Hunterdon County added to its open space and farmland preservation inventories during 2020, continuing the county’s record of “having preserved the most farms in the state and reserving additional open space acreage in municipalities around the county,” board director Shaun C. Van Doren reported at the final Freeholder meeting in December.
Van Doren, in a report on the county’s land preservation program, said, “Through funding the preservation of over 287 acres of farmland and over 562 acres of open space properties across the county, the Freeholder Board, working with our volunteers serving on the County Agriculture Development Board (CADB) and the Parks Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC), continued the county’s commitment to the preservation of open space and farmland. Both the CADB and POSAC members overcame the hurdles of needing to social distance, while continuing to meet, telephonically, via the internet or even in person while social distancing, to review proposed preservation projects. Their perseverance throughout the year is appreciated.”
Funding for the preservation of properties comes from a number of sources, including the Hunterdon County Open Space Trust Fund, the state’s Green Acres program and Agriculture Development Committee, federal U.S.D.A, municipal contributions, and nonprofit land preservation groups.
Van Doren noted, “Funding partners assist not only to gain the preservation of properties, but also by providing additional monies they help to stretch the County’s Open Space Fund further.”
Open space properties that were approved for preservation included:
- Cisek property in Delaware Township, 60.16 acres
- Etzel property in Raritan Township, 42 acres
- Saums property in Readington, 50 acres
- Brownstein property in Raritan Township, 32.6 acres
- Culbertson property in Bethlehem, 178 acres
- Maritan property in Kingwood, 105 acres
- Curtis (Easement) property in Delaware Township, 64 acres
- Fitzgerald property in Readington, 31 acres
Farmland preserved included:
- Thomas Farm in East Amwell, 34 acres
- Onuschak Farm in Franklin, 20.6 acres
- Kollmer Farm in Kingwood 24.2 acres
- DeSapio Farm in Kingwood, 45.6 acres
- Bowlby Farm in Raritan Township, 162.8 acres
”The County will continue to follow the Open Space Preservation Strategic Plan adopted in 2018, particularly where it comes to protecting stream corridors and connecting properties to enhance trail ways. Additionally, the CADB continues to accept farmland preservation submissions on a rolling basis,” Van Doren concluded.
Recent Comments