The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders is lending its support to an initiative in Upper Freehold Township to nominate the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway as a National Scenic Byway.
The freeholders passed a resolution of support during their meeting on March 12.
According to the resolution, the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway is a New Jersey Department of Transportation designated New Jersey Scenic Byway established in 2006, and the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway Committee has worked with representatives from Allentown, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County
agencies and community stakeholders in determining ways to showcase the importance of the area’s historic, cultural, scenic and natural qualities to the general public.
The resolution states that for the first time 10 years, “the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is offering state scenic byways the opportunity to apply for National Scenic Byway designation which will allow
communities to apply for additional funding to support and promote more widespread recognition and appreciation of these assets for municipalities, the county, state and nation.”
The freeholders said “a properly administered scenic byway can provide benefits to the community by increasing general awareness of the area’s unique historic and agricultural heritage through implementation of the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway Corridor Management Plan” and “the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway can further benefit the community by fostering economic development that is in keeping with our rural character and providing access to federal resources and for improving established roads that constitute the byway alignment.”
The members of the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway Committee, with the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, which is the byway’s sponsor agency, and the Monmouth County Division of Planning, will assist in the preparation of a
National Scenic Byway Program nomination package for consideration by the Federal Highway Administration for the designation of a National Scenic Byway route through the
community, according to the resolution.
The Township Committee in Upper Freehold Township and the Borough Council in Allentown are supporting the pursuit of the national byway designation.
The freeholders said Monmouth County “will continue to actively participate as a member of the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway Committee in ongoing planning efforts that support the designation, recognition and retention of the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway.”