Grant Funds Allow Open Space Preservation

Grant funds totaling $675,000 will be used to preserve open space and to improve and expand local parks in Hillsborough, according to a release from the Township.

The grant funds come from the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Green Acres Program and the Garden State Preservation Trust.  The township expects to use the funds later this year and will match the grant amount with funds from the Township’s Open Space fund, according to Open Space Liaison Bob Wagner.

“One of the reason Hillsborough was approved for the grant is because we are able to use the money to aggressively preserve land throughout the Township and protect it from future development,” Wagner said via release.  “Green Acres likes to see that Hillsborough is able to show tangible results in thousands of acres of persevered land.

“Every time we can find other sources for land preservation, it means that the Township’s fund can go that much further and be available for other preservation opportunities, he added.

Of the township’s 54-square miles, 10,000 acres—29 percent of the land—is already open space.  The most recent grants, which the township received from the state and the county in 2008, went toward preserving several properties along Long Hill Road and Montgomery Road.

According to the DEP, local governments can use Green Acres funding to buy land that will be used for outdoor recreation or conservation purposes.  Once acquired, the land can be used for walking, hiking, horseback riding, nature observation, conservation or can have playgrounds, athletic fields, and other outdoor recreation uses.

Applications for the Green Acres funding were due July 30 2010 and were then ranked based on the Green Acres priority system, according to the DEP.  Green Acres then selected its recommended projects and submits them to the Garden State Preservation Trust for approval.  The New Jersey State Legislature and Governor must then accept the approved projects.

“The approval of Hillsborough to receive $675,000 in Green Acres grant funds is good news, as it will help us continue in our efforts to preserve open space throughout the Township,” Wagner said.