Back Vote No. 3 for open space

Several local groups are backing Question No. 3, the Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres and Historic Preservation Bond Act, on the November ballot. If approved by the voters, the question will authorize the state to issue bonds for $200 million for several actions involving open space.

It is one of four questions on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The question would provide funds for purchase and development of lands for recreation, conservation; preservation of farmland; the purchase of floodways and funding historic preservation projects.

Both the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Rahway River Association along with other environmental groups support this act. The act will authorize collection of funds for one year while the state works on a long term source of funding.

The previous funding source, the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund, has run out of funds. The trust fund was a 10-year program with only $1.7 million remaining.

Dennis Miranda, executive director of the Rahway River Association, said the funds would help projects such as the Rahway River greenway along the riverfront in the City of Rahway. It would also help with the acquisition of priority sites in the Arthur Kill watershed by Union County.

"Where we have well-funded parks and nature trails, they anchor the communities by attracting and maintaining residents and thriving businesses, which in turn buoy the local economy with stable property values and consistent tax revenues," he said.

In addition to those that are mentioned by Miranda, the positive aspects of the act are that purchasing land or rights to land for open space preservation is a critical part of the state's environment and quality of life. The negatives of the question are that it could cost up to $3 billion in interest and principal payments and that preserving the more land will inflate housing costs. We understand that the extra costs will put a burden on the taxpayers, but there is a need to preserve open space especially because of the long term costs for new development including costs involved with flooding problems. While we do advocate the approval of the question, there also should be a push by local, county and state governments to study preservation and open space acquisition partnerships with private industry. If the taxpayers are willing to foot the bill by voting in favor of this public question, the bureaucracy should look into some private cooperation to lessen the tax crunch.

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