THE OCEAN COUNTY Natural Lands Trust Fund has successfully preserved over 30,000 acres of open space, and over 3,600 acres of farmland since it was formally established in 1998.
In November, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners will ask voters to consider increasing the Trust Fund's funding rate from 1.2 cents to 2.2 cents per $100 of total County equalized real property valuation to support continued preservation efforts across the county.
"Over the last 30 years, while the open space tax has remained the same, the cost of purchasing and preserving the land has continued to rise," said the Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Frank Sadeghi, who serves as a co-liaison to the program. "This proposed increase would allow for additional funding to support the continued land preservation and conservation efforts throughout the County."
The Ocean County Board of Commissioners will be approving a ballot question at a later date.
"Ocean County continues to grow in population size, with it being the highest population change in all 21 counties in New Jersey according to the 2024 census survey," said Ocean County Commissioner Robert S. Arace, who also serves as co-liaison to the program. "We as a Board want to make sure that the County continues to prioritize preservation as a way to ensure that the natural character of Ocean County stays intact."
He noted that the program has been beneficial in saving environmentally sensitive areas, in providing buffers for Joint Base - McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst and for curbing some development.
Overall, nearly 47 percent of Ocean County, or almost 186,000 acres have been preserved for open space including federal, state and county lands.
The Ocean County Board of Commissioners, then Chosen Freeholders, in 1997 posed a question to the county's voters on whether a trust fund to preserve natural lands should be established. The funds come from a dedicated tax of 1.2 cents per $100 of equalized property value. Establishing the fund received the support of voters in all 33 municipalities.
The Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Advisory Committee was formally established in 1998 at which time general guidelines were developed for considering properties to be preserved. In 2019, the program was expanded through a referendum to allow additional purposes of the program to allow for the acquisition, development, and maintenance of lands for recreation and historic preservation purposes.
To be considered for the program, a formal nomination is necessary for a property to be acquired. Properties are purchased only from willing sellers, and the sale must have the approval of the local governing body. The property, of course, needs to possess environmental characteristics that contribute to the goals and objectives of the program.
In preparation for the upcoming referendum, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners has launched a new website highlighting ongoing land acquisition efforts, maintenance and cleanup initiatives, habitat restoration projects, and potential future grant opportunities. The website allows residents to learn more about the program, its impact, and what the proposed increase would support. To learn more, residents can visit:
co.ocean.nj.us/frmOpenSpace.aspx.
