NJ Conservation Foundation and partners call for preserving 500,000 acres by 2050 and making major green investments in NJ cities

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ - A new report released today by New Jersey Conservation Foundation recommends that, to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for New Jersey, the state must act aggressively and expeditiously to set aside 50% of the state's total land and water mass for future generations.

Nature for All :A 2050 Vision for New Jersey calls for the preservation of 500,000 additional acres by 2050 and another 300,000 acres beyond then. The report, which reflects the collaboration of more than 70 organizations and individuals, also advocates for the creation of a Green and Healthy Cities Initiative to increase green investment in the state's urban areas and communities of color.

The report concludes that, as the nation's most densely populated state, accelerating land preservation in New Jersey is essential to addressing serious challenges, including the health-threatening impacts of climate change, maintaining a secure water supply, loss of biodiversity, and environmental injustice.

"This report makes clear thatin order to keep residents safe and healthy and ensure the future economy and livability of the state, New Jersey must speed up its pace of land preservation and ultimately preserve another 800,000 acres, 500,000 acres of those by 2050," said Alison Mitchell, co-executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation. "With a growing population in the state, it is essential to maintain and sustain areas that not only benefit all communities but also our natural resources and agricultural lands, which play a critical role in protecting biodiversity, stave off the harmful effects of climate change, and feed people."

"The urgency of land preservation is not just about protecting nature; it is about safeguarding public health by ensuring clean water, fresh air, and supporting vibrant communities for generations to come, said Shawn M. LaTourette, New Jersey's Commissioner of Environmental Protection. New Jersey has a long, proud history of land conservation and stewardship, and the Department of Environmental Protection will continue to explore new pathways for expanding this legacy in partnership with public and private conservation partners."

Jay Watson, co-executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation, said, "This report seeks to strike a balance between preserving lands for natural resources and food production while also calling for a systematic statewide program to create more green investments in our cities and communities of color. "The Nature for All report advocates the establishment of a Green and Healthy Cities Initiative to consider the open space, urban forest, climate mitigation needs in underserved highly developed communities around the State and drive those critically important investments into the future."

According to the report, the state's urban communities are often located along key rivers and waterways that are increasingly vulnerable to flooding due to climate change and many experience the "heat island effect," caused by paved surfaces and the lack of cooling shade of trees making the environment unbearable. As such, there is an urgent need to expand and develop quality greenspaces and streetscapes that can help to absorb floodwaters, cool neighborhoods, while providing access to nature, locally grown food, and outdoor recreation.

To date, approximately 1.6 million acres of forests, wetlands, parks, trails, farmland, and recreational open spaces have been preserved through the state Green Acres and Farmland preservation programs, county and municipal open space programs, and non-profit land conservancies, totaling more than one third of the state's total land area. Over 1.8 million acres have been developed, with close to 400,000 acres of farms, forests and wetlands developed over the last 30 years. The report calls for preserving 500,000 acres by 2050 and ultimately preserving at least 50% of the state's land area, focusing on the highest-value lands as identified in the Conservation Blueprint, a spatial database developed through a collaboration between state agencies and non-profit partners.

"We are in a critical era of change in our environment, and it's urgent that we address the environmental difficulties plaguing underserved, industrialized communities. There is an immediate necessity to launch community-based green development initiatives. Such programs must fuse sustainable agriculture, green technology, and ecological infrastructure to tackle pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges at the local and state level," said Tobias A. Fox, Managing Director, Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc.

"Preserving half of New Jersey's land would help ensure clean water and air, healthy foods, safe parks, and livable attractive communities and neighborhoods for every resident," said Eric Olsen, director of Conservation Programs, The Nature Conservancy.

"Five hundred thousand acres is an audacious goal - I'm excited to see New Jersey rise to the challenge," said Alex Rivera,chair, Garden State Preservation Trust and chair, Outdoor Equity Alliance. "Accelerating the pace of preservation, investing in land stewardship, and meeting the needs of historically divested communities will require policy and program innovation and a sustained community. The Garden State Preservation Trust will take advantage of this call to action to serve as a connector and convener investigating how to best support Green Acres, SADC, local governments, and nonprofits with funding and policy and program tools."

Thanks to a constitutional amendment approved by the State Legislature and voters in 2014, New Jersey has enjoyed reliable annual funding for the preservation of open space through a dedication of the Corporate Business Tax. However, annual funding for state open space, farmland and historic preservation programs will decline by approximately $50 million due to the Governor and Legislature allowing a 2.5% surcharge on the CBT to expire at the end of 2023. The report found that the annual pace of land preservation has slowed and this decline in annual funding would further slow preservation efforts at a time when they need to be accelerated.

The report calls for renewing the CBT surcharge and consideration of several other potential funding mechanisms. It further recommends that a multi-year funding package be enacted to address the ongoing needs in cities and underserved communities.

"Creating a vibrant, sustainable New Jersey economy depends on clean air and water. The level of environmental quality in our cities and towns directly impacts the quality of life of the families who live in them. New Jersey must continue to lead the nation in preserving land and providing healthy and green communities for all of its residents and local businesses," said Richard Lawton, executive director, New Jersey Sustainable Business Council.

Other recommendations in the report include:

• Using data from the NJ Conservation Blueprint to make strategic decisions about land preservation and identify land most critical for ecological resources, water resources, agriculture, and community greenspaces
• Establish a statewide Green and Healthy Cities Task Force made up of residents from impacted communities to identify priorities, needed investments, and strategies. prioritize investments needed in urban areas
• Develop a "Green Tape" initiative to improve the speed and efficiency of land preservation efforts
• Increase state, county, local and private funding for the stewardship of preserved lands to address ecological threats and improve public access and enjoyment of these spaces

"New Jersey is a recognized national leader in land preservation," said John Hasse, Ph.D., professor of Geography and director of the Geospatial Research Lab, Rowan University. "But development pressure is constant in the most densely populated state in nation, and New Jersey must recommit to protecting the most critical remaining lands that are essential to the future of the state, while addressing long neglected needs to ensure a clean, attractive, livable environment in the state's urban and overburdened communities."

NJ Conservation recognizes that Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve, like the rest of New Jersey, is part of the traditional homelands of the Lenape people. We pay respect to the Lenape and other Indigenous caretakers of these lands and waters, those who lived here before, and the generations to come.

About New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Recognizing that a healthy environment is critical to the well-being and survival of all living things, New Jersey Conservation Foundation is devoted to preserving land and protecting natural resources throughout New Jersey's rural, suburban, and urban landscapes.

Since 1960, the nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization has preserved more than 140,000 acres of open space, farmland, and parks. The organization manages more than a dozen nature preserves, conducts public outreach and education programs, and advocates for sensible land use and climate policies that will protect the health of New Jersey's plants, wildlife, and people for generations to come.