The Land Conservancy of New Jersey

Please tour the acres of breathtaking land The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has helped to preserve! We have preserved land to sustain our water supplies, ensure the availability of locally grown produce, and to offer opportunities for hiking, sports, and fishing! Our newly created interactive map identifies each of the properties we have helped to permanently protect, from Stokes State Forest in northern Sussex County to the Musconetcong Valley in southern Warren County. It's easy to use – just click on a pin or choose a property from the pull-down menu.

Since 1981, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has evolved from an all volunteer organization to a state leader in land preservation. Our members have been the driving force in ensuring our success. Thanks to their support, the Conservancy has preserved over 16,500 acres and helped towns secure more than $192 million in county, state, and federal grants for their land conservation projects. We have worked with 76 municipalities in 13 counties, benefiting millions of residents throughout the state.

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Outdoor Issues - May 2010

keep up with what's going on with the South Branch Restoration Project at
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September 21st!

The 2010 Gray Cup will be held at the beautiful Ballyowen Golf Club once again. More information coming soon.

Thank you - 2009 Sponsors

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126-Acre Bain Farm Preserved in Frankford Township, Sussex County

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is pleased to announce that the Bain Farm, a 126-acre farm located near the corner of Route 206 and Plains Road in Frankford Township, has been preserved. This scenic farm lies near the Paulins Kill and atop a sloping ridge that is visible from many vantage points in Sussex County. It is an important acquisition for the Township, County, and State, as it is located within Frankford Township’s prime agricultural belt, as outlined in the Township’s Open Space & Recreation Plan which was recently updated by the Township’s Open Space Committee and by the Conservancy.

This farm was purchased by the Conservancy for preservation and resale as a deed-restricted farm. The Conservancy contributed $500,000 with a grant provided by the State Agricultural Development Committee’s non-profit program. Additional funding was provided by the Federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and the Sussex County Agriculture Development Committee through the County Open Space Trust Fund. Frankford Township also played a key role in preserving this property by paying for the costs of acquiring the land, including the survey, appraisal and title insurance.

The farm has been part of the Bain family for several generations. It was originally purchased by the great-grandfather of Tom Bain whose name appears on an 1860 map of Sussex County. “Preserving the farm means a lot to me. I look forward to telling my grandchildren that this is the property that made up the farm held so long by our family. It is good to know that it will always look like a farm and never be covered by pavement,” said Tom Bain.

The agricultural easement protecting the farm will be held jointly by the State Agricultural Development Committee and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. In a true partnership, this farm easement will be monitored by the Sussex County Agriculture Development Board.

The preservation of the Bain Farm ensures not only the protection of New Jersey’s farmland but also the state’s history. The farm’s fields are also important habitat for unique wildlife, including ground-nesting birds such as the Bobolink, a type of migrant blackbird unique to the Americas which is declining in number due to loss of habitat to development. Protection of this species’ habitat is a prime example of the multiple benefits of land preservation.

“With its magnificent view of the Kittatinny ridge, the Bain farm is another example of how the Conservancy, Township, County and State are working together to preserve those beautiful places that make Sussex County such a special place,” said Conservancy President David Epstein.

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98-Acre ‘Random Woods’ Parcel Preserved in West Milford,
Expands Greenway

With the assistance of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, a 98-acre parcel of ecologically rich land was recently preserved by West Milford Township. Nestled in the rolling hills of the New Jersey Highlands, “Random Woods” is located on ridge road and in close proximity to municipal complexes and the central downtown area. It was previously the subject of a development application and prior to the implementation of the Highlands Act in 2004, it had preliminary approval for 103 singe family homes.

The $2,100,000 project was funded with Passaic County and Green Acres grants. The preservation of this land represents an important addition to the municipality where there is a great need for additional athletic fields and active recreational facilities. While more than 90% of the parcel will remain undisturbed and available to the public for recreation, a small portion will be used to establish new athletic fields. The acquisition of Random Woods also furthers an existing and expanding greenway and supports important conservation goals identified in the Highlands Water Protection & Planning Act of 2004, which seeks to preserve extensive and contiguous areas of land in its natural state (forests, wetlands, stream corridors, and critical wildlife habitat) and protect New Jersey’s drinking water resources.

