DEP Grant Preserves Ocean County Boy Scout Reservation

One benefit to Election Season: A lot of these deals move through much quicker, as to help the ruling party look better. When it comes to acres, I'll take it!

Post originally appeared on Ocean County Family & Community News:

Barnegat-(PR)–An agreement that will permanently preserve a 544-acre tract in the Barnegat Bay watershed in Ocean County was completed today when the Department of Environmental Protection acquired a conservation easement from the Jersey Shore Boy Scout Council and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced.

The $1.1 million agreement with the Scout Council will preserve the Joseph A. Citta Boy Scout Reservation Camp in Ocean Township, which contains camping facilities used by the Boy Scouts and many other outdoor user groups. The property, which offers public hiking trails, also is environmentally important, containing Pine Barrens habitat in the headwaters of the Oyster Creek, which is a tributary to Barnegat Bay.



The preserved land will link Ocean County’s Wells Mill Park to other preserve land in the Forked River Mountains, an ecologically unique area of rolling forests in the Pinelands National Reserve. The Scouts will be able to continue to own and manage the camp for camping and recreational use, and in turn have extinguished their development rights on the property while agreeing to providing a public trail system linking other open space.

As part of the 544-acre preservation deal, the Conservation Foundation assigned to the DEP an 84-acre conservation easement that it held since the 1970s on a portion of the Citta Camp. This acreage was included in the purchase agreement at no cost to the state.


This 544-acre easement acquisition brings the state’s total of preserved land in the Barnegat Bay watershed to 2,895 acres since Governor Christie announced his comprehensive 10-point Barnegat Bay restoration plan in December of 2010.

“New Jersey Conservation Foundation is pleased to play a role in the preservation of the Joseph A. Citta Scout Reservation,” said Michele S. Byers, executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation. “The Boy Scouts had the foresight to preserve 84 acres of the camp with New Jersey Conservation Foundation back in 1979, and we congratulate them and the Department of Environmental Protection for now preserving the entire camp"

Byers noted that over the past 30 years, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and the DEP have worked together, and with other partners, to preserve thousands of acres in the Forked River Mountain area of Ocean and Lacey townships.

The easement purchase is financed by $1.1 million in voter-approved state Green Acres Program funds. Ocean County provided funding for the survey work needed for the acquisition.

Stewardship of this easement will be provided by DEP’s Green Acres Program and the Division of Parks and Forestry as part of Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. The trails through the Boy Scout Camp will be an expansion of the trail system at Wells Mill County Park and open for public use.

Commissioner Martin first announced a pending deal for the Citta Camp in December, 2011 at an event to mark the first anniversary of Governor Christie’s Barnegat Bay plan. At that time the agreement called for a 436-acre easement purchase. But detailed surveying of the Scout Council’s tract found it to be much larger, resulting in a 544-acres easement purchase, with an adjusted extra cost of $56,681.

Denville to Knock Down 11 Homes, Return to Open Space

This is at least one very good thing to come out of Hurricane Irene's fury last year!

This article originally appeared in The Citizen:

DENVILLE – It’s been about a year since Tropical Storm Irene lashed out on Denville and the surrounding areas, not to mention a good portion of the East Coast.

But on Tuesday, Aug. 14, residents of Riverside Drive finally saw some light at the end of a dark, stormy tunnel.

 

The council passed an ordinance that allows the township to purchase eleven residential properties for a total of $3.7 million through funding from the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the state Green Acres Program and Morris County.

With the grants the township will buy the homes, knock them to the ground and create an open space area.

“We have to have the properties restored to their natural state,” Denville Business Administrator Steven Ward said on Monday.

Denville was hit hard during last August’s tropical storm, experiencing unprecedented damage. But Riverside Drive was one of the worst hit areas.

“The (eleven) properties were just decimated,” Ward said.

“Five were abandoned.”

During the storm the surge from the Rockaway River was 9.5 feet, far surpassing the previous high of 6.22 feet, according to Department of Public Works (DPW) Supervisor John Egbert in August 2011.

“We have been declared a disaster area,” Michael Feravolo, the township’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) coordinator said, immediately following last year’s tropical storm.

Seventy-five businesses and 350 homes were affected to some degree, Ward said, which made choosing how to use the funding a bit of challenge.

