Sustaining New Jersey's Commitment to Parks, Open Space, Clean Water, Farmland and Historic Preservation

NJ Keep It Green represents more than 175 statewide, local and regional organizations committed to land conservation, agriculture, historic preservation, environmental protection, urban parks, hunting and fishing, and other forms of outdoor recreation, working together to sustain funding for the preservation and stewardship of New Jersey's waterways, wildlife habitat, natural areas, farmland, forests, parks and historic sites for our quality of life and future generations.

NJ Keep It Green led successful campaigns to pass statewide ballot measures in 2006, 2007 and 2009 generating $600 million for state open space, farmland and historic preservation programs, as well as dedicated annual funding for capital improvements to state parks and other public lands. With funds from the 2009 bond act set to run dry in 2012, we have launched the Sustainable Funding Campaign to secure a sustainable source of funding for the preservation and stewardship of New Jersey's natural, recreational and historic treasures for generations to come.

We hope you will join us in this important effort!

APRIL 25, 2013  

NJ KEEP IT GREEN APPLAUDS WARREN COUNTY FREEHOLDERS FOR

SUPPORTING LONG-TERM PRESERVATION FUNDING

TRENTON, N.J. – NJ Keep It Green today applauded the Warren County Freeholders for unanimously adopting a resolution that supports establishing sustainable funding for the preservation of open space, farmland and historic sites throughout New Jersey.

Passage of the resolution brings the number of counties that have adopted resolutions in support of dedicated open space funding to 12 – more than half of the 21 counties in the state.

“NJ Keep It Green applauds elected leaders in Warren County, who recognize the importance of protecting our state’s natural and historic resources,” said Tom Gilbert, chairman of NJ Keep it Green.  “Now that the last of the 2009 bond funds for preservation have been fully allocated, legislators must act this year to put a sustainable source of funding in place that protects the open space, farmland, waterways and historic sites important to our health and economic success in the region.”

The following are just a few example of how preservation funding has benefited Warren County:

“Warren County is a special place with a rich history and beautiful scenery,” said Freeholder Director Jason Sarnoski.  “Our communities have benefited greatly from programs such as Green Acres and Farmland Preservation and recognize the importance of a dedicated funding source to sustain them for today’s generation and generations to come.”

David Epstein, president of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, which is a member of NJ Keep It Green, also praised the Freeholders’ action.

“Developing a new sustainable source of state funding will help Warren County to continue and expand its tradition of preserving farmland, historic resources like the Morris Canal and open spaces that make the county such a wonderful place to live,” said Epstein.  “Preservation funding is an important economic engine, especially in New Jersey’s rural counties, where agriculture plays a major role. As farmers re-invest in working farms, the boost to the local economy is invaluable.  We salute the Warren County Freeholders for their foresight and leadership in supporting this measure.”

NJ Keep It Green supports dedicating $200 million annually in sales-tax revenues for 30 years to renew and sustain funding for the Green Acres, Blue Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation programs. 

Based on fiscal year 2012 revenues, $200 million represents less than 1 percent of total state revenues and less than one fifth of one cent of the seven-cent sales tax.  Sales-tax revenues have increased by an average of $206 million annually over the past two years and are projected to increase by more than $200 million annually going forward.  The dedication would not begin until fiscal year 2015 to avoid any impact on next year’s budget and allow more time for revenues to grow.

In addition to Warren County, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, Salem and Union counties have all passed similar resolutions supporting sustainable open space funding as have the NJ Highlands Council and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

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APRIL 22, 2013  

Opinion: N.J. should invest sales tax revenue in land preservation

Times of Trenton guest opinion column

By Tom Gilbert and Kelly Mooij

Statistics show that New Jersey is projected to be the first state in the nation to reach complete build-out by mid-century.

But what does that really mean?

In simplest terms, it means that if Gov. Christie and the Legislature do not act now to identify a sustainable source of funding for preservation efforts, New Jersey is at risk of losing hundreds of thousands of acres of priority farmland and open space to development.

This is land that provides us with locally grown food and keeps our drinking water clean, protects us from flooding and lessens the blow from devastating storms, and contributes billions of dollars to our state and local economies.

Letting it disappear would undo a legacy that dates to 1961, when the state established the Green Acres program.

Since then, New Jersey has become a national leader in conserving open space, protecting waterways and preserving farmland and historic sites.  Strong bipartisan and public support has ensured that Green Acres — and the more recently established Blue Acres, Farmland Preservation and Historic Preservation programs — have been well-funded and successful.

Consider that the Green Acres program has preserved more than 650,000 acres of open space and provided more than 1,000 parks and outdoor recreational facilities in every county.