“We are very excited about the recent acquisition of the Random Woods property, which will preserve an additional 100 acres within the township while also providing for a multi-purpose ball field at no cost to our residents,” said Bettina Bieri, Mayor of West Milford Township. “This acquisition adheres to the township's philosophy, which prioritizes open space acquisitions not solely based on its environmental sensitivity but also based on its potential to directly benefit the community via active recreational opportunities. We truly appreciate the cooperation we have received from the Passaic County Open Space Committee, Green Acres, the Land Conservancy of New Jersey, the previous owners, our staff, and our township attorney, all of whom worked together to achieve the goal of the Mayor and Council.”

“Random Woods is an excellent project for West Milford. It will provide the town with much needed active recreation facilities as well as preserving vital wetlands and natural habitats. Projects like Random Woods are a perfect blend of conservation and active recreation, which meets so many of the Town’s needs,” said Matt Dank, Land Preservation Specialist for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. This is the fourth property purchased by The Land Conservancy in partnership with West Milford Township, preserving a total of 327 acres for recreation, conservation, and water resource protection.

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Former Rezamir Estates Property Preserved, Restoration Begun

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) partner with
Mount Olive and Morris County to preserve critical watershed in New Jersey Highlands

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is pleased to announce the purchase of the former
134-acre Rezamir Estates property in the Township of Mt. Olive on June 9, 2010 in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, Morris County, Mt. Olive Township, and the State of New Jersey. The property will be known as The South Branch Preserve Restoration Project as it is located within the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River.

The property was subdivided in 2004 and construction had begun for the development of 16 single-family homes. The property includes a complex network of streams that feed into the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River, a drinking water source for 1 million New Jersey residents. Unfortunately, with the development approval, the hydrology of the property was altered with installation of a road, several stream crossings, detention basins, and footings for an arch bridge. The Land Conservancy of New Jersey will implement a plan to remove the crossings and detention basins, and restore stream channels to their natural state.

The acquisition included a contribution from TPL and the landowner of more than $100,000 so that The Land Conservancy can begin work to restore streams and stabilize soil on the site. The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is raising additional funds to reforest portions of the property and implement a comprehensive management and restoration plan for the property.

“The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is excited to have the opportunity to restore the disturbed streams and stop the erosion that has plagued this beautiful property so that it can once again provide clean drinking water for the residents of New Jersey,” said Conservancy President David Epstein.

“The construction project had damaged neighboring properties. The Trust for Public Land took the initiative in making the project happen, and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey will be a good steward in returning the property to a natural state. The public will get the benefit of enjoying the property,” said Mount Olive Township Mayor David M. Scapicchio.

The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders awarded $1.65 million from the open space portion of the County Preservation Trust Fund; Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority contributed $500,000; $460,000 came from two New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program grants, including a $250,000 contribution of Green Acres Funding from Mount Olive Township’s Planning Incentive Funds; and the Johanette Wallerstein Institute awarded $40,000 for the purchase.

“We are grateful to The Land Conservancy of New Jersey for their commitment to stewarding and improving this critical drinking water resource, and to the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Mount Olive Township Mayor and Council, the Municipal Utilities Authority, the Wallerstein Institute, and New Jersey’s state Green Acres program, without which this opportunity would have been lost,” said Terrence Nolan, TPL Senior Project Manager.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey will be tracking the restoration of the property on our blog site. Click here to connect to our blog and become one of our followers!

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Greene Farm Preserved in Frelinghuysen Township

With assistance from The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, the 32-acre Greene Farm was preserved on June 15, 2010. The Greene Farm is located near Jenny Jump State Park and within the Hope Preservation Area of Frelinghuysen Township. The Greene Farm was identified as a priority farmland project in both the 2005 and 2008 Frelinghuysen Township Farmland Preservation Plan, produced by The Land Conservancy of New Jersey in partnership with the Township’s Farmland Preservation Committee. The farmland project contains over 200 acres of preserved farmland. The Greene Farm was preserved through the State Agriculture Development Committee’s municipal Planning Incentive Grant program. This was the first time the Township used these state grant funds which were originally awarded in 2006. The Township provided matching funds through its municipal Open Space Trust Fund.

The land within the farm produces hay and crops. “This project exemplifies the determination of the State, County and municipality to overcome funding hurdles and accomplish farmland preservation projects” said Megan Haidet, the Conservancy's Land Preservation Specialist who worked on the project. The Conservancy, Township, County, and State are pleased to have preserved this farmland which helps further New Jersey’s goals of retaining its unique “garden state” identity.

