Celebrating 32 years of open space preservation

ALLENTOWN — Securing permanent funding for open space was stressed at the 32nd annual Board of Trustees meeting of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF).

MCF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to acquiring, holding, and preserving open space in Monmouth County. Judith Stanley Coleman, president of MCF, held the April 26 meeting in her Middletown home.

Many Monmouth County legislators were in attendance, including Assemblywomen Amy Handlin and Mary Pat Angelini, Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow, Freeholders Lillian Burry, John D'Amico and Amy Mallet, as well as John Curley, who is running in the Republican primary for Freeholder. Middletown Mayor Pamela Brightbill and Monmouth County Park System Director James Truncer also attended the meeting.

Kelly Mooij, director of government relations for the New Jersey Audubon Society, spoke about the statewide "Keep It Green" campaign to secure a long-term stable source of funding for the acquisition of open space, farmland and historic sites. More than 115 organizations, including MCF, are working on this campaign, but it is a "tough battle," she said.

The campaign's goal is to renew and strengthen the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT), which is running out of money, according to Mooij. She noted that voters have historically been positive about open space issues.

"People get the connection between open space and clear air, water, natural resources and wildlife habitat," she said.

Stanley Coleman urged the legislators present to support the renewal of the GSPT. She said that overdevelopment increases taxes, and that parks and open space help keep home values high.

MCF's accomplishments in 2008 included acquiring a 1.5-acre easement, donated by the Dittmar family, on Duck Hollow Farm in Colts Neck; preserving the 37-acre Holly Crest Farm in Locust; and preserving 108 acres along Breza Road in Upper Freehold. In addition, the late Daniel Seitz donated his 5-acre property on the Navesink River, abutting Hartshorne Woods Park, to the Monmouth County Park System and in his will requested that MCF hold an easement.

MCF is currently working on preserving the Gimbel property in Middletown, which consists of 32 acres of farmland and 12 acres of open space. The MCF is awaiting a certified market value approval from the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC) to make an offer to the owners, and would use both SADC nonprofit grant funds and cash to complete the purchase.

The MCF is also working on another SADC-approved project, preserving the 23- acre Keris Tree Farm in Upper Freehold. MCF would use SADC funds and no cash to complete this project.

Other acquisition projects include the 16- acre Chris' Marina in Middletown, for which the MCF plans to use Green Acres funding. The MCF is also working with Middletown Township and Impact, a nonprofit group interested in establishing a group home for autistic children, to preserve the 26-acre Coe property on Sleepy Hollow Road in Middletown. Impact would purchase 8 acres and the township would retain the remainder, with the MCF using Green Acres funds to complete the project. The MCF also plans to use Green Acres funding for a .35-acre parcel at the Avon Marina in Avon-by-the-Sea.

The foundation has been working with the Monmouth County Park System to acquire the 2.27-acre Scheuing property in Middletown, adjacent to Hartshorne Woods Park.

In Upper Freehold, the park system is in the process of acquiring 189 acres of Schaumloeffel Hidden Lakes Nursery. The park system would purchase the property in a fee simple arrangement while allowing the owner to continue farming the land through a 20-year lease. MCF would contribute $200,000 of Green Acres funds to the project.

The nursery is adjacent to the countyowned Clayton Park. The park system wants to permanently preserve the property because final subdivision approval would allow 55 houses on the site.

Another Upper Freehold project in the works is the preservation of the approximately 1,200-acre Princeton Nurseries. The land purchase would be funded through the cooperation of Green Acres, SADC, the Monmouth County Park System, Monmouth County Agricultural Development Board, Upper Freehold Township, and Burlington and Mercer counties. The New Jersey State Fish and Wildlife Service and the park systemwould own parts of the nursery while the state and county would hold farmland leases on the remaining acreage. The Green Acres program has asked MCF to contribute $500,000 of its Green Acres matching funds to the acquisition.

The MCF also announced that it would hold its annual dinner dance on Sept. 26 at Hedgerow Farm in Middletown.