By Reem Nasr, Staff Writer
Legislation to preserve farmland and open space in the 14th Legislative District has been unanimously approved this past June.
The legislation consists of three bills, allocating $235.77 million to farmland and open space projects, including South Brunswick, Cranbury, Monroe, Jamesburg, Hamilton, Plainsboro, and West Windsor.
”There are many reasons to celebrate the support of this bill. Preservation is an important element to our quality of life,” John Riggs, of the Monroe Township Environmental Commission, said in an e-mail.
”Preservation of farmlands protects our culture and provides locally grown foods which prevent long distance transportation costs and negative environmental consequences of the transportation.
”Not providing the necessary preservation funding now will costs us more later as property values escalate and vacant land becomes a rare commodity.. Property values are at recent lows and there is no better time to preserve our future than in the present.”
The goal of the bills is to protect farmland and open spaces from development while maintaining the way of life for farmers across the district.
The bills, all approved 79-0 by the Assembly and 39-0 by the Senate, were sponsored by Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo, D-14th, and Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein, D-14th. Voters approved preservation funding in 2007.
One bill sponsored by Mr. DeAngelo appropriates $49.65 million from the 2007 Farmland Preservation Fund for farmland preservation purposes. Two million dollars from this bill will go to Middlesex County farmland in Hamilton, Cranbury, Monroe, Plainsboro, and South Brunswick.
The bill sponsored by Ms. Greenstein appropriates $66 million from the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund, the 2007 Green Acres Fund, and the 2007 Blue Acres Fund to purchase land for recreation and conservation. It includes $9 million for Crossroads of the American Revolution projects in Cranbury and South Brunswick. These projects aim at preserving Revolutionary War landscapes threatened by development. It also includes Blue Acres projects aimed at purchasing and protecting coastal lands. Delaware and Raritan Canal Greenway projects will also take place in South Brunswick and Plainsboro.
Mr. DeAngelo sponsored another bill that appropriates $120.12 million from various Green Acres funds for local government open space and park development projects. The bill includes open space acquisitions in South Brunswick for $750,000 intended for recreation and conservation purposes.
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