Jennifer Coffey, Pennington
New Jersey’s open space, farmland and historic preservation programs are out of funds. With all of the remaining funds for preservation programs allocated, New Jersey is at risk of having decades of successful preservation efforts grind to a halt, jeopardizing critical lands that generate billions of dollars in economic benefits.
However, efforts to secure long-term, sustainable preservation took a huge step forward this week. Thank you to Sens. Bob Smith, Christopher “Kip” Bateman, and Jim Whelan for their bipartisan sponsorship of landmark legislation to establish a dedicated source of funding for open space, recreation, farmland and historic preservation programs in New Jersey. The state Senate Environment and Energy committee, including the three sponsors and Sen. Linda R. Greenstein, voted with bipartisan support to approve landmark legislation that would ask voters to dedicate a small portion of state sales tax revenues to renew and sustain these critical programs.
This legislation will ensure that New Jersey’s preservation legacy lives on and that the state will be able to continue its investments in keeping our drinking water clean, protecting our open space and wildlife habitat, and preserving our family farms and historic treasures.
The legislation is modeled after the successful Garden State Preservation Trust Act and is a fiscally sound approach that won’t increase taxes or debt. The percentage of sales tax revenues to be dedicated under the proposal is just one-fifth of one cent of the state’s 7-cent sales tax. This is expected to generate more than $200 million a year.
The dedication would not begin until FY2015 to allow more time for sales-tax revenues to grow and accommodate this without impacting other needs. Sales tax revenues have been growing and are projected to increase by more than $200 million annually going forward, especially with Amazon.com sales in New Jersey becoming taxable as of this July.
This is a wise and necessary investment to protect clean water and natural flood buffers, to ensure all New Jerseyans have access to quality parks close to home, and to preserve our agricultural and historic resources for generations to come.
With no new money available to continue New Jersey’s preservation legacy, our legislative leaders must act now to pass this legislation and give voters the chance to vote “yes” for continued open space funding on the ballot this November.
Jennifer M. Coffey
Policy Director
Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
Pennington