And this year marks the 30th anniversary of the state’s Farmland Preservation program, which has preserved more than 200,000 acres across the state, ensuring this land will remain in agricultural production for decades to come.

Though much has been achieved, there is still much more that needs to be accomplished: 

•The state must preserve an additional 350,000 acres of farmland to maintain a viable agricultural industry. 
• Hundreds of thousands of acres in the Highlands, Pinelands, Barnegat Bay, Delaware Bayshore and elsewhere must be preserved to permanently protect drinking water, important waterways an natural areas.
•Too many communities still lack access to quality parks close to home, especially in our urban areas.
•Green Acres and Blue Acres have important roles to play in protecting communities from more frequent and intense storms by buying out flooded properties and protecting and restoring natural buffers to coastal and inland waterways that can help absorb and mitigate flooding.

Unfortunately, with the funds from a $400 million bond measure approved by voters in 2009 now fully allocated, these critical programs are broke.  Many critical preservation projects throughout the state depend upon timely and continued funding.

In order to continue its legacy of protecting open space, farmland and historic treasures, New Jersey needs to invest $200 million per year for the next several decades to meet immediate and long-term preservation needs. Fortunately, thanks to SCR138/ACR179, the solution is on the table.

Next month, legislators will consider these bills, which would ask voters to approve dedicating $200 million annually in sales-tax revenues for 30 years to renew and sustain funding for the Green Acres, Blue Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation programs.

The NJ Keep It Green coalition strongly supports this legislation. We also support amending the legislation to allocate between 10 percent and 20 percent of the funds annually to ensure better stewardship of preserved lands and parks.

The proposed sales tax dedication is similar to the Garden State Preservation Trust Act approved by voters in 1998. The act dedicated $98 million in sales tax revenues which, combined with bonding authority, provided $200 million annually for preservation programs over 10 years.  Based on FY2012 revenues, $200 million represents less than 1 percent of total state revenues and less than one-fifth of one cent of the seven-cent sales tax.

Sales-tax revenues have increased by an average of $206 million annually over the past two years and are projected to increase by more than $200 million annually going forward. The dedication would not begin until FY2015, to avoid any impact on next year’s budget and allow more time for revenues to grow.

The Garden State Preservation Trust is the most successful preservation initiative in the state’s history and a model for states across the nation.  It makes sense to put something similar in place based upon this track record of success.

Voters agree. NJ Keep It Green last year commissioned a survey of 600 registered voters that found 75 percent would support SCR138/ACR179. The survey also found 77 percent support dedicating $200 million annually in sales tax revenues specifically.

Moreover, last December, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities adopted a resolution calling for a sustainable source of funding to continue preservation efforts.

Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, Salem and Union counties, as well as the New Jersey Highlands Council, have all approved similar resolutions.

Dedicating funds from sales tax revenues is a wise and necessary investment.

Gov. Chris Christie and the Legislature need to act this year to protect New Jersey’s legacy and ensure continued funding for vital land, water and historic preservation efforts for this generation and generations to come.

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APRIL 21, 2013  

Dr. Barbara Brummer is State Director for the New Jersey Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

As we mark Earth Day in 2013, it is an opportunity to reflect upon more than 40 years of our state’s environmental challenges and natural victories, and most importantly, to set priorities — like conserving open space and making our coastal communities more resilient to storms — and take action to bolster our natural resources for the future.

New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was founded in 1970, on the first Earth Day ever celebrated in the United States. Legislative triumphs spanning both political parties in the last five decades include the Meadowlands Act, which cleaned up waste dumps in New Jersey’s Meadowlands; the Coastal Wetlands Act, which stopped rampant housing development on critical wetlands; the Pinelands Act, which safeguarded hundreds of thousands of acres in the Pine Barrens, including a major underground water supply and important wildlife habitat; the Farmland Preservation Program, which has preserved more than 200,000 acres of working farms; the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act, which halted destruction of freshwater wetlands and nearby land buffers; and the Highlands Act which focuses on keeping Northern New Jersey’s water supply safe.

Green Acres

By far, however, New Jersey’s greatest success has been the Green Acres program. Sustained by strong public support—even during uncertain economic times—for over half a century, it has preserved more than 650,000 acres of undeveloped land, created or restored hundreds of parks and recreation areas, and added almost 300 miles to The New Jersey Trail System. And, by partnering with local governments and like-minded nonprofit organizations, Green Acres has been able to leverage state preservation funds with trusts, foundations, federal grants and private fundraising by nonprofits in many cases to apply matching contributions towards conservation.

