RARITAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hunterdon County has completed the purchase of a 65-acre property in Raritan Township, expanding the county’s Uplands Reserve and creating more than 270 acres of contiguous preserved open space, county officials announced.
The Campbell property, located between Borton Hollow Road and Thatchers Hill Road, adjoins the county’s 101-acre Uplands Reserve, which features hiking trails, woodlands and natural habitat.
“The preservation of the Campbell property is another important investment in protecting Hunterdon County’s natural resources and open space,” said Deputy Director Jeff Kuhl, liaison to the Department of Planning and Land Use. “This acquisition expands public preserved land, protects environmentally sensitive areas along Walnut Brook, and helps maintain the rural character that residents value throughout our county.”
County officials said most of the newly preserved tract consists of uninterrupted woodlands that extend the natural landscape surrounding the reserve. The property also includes a meadow, a farm field and approximately one-third of a mile of Walnut Brook along the western portion of the site.
Commissioner Director John E. Lanza said the preservation effort supports the county’s broader open space and farmland preservation goals.
“The Hunterdon County Commissioner Board remains focused on open space and farmland preservation as a way to protect critical drinking water resources, preserve our rural landscape, and prevent the spread of high-density sprawl development. Investments like this help ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the quality of life that makes Hunterdon, Hunterdon, and such a special place to live.”
County officials said the preserved land also connects to additional open space in Raritan Township, including Morales Park and Mine Brook Park, creating a larger corridor of protected land and wildlife habitat.
With the addition of the Campbell property, more than 1.6 continuous miles of Walnut Brook are now protected, according to the county.
Officials also noted that additional preservation efforts downstream by Raritan Township have expanded protections for the Walnut Brook watershed and surrounding open space.
