
As a result, the decision was made to move forward with sectioning off the 17-acres to set aside the parcel as open space, marking the first major open space project for Salem County, officials said.
Since 2002, two-cents of every tax dollar paid by Salem County taxpayers has been directed into a fund for open space and farmland preservation. Until this point, however, those funds have been used exclusively toward funding farmland preservation.
The 17-acre parcel will cost $160,000 to purchase. Fifty-percent of the cost, or $80,000, will be provided through a state grant under the New Jersey Green Acres program. An additional $40,000 will be provided through the county’s dedicated fund, and the remaining $40,000 will be funded by Elmer.
According to Elmer Councilman Steve Schalick, the borough became interested in the property nearly five years ago when it was put up for sale.
“We looked at it then, and thought it would be a good place to expand the park,” said Schalick.
Freeholder Lee Ware — liaison to county Agricultural Development Board, which oversees farmland preservation and open space programs — said obtaining the property marked a win for everyone involved.
“This is a good thing for Elmer and a good thing for the county,” said Ware. “It’s a win all around, and it fits in perfectly with everyone’s master plans.”
Laury added that an expanded park in Elmer will benefit all Salem County residents.
“This park expansion gives residents throughout the area access to a large open space for athletic fields to promote healthy activities," he said. "We are proud to work with all the interested parties in finding a way to give our neighbors a gift we can all share.”
The remaining 100-acres of the Anthony Estate are still slated to enter into farmland preservation, though that part of the process is still in the works, officials said.
Sorry.
This article originally appeared in South Jersey Times.
Officials will look to expand Elmer Community Park with new open space purchase
Salem County freeholders, in cooperation with officials in Elmer and Upper Pittsgrove, have reached an agreement to set aside 17 acres of land in Elmer as open space, with the goal of eventually expanding Elmer Community Park.
According to Upper Pittsgrove Mayor Jack Cimprich, his township had been looking to preserve a 117 acre piece of property known as the “Anthony Estate Farm.”
Most of the farm — roughly 100 acres — falls in Upper Pittsgrove, but 17 acres of the land is located in eastern Elmer, along Harding Highway adjacent to the borough’s baseball fields.
“We were looking at preserving the entire property as farmland,” said Cimprich. “But when (Deputy Freeholder Director) Ben Laury took me out there to walk the property, he pointed out that the Elmer parcel could be preserved as open space and used to expand Elmer Community Park — providing much-needed space for all our residents.”
As a result, the decision was made to move forward with sectioning off the 17-acres to set aside the parcel as open space, marking the first major open space project for Salem County, officials said.
Since 2002, two-cents of every tax dollar paid by Salem County taxpayers has been directed into a fund for open space and farmland preservation. Until this point, however, those funds have been used exclusively toward funding farmland preservation.
The 17-acre parcel will cost $160,000 to purchase. Fifty-percent of the cost, or $80,000, will be provided through a state grant under the New Jersey Green Acres program. An additional $40,000 will be provided through the county’s dedicated fund, and the remaining $40,000 will be funded by Elmer.
According to Elmer Councilman Steve Schalick, the borough became interested in the property nearly five years ago when it was put up for sale.
“We looked at it then, and thought it would be a good place to expand the park,” said Schalick.
Freeholder Lee Ware — liaison to county Agricultural Development Board, which oversees farmland preservation and open space programs — said obtaining the property marked a win for everyone involved.
“This is a good thing for Elmer and a good thing for the county,” said Ware. “It’s a win all around, and it fits in perfectly with everyone’s master plans.”
Laury added that an expanded park in Elmer will benefit all Salem County residents.
“This park expansion gives residents throughout the area access to a large open space for athletic fields to promote healthy activities," he said. "We are proud to work with all the interested parties in finding a way to give our neighbors a gift we can all share.”
The remaining 100-acres of the Anthony Estate are still slated to enter into farmland preservation, though that part of the process is still in the works, officials said.
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