A Sept. 23 closing was held on 74 acres being deeded to the Somerset County Open Space program by land owner John Higgins. The acquisition was completed through a partnership with the county, N.J. Conservation Foundation and Hillsborough Township.
The conservation foundation secured an option agreement to buy 78 acres from Mr. Higgins. Most of the land was transferred to the county. Hillsborough Township has committed to contributing $500,000 toward the county’s preservation of the land. Later in the year, the county anticipates closing on the remaining four acres, which will include the demolition of two dilapidated structures.
The property will remain largely in its natural state. The county and conservation foundation will work together to develop a management plan.
The property, which is located near the intersection of Wertsville and Montgomery roads, is contiguous to other open space lands acquired by Somerset County in recent years. It will encourage the expansion of the Sourland Mountain Preserve to the Hunterdon County border, where other local, county and nonprofit preservation initiatives are underway, according to the county.
“Hillsborough Township has a very successful record of preserving land within the township and preservation remains a top priority,” said Hillsborough Mayor Doug Tomson.
The Sourland Mountain region consists of 20,000 contiguous acres of forest and farmland spanning parts of three largely developed central counties. It extends from the central part of Hillsborough Township southwest to the Delaware River in West Amwell (Hunterdon County) and Hopewell Township (Mercer).
The Sourlands protect the water supply to the headwaters of several significant streams flowing to the D&R Canal, Millstone, Raritan and Delaware rivers. The Sourlands support many rare plant and animal species and provide nesting and migratory stopover habitat for more than 100 species of migratory birds.
With the addition of the Higgins property, the preserve will exceed 6,000 acres, making it the largest park in Somerset County’s 14,000-acre park system.
