New Jersey 2012: Our year in review
The Trust for Public Land has been connecting people to nature since 1972. For 40-years, we have brought people together to create parks, playgrounds and conserved open spaces to strengthen our neighborhoods. The steadfast commitment of our volunteers, donors, friends and partners has resulted in more than 3 million acres protected, and helped generate more than $34 billion in public funds for conservation. Thank you for your support and helping us deliver our "land for people" mission throughout the state.
The following report highlights a few of our programs and accomplishments by the New Jersey office in December 2011 through November 2012.
Land Conservation in New Jersey
Working collaboratively with public agency partners, private landowners and funding partners, the New Jersey office protected more than 2,800 acres and mobilized over $31 million in public and private funding for these transactions. Our commitment to creating parks and natural areas is primarily focused in the New Jersey Highlands, the Barnegat Bay watershed, the Harbor Estuary and in Newark.
Harbor Estuary Program
Credit: Fabio Turibio
In December 2011, we conserved the 14.4-acre Weehawken Reservoir on the border of Weehawken Township and Union City in Hudson County.
In June 2012, The Trust for Public Land preserved Hauser Farm, a 22-acre parcel in Aberdeen Township, Monmouth County. Hauser Farm is located within the headwaters area of Matawan Creek, a tributary of the Raritan Bay. The property is one of the few remaining undeveloped parcels in Aberdeen and provides habitat for the threatened black-crowned night-heron as well as the Cooper's hawk, a New Jersey species of special concern. The property is also a feeding area for migratory birds as well as year-round habitat for red fox, turtles, and diverse wetland plant species. Hauser Farm is now owned and managed by Aberdeen Township.
Barnegat Bay Watershed
In December 2011, the first part of the Long Brook acquisition in Jackson Township, Ocean County was completed. This 387-acre property lies within the State-designated Pinelands Area and was identified as a conservation priority in The Trust for Public Land's 2008 report Barnegat Bay 2020: A Vision for the Future of Conservation and is part of a larger 1,800-acre tract, all of which is adjacent to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst military site. Through a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) program that seeks to acquire land around military bases to prevent development that would interfere with their operations, the DOD purchased a restrictive easement on the entire 1,800-acre tract, further benefiting Jackson Township, which faces intense development pressure even in these difficult economic times.
New Jersey Highlands
Credit: TPL archives
In March 2012, The Trust for Public Land successfully conserved Shale Valley, a 46-acre parcel in Chester and Mendham townships, Morris County. The property includes mature upland forests and wetlands, as well as a portion that was previously mined for shale. Also in March, The Trust for Public Land protected the 129-acre Dixon's Pond property in Rockaway and Boonton Townships, Morris County. This forested parcel includes a tributary of the Stony Brook, a Category One stream in the Rockaway River watershed.
In April 2012, we protected the 13.8-acre High Mountain Preserve in Franklin Lakes, Bergen County. Located in one of the most densely populated areas in New Jersey, the region is under pressure to expand development in response to population growth, causing strain on existing infrastructure including water resources.
The opportunity to protect High Mountain Preserve came up when the United Water company sought an easement to place additional water storage on a three-acre portion of the county's existing Campgaw Mountain Reservation. As a condition of this approval, the State of New Jersey and Bergen County required that United Water purchase a replacement open space property. The Trust for Public Land assisted with the purchase by identifying and overseeing acquisition of the 13.8-acre replacement parcel, which abuts the 1,200-acre High Mountain Wilderness Preserve. This acquisition not only protected more than four times the amount of open space that was diverted for the water project, but also expanded an existing preserve, increased public access, and improved services for the residents of Franklin Lakes.
In June 2012, The Trust for Public Land acquired the 835-acre Baker Residential property in Jefferson Township, Morris County, which was a top state and local conservation priority for more than a decade.
Parks for People-Newark
Credit: Frances Roberts
Community involvement is an essential element of Parks for People-Newark. Through our unique participatory design process, The Trust for Public Land engages neighborhood residents in workshops to develop a master plan for each new park or playground, ensuring that the design will meet local needs and desires. The process builds a sense of community ownership that not only contributes to the long-term success of each site, but also empowers those who participate by providing an opportunity to effect positive change within their community.
In late 2011, The Trust for Public Land assisted our "friends of the park" groups in incorporating United Parks as One a 501(c)(3) organization through which the friends groups can raise funding to support their park stewardship missions. Working with our partners to address long-term site stewardship is a critical element of the Parks for People-Newark program.
As of November 2012, we are nearing completion of construction on the first phase of the Newark Riverfront Park project. This project is the first phase of an eventual two-mile series of riverfront parks envisioned by the City of Newark and Essex County.
In October 2012, The Trust for Public Land celebrated the opening of Phase II of Jesse Allen Park, which includes redesigned entrances, a new playground, water play spray area, basketball courts, Fitness Zone ®, game tables, garden beds, trees, and other plantings.
Conservation Finance
The Trust for Public Land's Conservation Finance Program is providing critical leadership and expertise to coalitions and campaigns to increase state and local funding for land conservation and parks for people to enjoy. In New Jersey, we are providing strategic guidance and leadership to NJ Keep It Green to identify and pass a long-term funding measure to replenish Green Acres and Farmland Preservation programs, since all funds from the 2009 bond measure that we led the passage of are now fully allocated.
During the Presidential election, national voters once again demonstrated their strong support of ballot measures that provide funding for parks and land conservation, approving 46 of 57 (81%) measures across the country—over $1 billion was approved through ballot measures by voters in 21 states. In New Jersey, voters approved 7 of 9 local open space measures on the ballot. Complete results can be found on The Trust for Public Land's LandVote website www.LandVote.org.
Thank you for playing such an important role in our land-for-people work this year. If you have feedback or questions about our year's work or what lies ahead, we would love to hear from you! We look forward to a great 2013 with lots of exciting conservation and park work to share with you.
