Corey Tierney, director of the Warren County Land Preservation Department, presented the 2014 land preservation report Wednesday evening to the Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The land preservation department administers the Farmland Preservation Program under the Warren County Agriculture Development Board, Open Space Preservation Program under the Board of Recreation Commissioners (BORC) and the Municipal and Charitable Conservancy Trust Fund under the Municipal and Charitable Conservancy Trust Fund Committee (MCCTFC).
The Open Space Trust Fund has enabled Warren County to preserve over 21,714 acres of farmland, acquire over 1,925 acres of parkland and participate in 129 historical and open space preservation efforts with local nonprofits and municipalities, Tierney said.
The land preservation department works with BORC in recommending acquisition of lands.
"We look for unique features," Tierney told the board..
Open space acquisitions include the negotiation of 11 properties totaling 335 acres in eight municipalities, three properties encompassing 49 acres in three municipalities and the closing of three properties equaling 11 acres in three municipalities.
"We're very selective in what properties we acquire," Tierney said.
He also said the department oversees three natural resource areas and sites along the Morris Canal Greenway.
Examples of projects completed include signage and repairs at Bread Lock Park and the creation of a new trail at White Lake.
The County Agricultural Development Board also preserved 236 farms comprising over 21,714 acres of farmland, Tierney noted.
The county ranks third in the state in preserving farmland and fourth in acreage.
"The county has made tremendous progress," he said.
Tierney also said the agricultural industry brought in over $91 million, ranking fifth in the state.
"The farmland preservation program helps keep farming viable," he said.
According to Tierney, the department expects to close a 94 acre farm before the end of the year.
Regarding the MCCTFC program, the county contributed $22,508,656 toward $50,823,333 in total projects. Over 5,088 acres of land has been or will be preserved through program funding.
In 2014, the total cost to preserve approximately 436 acres was $2,164,564, with the county contributing $634,781 or 29.3 percent.
Freeholder Richard Gardner said the department serves a community wide purpose.
"Obviously people are using the natural resources available more and more," he said.
Also during the meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution in support of the Warren County Mosquito Extermination Commission in its opposition to the Roes Island Mitigation Project.
The board has expressed concern with a permit application Roes Island, LLC, submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a freshwater wetlands general permit. The pieces of land are located in Independence and Liberty townships.
The board said the company wants to buy and place wetlands in Warren County, which will ultimately lead to an increase in mosquitoes.
"It's a cause of great concern," Freeholder Jason Sarnoski said. "This is certainly not fair to our residents."
Freeholder Director Edward Smith said the result would involve taking prime farmland and turning it into swamp land.
"It seems to be inconsistent with the policy of the county," he said.
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