As a result of Green Acres and other state, local and nonprofit preservation programs, approximately 30 percent of New Jersey’s land area has been protected. The fact that New Jersey residents have voted again and again in favor of Green Acres reveals that open space is a top concern. And it should be.

New Jersey is projected to be the first state to reach “build-out,” meaning every land parcel will either be developed or protected, sometime around 2050. As we move toward that date, blocks of adjacent properties will become scarcer, and prices will rise prohibitively. The potential to conserve large landscapes and create wildlife corridors will likely disappear. Conservationists only have a 25-year window to make significant strides on behalf of New Jersey’s key landscapes and water systems. There is no time to waste.

Protecting and stewarding our state’s open space and natural infrastructure through the Green Acres Program also serves an important purpose brought all too keenly to light by recent mega-storms: Safeguarding flood-prone areas along the Atlantic Coast and near our many bays and rivers.

The well-intentioned Coastal Area Facilities Review Act, which regulates development of coastal areas in New Jersey, contains exemptions that, combined with pressure from the real estate industry, have allowed communities to be built without regard for how well they can withstand major natural events. We have seen the unfortunate results during and after Hurricane Irene and superstorm Sandy.

Green Acres, and its related Blue Acres program, can help remediate our coastline and riverbanks through matched federal funding to purchase and remove repetitively flooded homes, and restore natural flood plains that can reduce the impacts of ever-intensifying storms.

North Jersey Media Group Inc.

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April 19, 2013

Opinion: Preserving green spaces, natural resources in N.J. should remain vital public policy objective

By Times of Trenton guest opinion column

By Janice S. Mironov

Whether it be preserved open space, farmland, protected vital environmental resources or parkland, all New Jersey residents enjoy the benefits of the state’s active and successful preservation efforts.

These efforts enjoy broad bipartisan political and public support, and for good reason. Good land planning and environmental policy deliver long-term beneficial results. Preservation efforts are investments in our communities, where we live and work, creating balanced land planning and greening our surroundings.

What we do to preserve open space and farmland is vital in preserving and safeguarding precious environmental resources, including protecting our drinking water supply and reducing flooding. Preservation also constitutes good economic policy — it assists the state’s agricultural and tourism industries. For the health and welfare of our communities and residents, substantial unmet needs and significant, worthwhile projects remain for land acquisition, farmland preservation, water protection and park development.

In fact, New Jersey has a lengthy and laudable history of preserving open space and farmland.  The New Jersey Green Acres program has helped to preserve more than 650,000 acres of land and supported more than 1,100 park development projects over the past 50 years. And the State Agricultural Development Committee has preserved 200,000 acres of farmland over the past 30 years.

Municipalities and counties have been key partners and direct beneficiaries of these valuable state preservation programs.  Between 1961 and 1995, New Jersey voters approved nine Green Acres bond referendums. A 1998 referendum authorized the dedication of $98 million annually for a 10-year period from the state’s general fund for open space, farmland and historic preservation.  New Jersey voters subsequently approved additional referendums in 2007 for $200 million and in 2009 for $400 million.

Underscoring the broad citizen support for this goal, we can note that, in the past 30 years, no state ballot measure to fund open space preservation has been defeated.  In late January, Gov. Chris Christie signed a package of bills that provide $123 million in Green Acres and Blue Acres projects statewide. Since those actions allocated the remaining funds under the Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009, this is now a significant priority for local governments.

In early February, the New Jersey State Senate Environment and Energy Committee began considering various proposals to achieve the goal of implementing a long-term, sustained funding source for preservation programs.

Among the concepts discussed, but not yet acted upon, are a water tax/user fee dedicated to preservation, dedicating a portion of an existing funding source such as the sales tax, or a bond referendum for voter approval.  In the coming days and weeks, other options may emerge and be discussed and considered, as well.

Preserving our green spaces and natural resources should remain a vital public policy objective of our state.  These goals enjoy bipartisan, statewide support. More than 175 organizations around the state have joined the New Jersey Keep It Green Campaign to advocate for the renewal of sustained state funding for the preservation and stewardship of New Jersey’s natural and recreational treasures for generations to come.

The New Jersey State League of Municipalities, a voluntary, nonpartisan association for the state’s municipal governments, also supports the establishment of a renewed, long-term, dedicated source of state funding to preserve open space and farmland in New Jersey.  Our residents support keeping the garden in the Garden State.

Now, officials at all levels should work together and with groups such as the League, the Keep It Green Campaign and other interested stakeholders to identify a funding source and continue to invest in our state’s future.

