13 Wooded Acres Preserved In Somerset County

PEAPACK-GLADSTONE, NJ — Nearly 13 wooded acres have been added to Somerset County's abundance of permanently preserved land.

Formerly owned by Ron and Joyce Nelson, the newly-preserved land is located at 16 School Street in Peapack-Gladston, across from the municipal ballfields and a short walk from Liberty Park. Existing trails. There are also sidewalks that connect it to the borough-owned Komline open space property nearby.

"We are thrilled to obtain this property, which helps enhance our formal and informal trail system through the borough," said Mayor Greg Skinner. "It will enable our residents and visitors to continue enjoying outdoor activities throughout the borough."

"It’s a small piece, but it’s an important piece in Peapack’s effort to preserve the countryside around the core of the town," said Anne van den Bergh, a lifelong Peapack resident and vice president of nonprofit Lamington Conservancy. "It’s one of the few secluded woodland places where people can walk so close to the center of town."

The land was preserved by a partnership of Peapack-Gladstone Borough, the Lamington Conservancy, the New Jersey Green Acres Program, Somerset County and New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

The Lamington Conservancy acquired the land for $950,000 on Jan. 13 and simultaneously transferred it to Peapack-Gladstone Borough to add to the town’s recreation and open space inventory.

Half of the funding for the purchase came from a Somerset County open space grant and the other half came from the state Green Acres Program. New Jersey Conservation Foundation provided land protection expertise to facilitate the transactions.

In addition to its recreational benefits, the Nelson property recharges groundwater, safeguards water quality, and protects habitat for rare species - such as barred owls, Indiana bats, veerys and bobcats.

"Somerset County is thrilled to partner with Peapack-Gladstone, the Lamington Conservancy, and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to preserve this beautiful, wooded property for its ecological, scenic, and recreational benefits," said Somerset County Commissioner Melonie Marano, liaison to the Open Space Committee.