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Partners for Parks Project Held at Wagner Farm Arboretum

Forty-five sanofi-aventis employees spent the day working hard to beautify and improve the grounds at the Wagner Farm Arboretum’s “Children's Garden”. The volunteers worked tirelessly and succeeded in placing 220 linear feet of metal edging along the main brick walkway, and spreading 12 cubic yards of wood chips along a path which connected the “Children's Garden” to the main building. In addition, many other significant projects were completed, including weeding, spreading top soil and mulching.

Volunteers were able to build 6 raised garden beds, and added new top soil and wood chips along the pathways between each of the raised beds. This work contributes to the progress of these evolving gardens that have been established to benefit community members and the general public.

Since 2000, sanofi-aventis volunteer groups have participated in 13 Partners for Parks projects, with over 300 employees participating in a variety of stewardship projects in both Morris and Somerset counties.

The Partners for Parks program is made possible in part thanks to our corporate sponsors. 2010 corporate sponsors include: BASF, Goldman Sachs & Co., Investors Savings Bank, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, sanofi-aventis, UPS and Walmart.

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52 Acres Added to the Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area

With support from The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, 52 acres have been added to the Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Stillwater Township by the State of New Jersey. On May 26th the state announced the preservation of the former Calitre property in the Township. Immediately adjacent to the WMA, and entirely forested, the property includes Troy Brook, a Category One waterway, which bisects the land in a southwesterly direction. According to the NJDEP Landscape Project, the property also contains habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the barred owl, the timber rattlesnake, and the Jefferson salamander.

This is the fourth property that the Conservancy has assisted the Township and State with preserving for the purpose of expanding the Trout Brook WMA. These four projects have added a total of 665 acres of preserved land to the Trout Brook WMA.

Click here for a map of the Trout Brook WMA

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4th Place for the Conservancy's World Series of Birding Team!

The Conservancy's World Series of birding team, the Highland Hawks, put their skills to the test at the 27th Annual World Series of Birding event. They combed the state with one thing in mind; identifying as many species of birds as possible in a 24-hour period. Considering the fairly large list of competitors the team placed 4th, spotting and identifying 200 birds.

Pictured at the end of their 24 hour trek throughout New Jersey are the members of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s World Series of Birding team, the ‘Highlands Hawks’. From left, Dennis Miranda from Vernon and team Captain, Steve Rodan from Cape May, The Land Conservancy’s Stewardship Manager, Dennis Briede of Blairstown & Stephen Kloiber, from Pen Argyl, PA.

The event, sponsored yearly by the New Jersey Audubon Society, helps focus attention on New Jersey’s strategic importance to migrating birds and helps organizations like the Conservancy raise money to protect natural habitat. This was the 15th year the Conservancy participated in the event.

As stated by Dennis Briede, ‘We traveled over 700 miles throughout the state, from Vernon in northeastern Sussex County, down through Forsythe Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville and then all the way to Cape May. Considering how breezy it was we still managed to hear or spot a total of 200 species of birds, from the swift peregrine falcon to the tiny ruby-throated hummingbird. About eighty percent of all the birds on the list are heard rather than seen, which means you have to know your bird calls for over 150 species.”

As a result of the record number of birds identified, the team was able to raise over $16,000 through pledges made for each species they spotted. The money raised will be used to help the Conservancy continue its efforts to preserve open space lands and protect water resources in New Jersey.

The Conservancy would also like to thank Toyota/Lexus of Parsippany for donating the use of a hybrid SUV for the team to use on their trek.

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Seeking Volunteers for Our Native Wildflower Garden

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help maintain our native wildflower garden. WildAcres garden is located on a forty four acre preserve, which serves as the Conservancy’s Headquarters and is also a Montville Township park. The garden, established with the help of volunteers has also been certified by the National Wildlife Federation as an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat site.

Volunteers are needed to perform tasks such as weeding the garden beds and paths, pruning of some shrubs and trees, mulching and raking leaves and other general clean up. All tools and supplies will be provided. Call Dennis Briede at 973-541-1010 x12

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Historic Dower Farm Preserved!

