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106-Acre
Farm in Franklin Township Preserved
The
Land Conservancy of New Jersey is pleased to announce that the
Santini Trust Farm in Franklin Township, Warren County have been
permanently preserved. This 106-acre farm is owned by the Clara
S. Santini and the Santino J. Santini Testament Trust (“Santini
Trust”) and has been protected through the purchase of an
agricultural easement ensuring the land remains farmland in
perpetuity.
Negotiated by The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, this property
was preserved using funds provided by Franklin Township’s local
Open Space Trust Fund, with matching grants from the Warren
County Agricultural Development Board, State Agriculture
Development Committee (SADC), and the United States Department
of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service through
the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program.
This farm was targeted as a priority under Franklin Township’s
Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan, written by the
Conservancy and the Township. The farm is located within one of
the Plan’s main project areas, the Pohatcong Valley West Project
Area. The Plan allowed the Township to qualify for grant funds
provided by the State Agriculture Development Committee through
the municipal farmland Planning Incentive grant program. This is
an important funding source for municipalities throughout New
Jersey for farmland preservation. Preserving this farm helps
retain the rural, agrarian beauty and economy of the area, as
well as protect the Santini family’s interest in farming.
Approximately seventy percent of the farm contains prime
farmland soils needed to produce a high yield of crops. A
tributary of the Pohatcong Creek bisects the property and
preservation of the farm will help ensure protection of this
stream and its watershed.
“The preservation of this farm insures permanent protection for
prime farmland in a region with a long and productive history of
agricultural activity," said Bob Canace, Land Preservation
Specialist with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey.
"Preservation of this fertile farmland greatly advances Franklin
Township and Warren County’s commitment to protecting its best
farmland for future generations. The acquisition is a prime
example of how towns, counties, the state, and the federal
government can pool resources to protect important farmland
before it succumbs to development.”
The Conservancy would like to recognize the efforts of Stefanie
Miller of the SADC, for helping Franklin Township obtain the
federal funding and coordinating the property’s closing with
Warren County. Katrina Campbell, the County’s attorney, also
worked extremely hard to ensure the farm closed by the end of
the State’s fiscal year. Thanks to them and the Township of
Franklin, their commitment to farmland preservation ensured this
project was a success.
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