Janice S. Mironov is president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities (njslom.org) and mayor of East Windsor Township.

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April 2, 2013

NJ KEEP IT GREEN PRAISES MONMOUTH COUNTY FREEHOLDERS’ SUPPORT
FOR STATE PRESERVATION FUNDING

Monmouth is 11th County to Pass Resolution Supporting Sustainable Funding

TRENTON, N.J. – NJ Keep It Green today praised the Monmouth County Freeholders for adopting a resolution that supports establishing sustainable state funding for the preservation and stewardship of open space, waterways, parks, farmland and historic sites throughout New Jersey.

The passage of the Monmouth resolution brings the number of counties that have adopted resolutions in support of dedicated open space funding to 11 – more than half of the 21 counties in the state.

“NJ Keep It Green is pleased that elected leaders in Monmouth County and throughout New Jersey recognize the importance of protecting our state’s land, water and historic resources,” said Tom Gilbert, NJ Keep It Green chairman. “With the last of 2009 bond funds for preservation efforts now allocated, action is needed this year to put a sustainable source of funding to continue critical efforts to preserve open space and farmland, and to protect water quality and flood-prone areas.”

The following are just a few examples of how preservation funding has benefited Monmouth County:

More than 515 land acquisition and park development projects have been supported through the Green Acres program, helping to preserve more than 26,000 acres of open space.

Green Acres funding helped acquire a 44-acre historically significant property known as the Fisher-Stern Estate along Claypit Creek, a Category 1 tributary of the Navesink Creek. The property is an addition to the 787-acre Hartshorne Woods Park, which overlooks the Navesink River and contains one of the highest elevations along the Atlantic Coast.

Nearly 190 Monmouth County farms, or more than 14,000 acres, were preserved with funds set aside for farmland preservation.

“Sustainable open space funding is critical to ensuring Monmouth County remains a place where people want to live, work and visit,” said Freeholder Director Tom Arnone. “As we move forward in our recovery from Hurricane Sandy, programs like Green Acres and Blue Acres have never been more important.”

William D. Kastning, executive director of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, a member of NJ Keep It Green, applauded the Freeholders’ action.

“The Monmouth County Freeholders clearly recognize that protecting our land and water resources is essential to our health and well-being and that of future generations,” said Kastning. “Their support sends a strong message that establishing a dedicated source of conservation funding needs to be a priority for the Governor and legislature.”

NJ Keep It Green supports legislation (SCR138/ACR179) sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblywoman Grace Spencer that would ask voters to approve dedicating $200 million annually in sales-tax revenues for 30 years to renew and sustain funding for the Green Acres, Blue Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation programs.

The proposed sales tax dedication is similar to the Garden State Preservation Trust Act approved by voters in 1998. The Act dedicated $98 million in sales tax revenues, which combined with bonding authority, provided $200 million annually for preservation programs over 10 years.

Based on fiscal year 2012 revenues, $200 million represents less than 1 percent of total state revenues and less than one fifth of one cent of the seven-cent sales tax. Sales-tax revenues have increased by an average of $206 million annually over the past two years and are projected to increase by more than $200 million annually going forward. The dedication would not begin until fiscal year 2015 to avoid any impact on next year’s budget and allow more time for revenues to grow.

NJ Keep It Green also supports amending the legislation to allocate between 10 and 20 percent of the funds annually to ensure better stewardship of preserved lands and parks that in many cases are deteriorating due to inadequate funding to properly care for them.

In addition to Monmouth County, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, Salem and Union counties have all passed similar resolutions supporting sustainable open space funding as have the NJ Highlands Council and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

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March 26, 2013

NJ KEEP IT GREEN THANKS HIGHLANDS COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING IMPORTANCE
OF DEDICATED FUNDING FOR LAND CONSERVATION

TRENTON, N.J. – NJ Keep It Green today thanked the Highlands Council for passing a resolution in support of a dedicated source of funding for land conservation.

“NJ Keep It Green is pleased that the Highlands Council has recognized the importance of a dedicated source of funding for land conservation to implement the regional master plan, including the need to provide just compensation to landowners,” said Tom Gilbert, chairman of NJ Keep It Green. “With the last of 2009 bond funds for preservation efforts now allocated, action is needed this year to put a sustainable source of funding in place in order to meet these goals in the Highlands.”

The Highlands Regional Master Plan (RMP) has identified and mapped 92,360 acres of conservation priority lands and 70,197 acres of priority farmland, for a total of 162,557 acres with significant resources in need of preservation.