“We had a rough idea of how many homes we could acquire,” Ward said.

Ward and other Denville officials then mapped out where Tropical Storm Irene and other storms hit the hardest, perused Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) data and identified a group of neighboring homeowners who were interested in the buyouts—Riverside Drive.

The area of Riverside Drive suffers from even moderate storms, Ward said.

“This is one of the worst areas in town,” Ward said.

The purchases will likely be closed on in the first or second week of October,

“Once the closings take place, we'll be bringing in a contractor to demolish the properties and restore them to their natural state,” Ward said.

Hopefully, the entire process will be done by the end of the year, he added.

44 Wooded Acres Preserved on Schooley's Mountain, Morris County

I have a work associate that lives in this area, and I am supremely jealous.

Original press release courtesy NJConservation.org:

 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – The green belt of preserved land on Schooley’s Mountain is growing, thanks to New Jersey Conservation Foundation and its partners.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation, a private nonprofit organization, just purchased a 44-acre property off Zellers Road. The parcel is surrounded by more than 1,000 acres of preserved farmland and open space.

“We’re very pleased to add this property to the impressive inventory of preserved land in the Schooley’s Mountain area, and make it available to the public for passive recreation like hiking and nature observation,” said Michele S. Byers, executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

The property was purchased for $370,000, using funding from the Morris County Preservation Trust, the Victoria Foundation, the state Green Acres Program and the Washington Township Land Trust. The Teetertown Brook, a pristine, trout-producing tributary of the South Branch of the Raritan River, flows through the property. The South Branch is a drinking water supply for more than 1.5 million New Jersey residents.

 “The Morris County freeholders are delighted to partner in this project with these groups who value, as we do, the preservation of open space and the protection of our essential water resources,” commented Freeholder Ann Grossi.

The wooded property includes habitat for several endangered and threatened species, including the bobcat, barred owl and longtail salamander. The Newark-based Victoria Foundation, in addition to providing funding toward the purchase of the property, also gave $10,000 to assist with the stewardship of the land.

 “Victoria Foundation is firmly committed to open space preservation and stewardship, particularly for protecting water quality,” said Dale Robinson Anglin, senior program officer with Victoria Foundation. “We are pleased to continue our long-term partnership with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to preserve this critically important property.”

The property is located near the Columbia Trail and Hunterdon County’s Teetertown Preserve, and is a short distance southwest of New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s Drakestown preserve, also in Washington Township. It is located in the “Special Environmental Zone” designated in the Highlands Regional Master Plan, meaning it has the highest priority ranking for preservation.

“The Washington Township Land Trust is delighted to use part of our state Green Acres grant toward this purchase of this property, which will provide recreation while protecting wildlife habitat and our water supply,” said Karen Richards, president of the land trust.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s mission is to preserve land and natural resources throughout New Jersey for the benefit of all. Since 1960, the Foundation has helped preserve more than 120,000 acres of open space and farmland. For more information on the Foundation’s programs and preserves, visit www.njconservation.org or call 1-888-LAND-SAVE (1-888-526-3728).

Princeton Nurseries, 1,900 Acres, Preserved

This is a big, big, big one that pretty much anyone in the know already knows about. But, since this is a site of record, and we are definitely acre whores around here, it's certainly one that must be included.

This article originally appeared in Times of Trenton. Photograph by Michael Mancuso:

A wide swath of rolling hills and rich farmland in three counties ... will will be permanently preserved after the state finalized a $28 million purchase yesterday from a family that cultivated the land for generations.

The land runs in large part along Crosswicks Creek and stretches across 1,900 acres in Mercer, Monmouth and Burlington counties, the Department of Environmental Protection said. It will be used for open space, farms and wildlife refuges.

“This has been a long time in the works, and this is a wonderful opportunity for the central part of New Jersey,” DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said. “It’s beautiful property, surrounded by rolling countryside, and we’re going to preserve some spectacular scenery.”

The terrain covers nearly three square miles, including the largest portion in Upper Freehold and the rest in Hamilton and North Hanover. It was previously part of Princeton Nurseries, once one of the largest commercial plant nurseries in the country.

Founded by the Flemer family in 1913, the company moved to Allentown in the 1980s and its former properties were gradually developed, sold to Princeton University and other buyers or targeted for preservation.

