New Jersey Newsletter, October 2003
Pasture, People and Parkland: A suburban profile
Kresson Golf Course is a protection
priority for Voorhees Township
Photo by: Ken Sherman
Voorhees Township considers open space trust fund
By Susan Clark, Director of Public Affairs
Just before the turn of the 20th century, a small community of farms in southern New Jersey was recognized as Voorhees Township. At the time, less than 1,000 people lived in about 200 homes. Fast-forward a century to the present, when more than 28,000 residents live in 11,000 households.
This suburban community in Camden County takes up less than 12 square miles, but its location less than 20 miles east of Philadelphia and midway between New York and Washington, D.C. makes it desirable for development. With "build out"for the town projected for 2015, the Voorhees Master Plan (revised in 1998) emphasizes preserving open space, limits developers to fewer houses per acre, and proposes an 18-mile bikeway through the township.
Under the leadership of Mayor Harry Platt and the Voorhees Township Environmental Commission, a great deal of work has been done to preserve remaining open space. In 2000, the Township Environmental Commission studied open space needs and created a ranking system and priority acquisition list to guide township efforts to protect open space, farmland, and natural areas. Their plan identified 54 parcels totaling 1,062 acres.
TPL has been instrumental in helping Voorhees achieve its land conservation goals through its River to Bay Green-way initiative. In 2001, TPL helped the town acquire the 49-acre Lafferty Asphalt Plant property, now Connelly Park, which is widely used by residents.
Currently, TPL has options to purchase the 142-acre Stafford Farm and the 137-acre Kresson Golf Course property, ranked first and second for acquisition by the township because they are the most visible and environmentally sensitive pieces of land. The landowners have received offers from developers, and the Kresson property already has preliminary development approvals for more than 200 residential units. TPL will be able to protect both properties provided sufficient funding can be made available.
Voorhees now hopes to create a dedicated source of funding for land conservation that would leverage existing county and state funds and enable the township to permanently protect such properties.
On November 4, 2003, township voters will have the opportunity to establish an Open Space & Farmland Trust Fund to help alleviate development pressures; protect the water quality of the township's rivers, lakes and steams; preserve farmland; and preserve open space in its natural state. Passage of this measure will authorize an open space levy of 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value. If approved, it will provide approximately $485,000 per year for land conservation throughout Voorhees.
"Preserving land is a one-time investment that can boost property values and provide other important economic benefits,"said Mayor Platt. "We no longer have the luxury of time. We must act now to maintain a high quality of life in Voorhees and to preserve these resources for future generations."
TPL's River to Bay Greenway initiative--a 70-mile greenway to link the Delaware River and the Barnegat Bay--is supported by the William Penn Foundation.
For more information, visit www.TPL.org/newjersey and click on "River to Bay Greenway."
Field Notes
Photo by: Ken Sherman
by Leigh Rae, New Jersey Field Office Director
This fall marks the fifth anniversary of the Garden State Preservation Trust Act, created when New Jersey voters approved a 10-year bond to make $1 billion available for land conservation and parkland development. This landmark move positioned New Jersey as a leader. With land values at a premium, development costs increasing, and the popularity for the programs under the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT) rising, funding levels are no longer sufficient.
On November 4, voters will be asked to consider Ballot Question #1 to raise the bonding cap under the GSPT to $1,150,000,000. Taking advantage of current low interest rates, the state will be able bond for this additional $150 million at no cost to taxpayers. Making more money available now will give us greater buying power to protect critical lands that will otherwise be lost to development. It will also help improve the health of our cities by providing funds for urban parks.
The need to participate in the political process surrounding the GSPT extends beyond the voting booth. The 2002 Green Acres appropriations were delayed by almost a year. This year's process is already six months behind schedule and we are headed into legislative races throughout the state that may delay the process even further. We must avoid repeating last year's delay in order to avoid jeopardizing the effectiveness of the GSPT. New Jersey is likely to be the first fully built out state in the nation, and we cannot afford to loose the opportunities that protect our quality of life.