NJ Keep It Green supports legislation (SCR138/ACR179) sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblywoman Grace Spencer that would ask voters to approve dedicating $200 million annually in sales-tax revenues for 30 years to renew and sustain funding for the Green Acres, Blue Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation programs.

The proposed sales tax dedication is similar to the Garden State Preservation Trust Act approved by voters in 1998. The Act dedicated $98 million in sales tax revenues, which combined with bonding authority, provided $200 million annually for preservation programs over 10 years.

Based on fiscal year 2012 revenues, $200 million represents less than 1 percent of total state revenues and less than one fifth of one cent of the seven-cent sales tax. Sales-tax revenues have increased by an average of $206 million annually over the past two years and are projected to increase by more than $200 million annually going forward.

The dedication would not begin until fiscal year 2015 to avoid any impact on next year’s budget and allow more time for revenues to grow.

NJ Keep It Green also supports amending the legislation to allocate between 10 and 20 percent of the funds annually to ensure better stewardship of preserved lands and parks that in many cases are deteriorating due to inadequate funding to properly care for them.

In addition to the Highlands Council, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities as well as Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, Salem and Union counties have all passed similar resolutions.

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January 28, 2013

NJ KEEP IT GREEN THANKS GOVERNOR FOR SIGNING OPEN SPACE BILLS

Coalition Renews Appeal for Sustainable Preservation Funding This Year

TRENTON, N.J. – NJ Keep It Green today thanked Governor Christie for signing a package of bills that will provide $123 million in Green Acres and Blue Acres funding to support preservation projects statewide.

“We are pleased that the Governor signed these bills, which make significant investments in preserving open space throughout the state,” said Tom Gilbert, NJ Keep It Green chairman. “By investing in parks and open space, we can help mitigate damages from storms like Hurricane Sandy, protect our water supply and keep our communities and economy healthy.”

This round of funding, however, represents the last of the Green Acres and Blue Acres funds from the 2009 bond referendum, which voters approved to allocate $400 million for open space, farmland and historic preservation projects throughout New Jersey. With the state projected to reach complete build out by mid-century, the Coalition is renewing its appeal for a bipartisan initiative that creates a long-term, sustainable funding source for the full suite of preservation and stewardship programs including Green Acres, Blue Acres, Farmland Preservation and Historic Preservation.

“Funding for preservation programs is running dry, yet the need is greater than ever,” said Kelly Mooij, NJ Keep It Green coordinator. “NJ Keep It Green is committed to working with the Governor and legislative leaders to develop a bipartisan, sustainable funding initiative this year that will support hurricane recovery efforts as well as protect our open space, farmland and historic treasures now and in future generations.”

New Jersey has approximately 1 million acres (20 percent of the state) that are still unprotected and developable. An additional 350,000 acres of farmland still need to be preserved to maintain a viable agricultural industry in the Garden State. Too many communities still lack access to quality parks close to home, and hundreds of thousands of acres of priority lands remain unprotected in the Highlands, Pinelands, Barnegat Bay and elsewhere.

NJ Keep It Green in the spring of 2012 commissioned a survey of 600 registered voters that found 75 percent would support dedicating $200 million annually for 30 years for open space, farmland and historic preservation. The survey also found that 89 percent of voters believe it is important to protect coastal and inland areas prone to or affected by flooding.

In addition, a recent statewide poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind and co-sponsored by the New Jersey Farm Bureau found that 83 percent of New Jersey residents support the continuation of funding for the preservation of open space and farmland.

The bills signed by the Governor today provide funding for a range of park, land and water protection projects throughout the state and include more than $29 million for projects to buy-out flood-impacted properties in both in-land and coastal areas and to protect undeveloped coastal watershed and riparian lands to help prevent future flood damage. These projects were in the pipeline prior to Hurricane Sandy.

Specifically, the bills include:

More than $2.4 million in Coastal Blue Acres (CBA) Acquisition grants in Linwood City, Atlantic County; Cape May City, Cape May County; and Fair Haven Boro, Monmouth County. The CBA program provides 50 percent matching grants for the acquisition by local governments of certain land in the coastal zone that has been damaged by a storm or storm-related flooding.

$12 million in Blue Acres funding for the acquisition of properties damaged by flooding, or that may be prone to incurring damage caused by storms or storm-related flooding, or that may buffer or protect other lands from flood and storm damage.

More than $5 million in Green Acres grants for flood-related acquisitions in Atlantic, Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic and Morris counties.

$9 million in Green Acres funding for state coastal watershed land acquisitions, including $2 million in the Cape May Peninsula, $4 million in the Delaware Bay Watershed and $3 million in the Barnegat Bay Watershed.

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