“Future generations of farmers and nature lovers will together enjoy these beautiful lands that have meant so much to the William Flemer and John Flemer families,” the family said in a DEP news release. “We are grateful to the people of the state of New Jersey for their support of the preservation of precious open space and irreplaceable farmland in our state.”

Covering an area where the three counties meet, the purchase will help connect thousands of acres of existing county park lands and greenways along the creek, the DEP said. It includes grasslands, mature forests and forested wetland, and recreational activities such as hiking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting and bicycle riding will be available throughout.

More than 1,000 acres will be preserved as open space, including a 512-acre state wildlife management area, which will be overseen by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. An additional 847 acres will be permanently available for agricultural uses thanks to the acquisition of development rights on the land, the agency said.

“Everyone always kind of had their eye on this property for preservation, but not until (the Flemer family members) were ready did we pursue anything,” said Renee Jones, a spokeswoman for the DEP’s Green Acres program. “We had many, many, many meetings about how to divide out the property, about what the owners wanted to keep as farmland versus what they wanted as open space.”

Funding came from several sources, including Green Acres Program, the State Agriculture Development Committee and Burlington and Monmouth counties. Mercer County contributed $1.6 million, according to the law firm Drinker Biddle, whose Princeton office represented the Flemer family in the deal.

835 Acres Preserved in Jefferson Twp, Morris County

This is AWESOME news.

Originally appeared on Jefferson Patch

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will announce the protection of 835 acres in the New Jersey Highlands in Morris County, creating a link to 3,000 acres of existing public land.

The Baker residential property has been a high priority for preservation for more 20 years due to its varied habitat, water resources and adjacency to over 3,000 acres of preserved lands, accourding to the DEP. The property contains environmentally sensitive wetland areas, steep slopes and habitat for a number of important state and federally listed species including bobcat, golden-winged warbler, timber rattlesnake, red-shouldered hawk, Indiana bat, Cooper’s hawk and barred owl.

The agreement calls for ownership to be split between Jefferson Township and the DEP as an addition to the Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area. The project is being funded by federal Highlands Conservation Act funds, the state Green Acres Program and the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund.

And some more info from a NJDEP press release:

A pristine 835-acre tract located in the heart of the North Jersey Highlands in Jefferson Township, and once slated for residential development, will be permanently preserved through a $4.6 million agreement announced today by project partners, the Department of Environmental Protection, the federal government, the Trust for Public Land, Morris County, and Jefferson Township.

The newly preserved land, long known as the Baker Firestone or Baker Residential property, will greatly expand the DEP’s Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area and provide land for local parks, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

The property, long sought by conservation groups, had recently been bought by the Trust for Public Land as an interim conservation purchaser for $4.6 million. Title to the land is being formally conveyed to the State of New Jersey and Jefferson Township, which will take ownership of 647 acres and 188 acres respectively.

94 Acres to be Preserved in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County

I can remember Thompson Land owning a property in Princeton where I lived. They would cut down a couple trees a year and call it a "Christmas Tree Farm." Still, it's great whenever more land gets off the development rolls.

Originally appeared in NJ.com.

DELAWARE TWP. — Township officials agreed unanimously on Monday to a local conservation group's request to use local open-space tax and state grant money to help preserve 94 of 101 aces owned by Thompson Land.

Renee Kiriluk-HillDelaware Township Committee members at their July 16 meeting.

The property is at Pavlica and Pine Hill roads and the appraised value is $19,000 per acre, New Jersey Conservation Foundation regional manager Alix Bacon told the Township Committee. There are woods, farmland, some steep slopes, an old cemetery and frontage on the Plum Brook.

The cemetery is filled with ancestors of farming families who settled the Reading Road and Rosemont areas, Bacon explained.

Seven acres containing and surrounding a barn and outbuildings would be subdivided, leaving a building lot subject to property taxes.

The remainder, Bacon said, is "wonderful farmland as well as woodland," as well as a "missing link" that will connect other properties preserved by the foundation. The purchase would also continue a greenbelt being established around the village of Sergeantsville.

Renee Kiriluk-HillAlix Bacon of New Jersey Conservation Foundation and Delaware Township Open Space Coordinator Jim Borders attend a July 16 Township Committee meeting to support participation in the purchase of 94 acres from Thompson Land.

