Push for November Open Space Ballot Initiative Continues

(CLINTON TOWN) – Culminating a week-long celebration of open space to highlight the importance of drinking water and a new ballot initiative, Governor James E. McGreevey today joined residents of the Highlands to promote open space preservation in this critical environmental region. He also announced the preservation of September Farms, a 300-acre Hunterdon County property that provides critical watershed protection in the Highlands.

“Everyday we are in a battle to protect New Jersey against sprawl, pollution and the exhaustion of our open spaces,” said McGreevey.  “Nowhere are we fighting this battle harder than in the Highlands.  The Highlands are a vital source of drinking water for more than half of our families, and must be protected.  Voters this November have the opportunity to guide the future of this region through Ballot Question Number One.  We must win the race for open space.”

Five years ago, voters approved a constitutional dedication of $98 million annually over the next 30 years to provide a stable source of funding for open space purchases, farmland preservation and historic preservation. Public Question No. 1, a constitutional amendment, proposes to increase the bonding capacity of the Garden State Preservation Trust to $1.15 billion, an increase of $150 million from the $1 billion voters approved. The increased bonding would place no additional costs on New Jersey taxpayers. The sales tax dedicated in 1998 to pay off Garden State Preservation Trust bonds would cover these additional bonds by taking advantage of today’s lower interest rates.

Governor McGreevey, having made open space preservation a cornerstone of his smart growth initiatives, reiterated his pledge today to provide at least $50 million from the additional bonding toward the purchase of open space and farms in the Highlands region. The Highlands’ extensive natural resources and open space make it a critical source of drinking water for almost half of New Jersey’s residents.

Last week McGreevey also established a new Highlands Task Force charged to advance conservation efforts and comprehensively review measures that encourage land acquisition, regional planning and smart growth.  In his less than two years in office, the Governor has preserved 50 farms—4,589 acres of farmland in the Highlands, protected nearly 17,000 acres of open space in and around the Highlands, and applied C1 designation to seven waterbodies in the region.

Standing in Spruce Run Recreation Area, overlooking the Spruce Run Reservoir and the Highlands, the Governor was joined at today’s event by Secretary of Agriculture Charles Kuperus, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell, the Coalition for Conservation, local community and environmental representatives, as well as local eighth graders studying environmental science from South Hunterdon Regional High School.

"Passage of Public Question No. 1 will accelerate the race to protect critical watershed lands in the Highlands region that supply clean drinking water to over half the State's population," said Tom Gilbert, Executive Director of the Highlands Coalition, and member of the Coalition for Conservation.

During the event, the Governor announced the recent acquisition of September Farms, a property located in Lebanon Township that was purchased through the Green Acres program in partnership with Hunterdon County. It has significant natural resource value, as Spruce Run Creek, a major tributary to the Raritan River and a feeder stream into the Spruce Run Reservoir dissects the entire property.

The 302 acres also contain woodland, open fields, a pond and wetlands. Hunterdon County will assume management of the property, which will be open to the public as a county park. The New Jersey Water Authority also is a partner in the acquisition because of its connection to Spruce Run reservoir. The total purchase price was $2.5 million, of which the state contributed $1,875,000 and the county contributed $625,000.

“September Farms is an ideal land acquisition because it safeguards a drinking water source, protects natural resources like wetlands and offers recreational access and opportunities for the public as a soon-to-be county park,” said Commissioner Campbell. “New Jersey cannot afford to lose opportunities like the September Farms purchase. The November 4 open space ballot question provides voters an important opportunity to determine the future of land acquisition in the state and, more importantly, have an impact on the future of New Jersey’s clean water supply.”

"The Highlands encompasses approximately 100,000 acres of farmland, making it a key part of New Jersey's diverse agricultural industry," said Secretary Charles M. Kuperus. "We have an important opportunity to accelerate our farmland preservation efforts, which would not only strengthen agriculture but help protect the environment and quality of life in this important region of the state."

Since Governor McGreevey took office, the State Agriculture Development Committee has preserved 306 farms covering 25,174 acres statewide and the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Green Acres program has acquired another 43,492 acres of open space. The Governor has helped to make New Jersey a leader in farmland preservation with over 112,000 acres permanently preserved, a larger percentage than any other state in the nation.

In his State of the State speech, the Governor also announced a new goal of creating and improving 200 new parks over three years. If the November ballot question passes, the Governor has pledged to dedicate at least $50 million toward the creation and improvement of local parks in our cities, suburbs and rural towns as part of the Parks for People initiative. Last year, the State could provide only $1 in Green Acres funding for every $8 requested by local governments to acquire and upgrade local parks. This additional money would help meet New Jersey’s growing demand for open space.