It is tempting to focus on what does not work, perhaps at the expense of the greater good. We need to get the appropriation process back on track and not waste time and energy on conservation transactions that cannot be completed because state funds are not available. We must bring more funds to the Garden State Preservation Trust and continue to leverage them with federal, local, and private monies before the land that we love and depend on is lost forever.
Hope for the Highlands
TPL recently protected 1,200 acres
around Lake Gerard
Photo by: Dwight Hiscano
By Leigh Rae, New Jersey Field Office Director
There is hope for the New Jersey Highlands because of the hard work and perseverance of many partners, particularly New Jersey's Congressional delegation led by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen and Senators Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg, as well as the State Department of Environ-mental Protection, the Highlands Coalition, the U.S. Forest Service, and dedicated local and county officials from throughout this important natural resource area.
State support is critical, and Governor McGreevey has pledged an additional $75 million for land conservation in the most critical areas of the Highlands. Land conservation in the region is also being focused even more on lands in critical areas such as the Delaware and Raritan River watersheds. The McGreevey administration has also designated many more areas as Category 1 watersheds--the highest level of protection-- to benefit from more restrictive development practices.
Similar attention to the Highlands is occurring at the federal level. In the proposed Highlands Stewardship Act (H.R. 1964 and S. 999), the Congressional delegations from the four Highlands states (NJ, NY, PA, and CT) have declared the Highlands a special resource area demanding additional federal support. This legislation is currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress.
The New Jersey delegation has fought tirelessly over the years for increased fund- ing to support land conservation in the Highlands, working on behalf of the state's residents and with groups such as the Trust for Public Land, the Highlands Coalition, and others to bring more funding to the region. During the past several years, federal funding for the Highlands has significantly increased. At press time, the prospect of $5 million or more in federal funding for land conservation in the Upper Delaware Watershed looks promising. The funds will leverage state and local conservation dollars.
Currently, TPL is working to conserve over 2,000 acres that will protect watershed lands for the Upper Delaware and South Branch of the Raritan rivers, preserve wildlife corridors, and augment forested parklands and wildlife refuges for New Jersey citizens to enjoy. Protecting the Highlands is an enormous challenge, but the partnerships in place make success attainable.
Mildred Helms Park Revitalization Planned
By Susan Clark, Director of Public Affairs
Mildred Helms Park in Newark's South Ward has become a haven for drugs and other undesirable activities, rather than the playground and gathering space it was intended to be. After years of tight city budgets and insufficient funding for park maintenance, all that remains is an asphalt lot filled with overgrown weeds and artifacts of play equipment that was removed when it became a hazard rather than an amenity.
The 3.3-acre park's north boundary is Clinton Avenue Elementary School. The school's kindergarten through third grade students spend their recesses on the edge of the park, limited to playing in a 40' x 65' area, which is the only space safe from crack vials and other drug paraphernalia.
But change is on the way, thanks to the dedicated efforts of neighborhood residents. The park is being transformed by TPL's Newark City Spaces program. Project partners include the National Park Service, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) Green Acres Program, and the City of Newark. Lead private support for Newark City Spaces has been committed by The Prudential Foundation and the Victoria Foundation, with additional support from MCJ Foundation, the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Nicholson Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Independence Community Foundation, and other generous partners.
In 2002, with the strong support of U.S. Representative Donald Payne, the National Park Service awarded $1 million for the renovation of Mildred Helms Park through its Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (UPARR) program.
"Two things really stood out about this project: partnership and community involvement,"said Roy Cortez, UPARR program manager. "The community is heavily involved in planning the design of the park, and the Trust for Public Land has formed partnerships with different levels of government and private funding sources.
"It is not often that we find a project that is designed by the people who are going to be using it,"said Martha Sapp, urban team leader for the NJ DEP Green Acres Program, which awarded $175,000 for the park. "We've had a very successful relationship with the Trust for Public Land and this project had everything going for it--the cooperation of three levels of government, nonprofit partners and community involvement.
