Open Space in Hillsborough

Open Space in Hillsborough

 In July, the Sourland Conservancy stated its opposition to Hillsborough Township’s proposal to divert Open Space funds to other purposes. Despite opposition from nearly everyone present, the Township Committee voted on July 23rd to place the question on the November 5th ballot.

The ballot measure would permit the Township to divert Open Space funds to active recreation and other uses currently part of the regular municipal budget.

The Sourland Conservancy opposes use of open space funds for anything other than the preservation of open space. We do not believe that Hillsborough voters approved a special Open Space tax only to have the money spent on artificial turf fields and other things unrelated to preservation.

Our mission is to protect the ecological integrity, historic resources and special character of the Sourland Mountain region.  Continued open space preservation in Hillsborough is essential to maintain the critical forest, wetland and grassland habitats in the Sourland region. Continued open space preservation is essential to maintain the scenic, quiet countryside valued by Hillsborough residents for cycling, hiking, birding, photography and more! Continued open space preservation is essential to maintain, if not increase, property values in Hillsborough.  The time to preserve is NOW; the time to create and maintain passive recreation on preserved land is AFTER all undeveloped land parcels in the Sourlands are preserved. 

The Sourland Conservancy is pleased to congratulate Hillsborough for its designation by Money Magazine as the 16th Best Place to Live in 2013!  Hillsborough’s preservation of open space is one of the main reasons the township received this honor, and it is worth noting that MONEY Magazine made this determination. If a magazine named MONEY deems open space a top priority, one must conclude that putting money into open space preservation is a financially sound investment!

Imagine a time when Hillsborough is once again designated as one of the Top Best Places to Live in America for all of the same reasons it has achieved that designation today, but also because of a local, regional and state resource as valuable and special as “The Highlands” or “The Pine Barrens” -- known as “The Sourlands.”

The Sourland Conservancy urges the residents of Hillsborough to vote NO on the Open Space question on November 5th, both to preserve Hillsborough’s highly valued rural character and to “Save the Sourlands.”

Respectfully,

Caroline Katmann

Executive Director

Sourland Conservancy