Local news- Press Release
Warren County New Jersey - County Preserves 846+ Acres of Land in 2023 19 January 2024 ( news )
Warren County , state New Jersey ( By Press Release office)
Jan 19,2024
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Warren County’s open space preservation efforts protected more than 846 acres of land from development in 2023 , the Board of County Commissioners and the county Land Preservation Department announced .
Located in northwest New Jersey , Warren County still retains much of its wilderness and rural charm compared with other parts of the nation’s most densely populated state . Bounded along the west by the Delaware River , the County is home to dense forests , babbling streams , active farmlands , and inviting town centers . For decades , Warren County residents and public leaders have been working hard to protect this landscape against unwise development while promoting sustainable economic activity .
Despite mounting development pressures of late , Warren County remains firmly committed to protecting this landscape and continues to aggressively preserve both open space and farmland .
“Warren County’s greatest assets are our forests , meadows , streams and lakes . Preserving these resources has been a top priority for the past decade and will continue to be so into the future , ” explained County Commissioner Director James R . Kern III . “By partnering with our municipalities , nonprofits and other local groups , we will continue to protect the rural nature and beauty of this county , ” Kern added .
Open Space and Parkland
Last year , Warren County acquired two open space properties totaling about 125 acres . These properties expanded the County’s Oxford Mountain Natural Resource Area , pictured here , bringing that park to a total of 693 acres . With these newest additions , the County’s park system now includes more than 2 , 582 acres of permanently preserved lands . The lands not only help improve water quality and minimize flood damage , but they provide critical habitat that helps sustain biodiversity and offers areas where residents and visitors can experience nature and enjoy outdoors recreation .
The Warren County Board of Recreation Commissioners is responsible for recommending the acquisition of open space and coordinating the use and improvement ofparkland . Guided by the County Open Space Plan and the Morris Canal 25 - Year Action Plan , they have focused on acquiring key tracts of land along the Morris Canal Greenway , as well as expanding existing natural resource areas . Among other things , the county looks for unique features and sites of interest that are near population centers and accessible to residents .
Thanks to these efforts , the County’s park system has grown to comprise three natural resource areas and six parks along the Morris Canal . These include the White Lake , Marble Hill and Oxford Natural Resource Areas , as well as canal sites such as the Port Warren , Bread Lock , Port Murray , and Mount Rascal parks . “Even with all of these great sites , county open space and parkland only accounts for about 1 percent of all land in Warren County , ” said Corey Tierney , administrator of the Warren County Department of Land Preservation , “but we are also fortunate to have so many federal , state , and municipal parks here for our residents to explore . ” More information about these parks is available at
www . warrenparks . com
.
In recent years , the County also has overseen substantial improvements to its parkland and related structures , as well as coordinated the increasing maintenance of these areas . For example , in order to accommodate increased visitation to White Lake , the County expanded both the main and secondary parking areas , and installed a new floating dock for use by visitors fishing and paddling .
“Over the past 10 years , not only have we seen record visitation levels at White Lake , but many of our other parks have also seen an increase in visitation as interest in the Morris Canal Greenway has spread across the state , ” said Tierney . “Fortunately , we have been able to partner with the New Jersey Youth Corps and Warren County Parks Foundation volunteers to help maintain these areas . ”
According to Tierney , open space preservation is a good investment because it’s important for environmental , health , and economic reasons . “Not only does it help strengthen the resiliency of the ecosystem , ” Tierney explained , “but studies show that access to parks can help improve people’s health , spur commerce , and even increase nearby property values . These efforts continue to enjoy the public’s support because they improve our residents’ quality of life . ”
According to the most recent New Jersey Statewide Comprehensive Recreation Plan , in 2021 outdoor recreation accounted for 1 . 5 percent of New Jersey’s total Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) , equaling $20 . 3 billion .
Farmland Preservation
In addition to open space preservation , last year Warren County and its partners also permanently preserved 11 farms totaling more than 732 acres . The total cost of preserving these lands was $3 , 975 , 392 with the State Agriculture Development Committee ( SADC ) contributing about 38 . 5 percent , the County of Warren about 56 . 6 percent , and municipalities about 4 . 9 percent . According to the Warren County Department of Land Preservation , the County has now permanently preserved 337 farms comprising more than 29 , 216 acres of land .
Out of the State’s 21 counties , Warren County ranks fourth in total farmland acres preserved and third in total farms preserved , behind only Hunterdon County ( 466 farms preserved ) and Salem County ( 409 farms preserved . While these farms remain in private ownership , a perpetual development easement is placed on the property which restricts it to agricultural use only .
“In Warren County , agriculture isn’t just a way of life – it’s over a $93 million a year industry , ” County Commissioner Lori Ciesla said . “Farming also supports many other local businesses and requires very little municipal services . It’s a wise investment for taxpayers , ” she added .
Although the county has now preserved in excess of 29 , 000 acres of farmland , Tierney cautioned , “Some people hear that big number and think we’ve done enough , but that’s only about 40 percent of the county’s 72 , 000 acres of farmland and about 12 . 5 percent of the total area of Warren County . With increasing development pressure here , we are continuing to pursue farmland preservation as aggressively as we can . ” The County is currently processing 14 farmland preservation applications totaling 1 , 451 acres . It expects to permanently preserve these farms in 2024 .
“By preserving our farms , parks , and historic sites , we are investing in Warren County’s agricultural , recreational , and tourism industries , ” explained County Commissioner Jason Sarnoski .
“We can see returns on these investments as more people visit our parks and downtowns , local farms grow their operations , and families move to here from elsewhere . This is a wonderful place to live , work , and explore – and there’s real value in sustaining that , ” Sarnoski noted .
To learn more about the program , visit the
Land Preservation Department ' s Farmland Preservation page
or contact the Warren County Department of Land Preservation at 908 - 475 - 7750 .
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