Middlesex County will enter into a contract to purchase 18.27 acres of forested land within the environmentally-sensitive Dismal Swamp for the county’s Open Space Preservation Program.
This property, known as the Fishbein property, is located in South Plainfield along the Edison border and is adjacent to the Adams Farm, an open space parcel the county acquired in 2009.
“My freeholder colleagues and I are committed to preserving as much open space as we can to protect the environment,” Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios said during a March 17 meeting. “The ecologically sensitive Dismal Swamp is a significant natural area which preserves wildlife, provides flood protection and provides public access to green space for residents of Middlesex County.”
“The Freeholder Board has long supported preservation in this area,” said Middlesex County Freeholder Carol Bellante, liaison to the county’s Open Space Advisory Committee. “Including this purchase, the county will have preserved 119.45 acres for open space in the Dismal Swamp, which is available for passive recreation such as hiking, bird watching, photography and nature study.”
With the addition of this land, the county has preserved or is in contract to preserve 7,808 acres throughout the county.