The historic Dower Farm in the Peapack Valley has been preserved by The Land Conservancy of New Jersey in partnership with the Somerset County Agriculture Development Board, State Agriculture Development Committee, and the Borough of Peapack & Gladstone. Overlooking the Sourland Mountains, these scenic 47 acres were permanently protected on March 23, 2010 through an agricultural easement purchased for $1,960,817. “The Land Conservancy is extremely grateful to the van den Bergh family for their dedication to preservation, and also to the SADC, the Somerset CADB, and the Borough of Peapack & Gladstone for their support in preserving Dower Farm. The preservation of this farm is central to the future of this lovely and historic landscape. This project is unique in that in addition to preserving land for agriculture, we have also protected a cultural icon that well represents a very special place in our state,” said Sandy Urgo, Land Preservation Manager for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey.

more

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Check us out in the current issue of New Jersey Countryside Magazine! On stands now

The article takes a look at organizations working to preserve the countryside in the Garden State and features many pictures of properties preserved with the assistance of the Conservancy.

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222 Acres Preserved in Byram for Recreation and Conservation

On Friday February 19th, Byram Township, with the assistance of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, concluded a four year effort to secure 222 acres of the New Jersey Highlands known as the Hudson Farm Greenway for $4,150,000. more

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Conservancy President David Epstein was featured on ISSUES AND IDEAS this past Sunday on WSUS-FM 102.3, WNNJ-FM 103.7, WHCY-FM 106.3, and WTOC-AM 1360.

click here to listen!

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30-Acre Farm Permanently Preserved in Frelinghuysen Township

The 30-acre Woodcock farm in Frelinghuysen Township was permanently preserved by grants provided by The Land Conservancy of New Jersey and the Warren County farmland preservation program. Since 2006 The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has helped Frelinghuysen Township preserved 195 acres of open space and farmland in their community. Located at the scenic corner of Golden Chain Road and Camp Wasigan Road, the Woodcock Farm is an active farm supporting beef cattle and chickens with hay grown on its gently rolling fields. “The Land Conservancy has been working with the family since 2006,” stated Megan Haidet Land Preservation Specialist with the Conservancy. “Through their dedication and the support of the Township and County we are happy to see this farm permanently protected.”

more

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Land Conservancy Ends the Year with a Flourish!

During the final months of 2009, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey in partnership with municipalities, counties, the state, and other organizations assisted in the preservation of nine properties totaling 332 acres throughout Morris, Sussex, Essex & Warren counties. Five of these properties were preserved in the final 10 days of the year! In many instances innovative partnerships and diverse funding sources were needed to bring a successful project to conclusion. Projects were steeped in history, offered new opportunities for a variety of recreational activities, and protected our farmland, water resources, forests, and habitats for threatened and endangered species

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NJ Nets at Branch Brook Park for Partner for Parks Project

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s Partners for Parks program held a project recently at Branch Brook Park in Newark with employees from the NJ Nets. Pictured left are the four NJ Nets players and their mascot who attended the project. From left, Josh Boone, Bobby Simmons, Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Sly.

As part of NBA Cares Week of Service, volunteers spent the day working hard weeding, pruning and spreading wood chips around 40 cherry trees. This work was necessary in order to prepare for the winter months ahead and helps to ensure the health of the cherry blossoms enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors during the parks’ cherry blossom festival held each April.

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11 Acres Added to South Mountain Reservation in West Orange!
Local Leaders Support Public Question #1

Staff and Board Members of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey joined Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., West Orange Mayor John McKeon, Dennis Percher from South Mountain Conservancy, and Cathy Elliott-Shaw from the New Jersey Green Acres program to announce the preservation of 11 acres of open space in West Orange on Friday, October 23rd. The parcel will become part of Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation and be open to the public for recreation. In addition, the County Executive announced his endorsement of Public Question #1 on the November 3rd ballot to provide $400 million of funding for the NJ Green Acres program.

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Conservancy Earns National Recognition

Accreditation Awarded by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has become the first New Jersey based land trust organization to achieve accreditation in the state. The announcement was made by The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the national Land Trust Alliance. more

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The Conservancy's PSA

The Conservancy's PSA ran at the AMC theaters in Rockaway and East Hanover this summer. Check it out!

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184-Acre Koehler Property Preserved

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey partnered with Boonton Township, Kinnelon Borough, and Rockaway Township to complete the purchase of the 184 acre Koehler Pond Property. This property is adjacent to more than 8000 acres of public land in the Farny Highlands including Buck Mountain State Park and Jersey City watershed lands. This is the third conservation property that The Land Conservancy has purchased from the Koehler family. The first two properties, totaling 587 acres, were located in Rockaway Township and were added to the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area in 2005.

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