Legislature Approves Open Space Acquisition Funding

by: Anthony F. Della Pelle
6 Jul 2009

Both houses of the New Jersey State Legislature have approved a $400 million bond to fund the acquisition of open space, public recreation and conservation lands.  The bill, entitled the “Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009,”, A-3901/S-1858, had bi-partisan support in the legislature and passed with only a few dissenting votes.  Read the bill here.

The bill provides that it will be submitted to the people of New Jersey for approval on the ballot at the general election in November.  Of the $400 million of bonds authorized, $218 million is to be used to acquire open space and recreational properties, $146 million is to be used for farmland preservation purposes, $24 million is to be used to preserve “Blue Acres” properties which are prone to flood and storm damages, and $12 million is to be used for historic preservation purposes.

Of interest is that the new funding authorizes acquisitions throughout New Jersey, but does not appear to apply to acquisitions of properties in the Highlands region of New Jersey.  Properties in the Highlands region would still appear to be subject to regulation under the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act of 2004, N.J.S.A. 13:20-1, et seq.

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