Through a participatory design process involving students and community members, a new park design will be created this fall. Construction will begin next year, and the new Mildred Helms Park is expected to be complete by winter 2005. Planned improvements include new fencing, equipment, landscaping, and amenities that will encourage students and area residents to enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment.
For more information, visit: www.TPL.org/newjersey and click on "Newark City Spaces.
Newark City Spaces Program at a Glance
One of the poorest cities in the nation, Newark suffers from an acute lack of recreational open space -- just 5.3% of its land base, which equates to 2.9 acres per 1,000 residents. TPL launched its Newark City Spaces Program in 1995, with leadership support from the Prudential Foundation, to provide safe recreational parks for youngsters in New Jersey's largest city.
- Newark City Spaces Fundraising Goal: $11 million
- Funds Raised to Date: $3 million
- Additional Funding Needed: $8 million
Six New Playgrounds Completed
- Maple Avenue School Playground (South)
- William H. Brown Academy Playground (South)
- Louise A. Spencer School Playground (Central)
- St. Columba Peace Playground (East)
- Quitman Street Community School (Central)
- McKinley Elementary School Playground (Central)
Four Future Parks to be Developed When Funding is Secured
- Mildred Helms Park (South)
- Nat Turner Park (Central)
- Rafael Hernandez School (North)
- Kasberger Field (North)
 |
| Photo by: Clark Jones |
Projects Completed April 1, 2003 - August 31, 2003
High Bar Harbor - 6.6 acres
Location:Ocean County
Steward: Ocean County Natural Lands Trust
Jockey Hollow Meadow - 8.9 acres
Location: Morris County
Steward: National Park Service Morristown National Historical Park
Lacey, Phase 2 - 128 acres
Location: Ocean County
Steward: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Myslinski - 26 acres
Location: Sussex County
Steward: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
McKinley School Playground
Location: City of Newark
Steward: Newark Public Schools
 |
| The northern edge of Long Beach Island will remain wild and undeveloped Photo by: Save Our Community |
By Kathy Haake, Field Representative, and Susan Clark, Director of Public Affairs
One of the last naturally wooded sites on northern Long Beach Island will continue to serve as a rest stop for travelers--mainly of the winged variety--thanks to the Trust for Public Land and its partners. The 6.6-acre property protected by TPL in June is part of a popular feeding and resting area for neo-tropical migratory birds. More than 30 colonial nesting birds, including the great white egret, glossy ibis, the New Jersey threatened black-crowned night heron, and the endangered yellow-crowned night heron also call the area home.
The land, located just across Vol Sedge Cove from the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, could have been developed with 12 homes, but will instead continue to provide habitat for wildlife and protect water quality. The property was transferred to the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust and will be open to the public under the management of Long Beach Township.
In addition to preserving this important site, the transaction provided for the settlement of a lawsuit between the state and the landowner, the estate of Arnold Desiderio--developer of the High Bar Islands in the 1950s. The settlement swapped a 3.3-acre developable parcel for approximately 130 wetland acres owned by Desiderio that were transferred to the Tidelands Resource Council.
Local residents, united as Save Our Com-munity (SOC), raised $180,000 to contribute to the $1.6 million purchase. Additional funding partners included the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund, NJ DEP Green Acres Program, and NJ Blue Acres Program.
"An ecological paradise has been permanently preserved,"said Tom Hofbauer, president of SOC. "This is the result of the deep and growing concern of so many people that realize that the loss of habitat to development is directly responsible for the loss of wildlife.
To date, the Trust for Public Land has protected more than 50 properties in the Barnegat Bay, totaling 9,600 acres.
For more information on work in this area, visit www.TPL.org/newjersey and click on "Barnegat Bay Initiative."
Posted 10/2003
Digg
del.icio.us
Facebook
Favorites
Google
Multiply
Newsvine
Reddit
Technocrati
StumbleUpon
MySpace