HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – The pandemic has not prevented the Hunterdon County Planning Department and Counsel’s Office from moving toward finalizing the preservation of over 500 acres of open space and 254 acres of farmland during 2021, County Commissioner Matt Holt reported at a recent board meeting.
Holt, the Board’s liaison to the Planning and Land Use Department, reported, “The staff, including the Counsel’s office and Planning Department, have been very busy locking up additional open space and farmland preservation parcels throughout the first part of the year. The pandemic has not prevented closings from happening or being planned for the near future on 254 farmland acres and 515 open space acres, as land preservation continues to be a priority for this Board and our residents.”
“Gaining these preserved lands requires a great deal of work by a great many people, including local officials in our municipalities, funding partners like the Hunterdon Land Trust, the State Agriculture Development Committee, and Green Acres. It also entails a willingness to participate by property owners for whom we are always very appreciative,” Holt said.
Holt reported open space land purchase closings have taken place or are expected to take place in the near future, for the following:
- 38-acre Stanton manor property in Readington
- 125-acre Denton property in Lebanon Township
- Readington’s Fitzgerald property, which is 30 acres
- The Maritan Property, 104 acres in Kingwood
- The GenOn property, 70 acres in Holland
- 50 acres of the Saums property in Readington
- The CRC Mine Road property, 98 acres in Bethlehem
Holt added that the list of farmland preservation easements that have closed or are planned for closings includes:
- The Curtis farm in Delaware Township, 65 acres
- The Thomas farm in East Amwell, 30 acres
- The Kappus Farm in Alexandria, 30 acres
- The Silva Farm in Holland, 129 acres.
“With these latest additions to the farmland preservation program, the County is moving very close to having 35,000 farmland acres under preservation. That is a notable achievement which we intend to see realized in 2021. The fact that all parties continued to work towards successful completion of these projects, despite the pandemic and having to work remotely for a good part of the last fifteen months, should not be lost on anyone. It demonstrates a great dedication and I am joined by my colleagues on the Board in thanking all involved in the process,” Holt said.
