TRENTON, N.J. — A bill aimed at protecting privately owned woodlands from development was signed into law Tuesday, creating a state-managed fund to acquire development easements on forested land.
The measure, S699/A682, sponsored by Assembly members Sean Kean and Dawn Fantasia, establishes a Woodlands Protection Fund operated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Supporters said the program is designed to preserve forests while keeping land in private hands.
The fund will use federal money, private donations and state legislative appropriations to purchase development easements, according to the bill sponsors. To qualify, woodlands must be at least five contiguous acres and be managed by the landowner in accordance with state law. Landowners are not required to open the land to the public.
“This law protects these natural spaces and while at the same time respects property owners’ rights,” Kean (R-Monmouth, Ocean) said. “The state needs to proactively preserve these areas to safeguard these ecosystems and protect private land owners from pressures to sell and build.”
Supporters cited the scale of private ownership as a key concern. About 950,000 acres of forest in New Jersey are privately owned, with about 40% of that land owned by people 65 and older, according to the sponsors. They said the remaining 1.037 million forested acres are owned by the state, local governments and the federal government.
Environmental advocates and lawmakers backing the bill said preserving forests helps protect native species, air quality and watersheds and supports the economy through tourism and forestry.
“This approach empowers landowners to voluntarily protect forests and water resources without sacrificing ownership or control,” Fantasia (R-Sussex, Morris, Warren) said. “That’s critical in northwest New Jersey, where private woodlands shape our landscape. Development is permanent—once those acres are gone, they don’t come back.”
