255 Acres Bordering NWS Earle Permanently Protected

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Land preservation is a hot topic in Monmouth County, and 255 acres bordering Naval Weapons Station Earle was just permanently protected as open space, Monmouth County Conservation Foundation announced Thursday.

The land is 20 acres of mostly mature hardwood forest in Howell, and a 235-acre thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm in Colts Neck.

These two parcels of land were preserved through a public-private partnership done between the U.S. Navy, Monmouth County and Monmouth Conservation Foundation, in partnership with Colts Neck and Howell townships.

All those groups are planning a ceremony in the coming weeks to commemorate the two plots of land preservation.

The land was preserved through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, run by the US Department of Defense. With over $3 million in federal funding awarded through the REPI program since 2018, Monmouth Conservation Fund and Monmouth County have been working with the U.S. Navy and municipalities to permanently protect lands that buffer NWS Earle.

NWS Earle takes us nearly 12,000-acres, and stretches from the Leonardo section of Middletown through Colts Neck to Howell. The naval base contains one of the largest wooded areas in Monmouth. To protect against encroachment, land in the vicinity of military bases is typically protected.

Monmouth Conservation Fund has identified several additional parcels of land eligible for protection through the REPI program and is actively negotiating with interested property holders to protect their land through an easement.

They did not say where.

"We are dedicated to protecting the natural habitats, farmland, and open spaces which make Monmouth County so special from being lost forever,” said Bill Kastning, MCF’s Executive Director.

“We are pleased to build upon our already stellar partnerships with Monmouth County, Monmouth Conservation Foundation, and our local municipalities through the REPI program,” said NWS Earle Commanding Officer Capt. Kent Smith. “Thanks to this program we are able to promote military readiness and prevent encroachment while helping our neighbors protect and preserve more of our surrounding landscapes.”