MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. — Morris County voters will be asked in the Nov. 4, 2025, General Election whether dollars from the county’s Open Space, Farmland, Floodplain Protection and Historic Preservation Trust Fund may also be used for stewardship of permanently preserved properties.
If approved, the county could establish a program to support habitat restoration, invasive species reduction, reforestation and green infrastructure improvements on publicly preserved lands. The measure would not allow general maintenance, and officials emphasized no tax increase will result. The program would use unexpended funds previously collected through the voter-approved Preservation Trust Fund.
The proposal stems from an April 23, 2025, report issued to commissioners by the Preservation Trust Fund Review Committee, which was created in January 2024 to examine possible modifications to the program. The committee met six times, consulted technical experts, and concluded that a stewardship program is a responsible next step.
“This is a natural next step in our preservation efforts. For more than 30 years, our residents have overwhelmingly supported preservation in Morris County. Adding this program builds upon a long list of successful, voter-approved initiatives, including open space, historic preservation, farmland preservation and trail development. The committee’s recommendation reflects months of evaluation regarding the merits if such a program. Stewardship allows us to care for the lands we’ve protected, ensuring they remain healthy and accessible for future generations,” said Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw, who chaired the review committee.
The ballot question, formally authorized by commissioners in June, will ask voters if the Preservation Trust Fund should be amended to include stewardship activities for permanently preserved land. An interpretive statement notes that a “yes” vote will allow projects such as habitat restoration and wildlife stewardship, without raising taxes.
The program would initially apply to municipal applicants and properties, with potential expansion to nonprofit-owned lands in the future. Eligible projects could include meadow and forest restoration, invasive plant removal, pollinator gardens and green infrastructure such as rain gardens. Ineligible activities include routine maintenance, legal fees, recreational infrastructure and work on unpreserved land.
The stewardship initiative is modeled after prior expansions of the trust fund, including a 2014 voter-approved measure that allowed funding for trail development. Like that program, stewardship grants would be offered on a matching basis, with municipalities contributing toward project costs.
A full copy of the Preservation Trust Fund Review Committee’s report and information about the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund is available on the county website.
