Residents will vote on land preservation

By KRISTI FUNDERBURK
Staff Writer
kfunderburk@thedailyjournal.com

BUENA VISTA -- Fred Akers walked through the woods behind Michael Debbi Park until he reached one of the largest vernal lakes in the state. He pointed around the now dried-up field and spoke to a small group about the animals residing there and the natural resources it creates.

The vernal lake is a small part of 70 acres the township hopes to buy with money from an open space grant and could provide cleaner air, filtered rainwater and mitigated flooding, Akers said. But the state is running out of open space money to fund preservation projects.

Akers' tour and a news conference held prior were meant to drive support of ballot question No. 3 to fund open space, farmland, and historic sites preservation statewide and locally.

"For the public, it's a clear no-brainer to go for this legislation," said Doug O'Malley, field director for Environment New Jersey and supporter of the Keep it Green campaign.

Signs throughout Atlantic County encourage taxpayers to vote no on the ballot questions in November to keep taxes from increasing.

But O'Malley, Akers, Mayor Chuck Chiarello, Mullica Mayor Kathy Chasey, Pinelands Preservation Alliance's Jaclyn Rhodes, and about a dozen others gathered outside the woods on Wednesday to encourage others to vote yes to question No. 3 on Election Day.

"If we don't protect open space now, we're going to lose it, and it's going to be more expensive to buy," O'Malley said.

If approved, the state treasurer can issue general obligation bonds worth $200 million with $109 million toward the Green Acres program, $73 million for farmland preservation, $12 million for the Blue Acres program to buy flood-prone properties, and $6 million for historic preservation, O'Malley said.

If approved, the legislation could reverse last year's course, when most of the requests for open space and environmental projects grants were rejected, Rhodes said.

Nick and Bettie Reina of Milmay were at the conference to show their support.

"We love what we have, all the trees and everything," Bettie Reina said. "I'd hate to see that go."

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