A word of thanks to the Sourland Conservancy

By now, everyone is undoubtedly aware of the results of the vote on the Hillsborough Open Space Ballot Question. By a 59 to 41 percent margin, the voters have reaffirmed their commitment to a continuation of a vigorous open space acquisition effort. This shows, I believe, that there is a widespread understanding that open space is much more than "just some pretty views". Instead, it provides many tangible economic, environmental, and quality of life benefits to the community.

While the Friends of Hillsborough Open Space (FOHOS) is grateful to a long list of people whose support and work on our behalf was so crucial in achieving this result, the Sourland Conservancy deserves special recognition. The Conservancy's mission is “to protect the ecological integrity, historic resources and special character of the Sourland Mountain region”. A large portion of this region is, of course, found in Hillsborough.

When the ballot question was originally introduced, the Conservancy was the first of many important environmental groups to speak out in opposition to the proposal to cut back on preservation efforts here in Hillsborough. Their Board of Directors pledged to match dollar for dollar up to the first $1,000 of donations to FOHOS. It is in large part because of this generous support, that we were able to include a mailer to the voters of Hillsborough which allowed us to reach a wide audience.

In addition, their expertise was invaluable in taking all of FOHOS's suggestions for our campaign signs and coming up with a highly effective final design. Using photographs contributed by our members, they designed our mailer and shepherded us through the process of getting it printed and mailed. Given our limited budget, we couldn't mail to everyone, so they crafted a list that identified most likely voters so that we were able to get the most bang for our buck.

All the members of the Sourland Conservancy should take great pride in knowing that their dues are being used to help ensure that the work of land preservation here in Hillsborough will continue unchanged.

Keith Richmond for

The Friends of Hillsborough Open Space