TRENTON, N.J. — The state Assembly on Monday approved legislation aimed at protecting privately owned woodlands from development by creating a new fund to help landowners conserve forested property.
The bill, S699/A682, sponsored by Assembly members Sean Kean and Dawn Fantasia, would establish a woodlands protection fund to acquire development easements on privately owned woodland parcels. The fund would be operated by the state Department of Environmental Protection and would use federal dollars, private donations and state appropriations to purchase easements, according to bill sponsors.
To qualify, woodlands would need to total at least five contiguous acres and be managed by the owner in accordance with state law. Landowners would not be required to open their woodlands to the public under the measure.
“This bill does two things: it protects these natural spaces and respects property owners’ rights,” Kean (R-Monmouth) said. “With owners facing pressure to sell and build, the state needs to proactively preserve these areas to safeguard these ecosystems and protect private owners from those pressures.”
Supporters say the legislation addresses growing development pressure on privately held forests as land changes hands. About 950,000 acres of forest in New Jersey are privately owned, with roughly 40% owned by people ages 65 and older, according to information provided by bill sponsors. State, county, municipal and federal governments own the remaining 1.037 million forested acres.
Advocates for forest preservation say keeping woodlands intact helps protect native species, improve air quality and safeguard watersheds and waterways. Forested land also supports the state economy through forestry and tourism, supporters say.
“Northwest New Jersey is defined by its privately owned woodlands, and once those acres are fragmented and developed, they’re gone for good. This bill creates a voluntary path for landowners to conserve working forests, protecting habitat and water resources while respecting private property rights,” Fantasia (R-Sussex, Morris, Warren) said.
