Hunterdon Freeholders Begin 2019 By Preserving More Farmland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: January 25, 2019

Contact: Matt Holt, Freeholder

jmholt@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Hunterdon Freeholders Begin 2019 By

Preserving 175 More Farmland Acres

The Hunterdon County Board of Freeholders, on January 22nd, authorized the preservation of three farm properties in the County totaling 175 acres, which after the closings, will bring the County’s total acreage preserved to over 33,000.

Freeholder Matt Holt, the Board’s liaison to the Department of Planning and Land Use, stated at the meeting, “Farmland and open space preservation is vital to maintaining Hunterdon County’s unique and special character. And, as Freeholder Director Suzanne Lagay noted in her address at the Re-organization meeting, this Board will continue to prioritize those preservation efforts in 2019.

The Freeholders approved the acquisition of development easements for the following:

37 acres from America’s Grow-a-Row in Franklin Township, at a cost of $314,500, with the township and County funding $54,575 each from the Open Space Trust Funds and the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) funding $190,550.

91 acres from Barbara J. Rolph in Holland Township, at a cost of $373,100, SADC-$260,260;

County-$56,420; Township-$56,420.

47 acres owned by the Dalrymple family in Kingwood, at a cost of $312,000, SADC - $112,600 and an U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of $182,400. No County or municipal open space funds are necessary.

Holt said, “Great credit is due to the staff for gaining outside funding sources to assist in the preservation of these properties. These additional funding sources save County and local dollars, which can be applied to additional preservation projects in the future.

These development easements, once the property closings take place, will add to the County’s record of most farms preserved in the state at 426. The Freeholders thank the staff and the CADB for their efforts in reaching this achievement.”

The public can find out more information about the County’s farmland preservation successes on the Planning and Land Use Department’s CADB website.