On July 16 Bacon clarified the foundation's request for money to enable the deal, which would cost approximately $1,786,000.

The foundation seeks: 10%, or $178,600, from the township's open-space fund; 30%, or $535,800, from a state Green Acres grant previously awarded to the township; 20%, or $357,200, from New Jersey Water Supply Authority; and 40%, or $714,400, from Hunterdon County open-space funds.

The Conservation Foundation would also contribute a $40,000 grant from the 1772 Foundation.

Committeeman Ken Novak questioned the purchase price of $19,000 per acre, because Thompson Land delivered a concept plan to develop the property but doesn't have any subdivision approvals. Bacon said that the figure was arrived at by two appraisers and pointed out that the purchase is "fee simple," not an easement.

Renee Kiriluk-HillAlix Bacon, regional manager for New Jersey Conservation Foundation, shows Delaware Township Committee members on July 16 the boundaries of a proposed open space purchase.

The foundation plans to manage the land. Bacon said that a local farmer would continue to work the farmland and that a trail would be added linking neighboring preserved sites.

Township open-space representatives said that the parcel is in the long-term plan as a desirable purchase.

Bacon said that the Thompson land would be accessible to people walking from Sergeantsville or those who drive and park near a foundation kiosk on Pine Hill Road. She said that it is the final Thompson Land tract in the township to be preserved.

She expects to learn in September if the county grant is awarded.

12 Acres Preserved in Rockaway Twp., Morris County

Also mentioned is The Land Conservancy of New Jersey's recent 36-acre purchase in Montville Twp., as well.

Originally appeared on DailyRecord.com.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has announced two new preservation initiatives that will add to the county’s open space areas used for watershed protection and recreational activities.

In June, Montville Township purchased and preserved 36 acres known as “Market Place” along River Road across from Robert Lazar Middle School; in July The Land Conservancy purchased the 12-acre Heart of the Farny Highlands property in Rockaway Township.

The Montville property will be utilized for flood storage protection and hiking; it was purchased with a $1.35 million grant from the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund and is the 17th property Montville Township preserved since the inception of its open space program in 1990, which includes 1,100 acres.

“The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is proud of its accomplishments in Montville Township,” said Linda Gloshinski, land preservation specialist with The Land Conservancy. “From protecting the Towaco Aquifer, to creating new parks for ball fields, to expanding the protected lands along the Rockaway River, the Market Place property will further enhance the open space and recreational opportunities available to Township residents.”

The site has access points at River Road and Old Changebridge Road. The township decided to preserve the space instead of developing it with 14 single-family houses after considering the impact on water quality and flood protection, including the riparian corridor of Crooked Brook, which traverses the eastern portion of the site.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey purchased the Farny Highlands in Roxbury with funds provided by the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority and Morris County Park Commission. The property lies within a 35,000-acre region of watershed land and is surrounded by more than 8,000 acres of public parkland and will be owned and managed by the Park Commission.

The property is situated on the eastern border of Rockaway Township and Kinnelon Borough within the Highland’s Preservation Area. It is located within 300 feet of the Split Rock Reservoir and an unnamed tributary to the Timber Brook runs through the southern portion of the lot and the property. The parcel is completely forested and according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, offers suitable habitat for bobcat, Coopers Hawk and foraging for great blue heron.

The property was previously owned by the Timothy family who had owned it since the 1990s and approached the conservancy about preservation options in 2011.

“We thank Lynne Timothy for her foresight in preserving this critical property,” said conservancy President David Epstein. “Lynne’s commitment to conservation has helped to make New Jersey is a better place to live.”

Dave Helmer, executive director, Morris County Park Commission said the preservation of the Timothy property will provide the final necessary link connecting the two arms of the 1,498-acre Silas Condict County Park.

“Without the support of the residents and businesses of Morris County, open space preservation projects like this one would not occur,” he said.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is headquarters in Montville Township on the 44-acre WildAcres preserve. The Fred Hierwarter WildAcres Trail consists of three walking trails, of varying difficulty, where hikers can enjoy the scenic vistas and experience the property’s varied wildlife habitat. WildAcres Garden features native plants and has been certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.