Morris County Government: Morris County Commissioners Approve Four Open Space Grants

Press release from the Morris County Government:

November 23, 2021

The Morris County Board of County Commissioners last night approved $1.3 million to acquire and preserve a total of 43 acres in 2021 Open Space projects spanning four towns.

The projects, recommended on Nov. 10 by the Morris County’s Open Space Trust Fund Committee, were approved during the board’s public meeting last night in Morristown. The properties involved are located in Dover, Montville, Chatham Township and Parsippany Township, and range in sizes from one-fifth of an acre to nearly 20 acres.

OPEN SPACE PROJECTS APPROVED FOR MORRIS COUNTY GRANTS:

Jean Drive Preserve Acquisition

East Blackwell Street Property Acquisition

McDon Fen Property Acquisition

Kosut Property Acquisition

Funding for open space acquisitions and preservation comes from the voter-approved Morris County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, which is generated by a special county tax. The funding source also is used for farmland and historic preservation, county parkland acquisition, trail construction, and the purchase of residential properties prone to flooding.

Prior to last night’s approval, the Morris County Open Space Program had awarded $318,760,878 in grants for 486 applications since 1994. To date, applicants have successfully closed on 416 of those projects, preserving 17,668 acres – a combined acreage larger than Parsippany Township and almost as large as Chester Township. This is all in addition to lands that have been preserved and improved through the other Preservation Trust Fund Programs: Farmland Preservation, Historic Preservation, Flood Mitigation and Trails Construction.

Photo: McDon Fen property.

This press release was produced by the Morris County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.