Morris County NJ can purchase and preserve 43 acres of land

Forty-three acres of land in Morris County are being considered for purchase and preservation.

The Morris County Open Space Trust Fund Committee recommended that the County Commissioners Council approve $ 1.3 million to acquire and preserve the lands in Dover, Montville, Parsippany and Chatham Township.

“Residents have flocked to these sites to find solace and simply enjoy the outdoors during the pandemic. In fact, visits to our open spaces, parks and trails have quadrupled during this time, ”said Managing Commissioner Stephen H. Shaw. “I know I speak for the whole board when I say this is one of the most important things we do as commissioners.”

The four sites vary in size from one-fifth of an acre to nearly 20 acres.

Properties

• In Montville, the Jean Drive Reserve is a 19.62 acre aquifer located in the Critical Water Resources District of the Towaco Valley Aquifer, between Old Lane and Jean Drive. The grant of $ 465,000 would protect the land and its associated water supply.
• In Dover, the East Blackwell Street property is floodplain near the city center. The vacant land, which is 0.20 acre wide, is adjacent to a stocked section of Rockaway River trout which would receive $ 35,000.
• In Chatham Township, the McDon Fen Property consists of two 17.74 acre properties facing Southern Boulevard. The largest property is a wooded and swampy area that contains a tributary of Black Creek that flows into the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and ultimately into the Passaic River. The $ 350,000 grant would help preserve the land and expand Nash Park.
• In Parsippany, the Kosut property is located near Knoll Road, surrounded by lands to the north and south that were previously preserved and belong to the township. The 5.44 acre area would receive $ 450,000 with plans to become a park and recreational facility.

“These are four great additions to an exceptional lineup of open space projects that will help make Morris County a great place to live and work,” said Jay Thomson, who chairs the County Trust Fund Committee. Morris, composed of 15 members, who presented the recommendations to the Commissioners.

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County commissioners will make a decision on the grant recommendations at a meeting later this year. The Morris County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund generates a special county tax to fund open space properties and preservation. The income is also used for farmland and historical preservation, the acquisition of county parks, the construction of trails and the purchase of residential properties prone to flooding.

Since 1994, the Morris County Open Space Program has awarded $ 318,760,878 in grants for 486 applications. Of the applicants, 416 successfully acquired these projects, preserving 17,668 acres, a combined area larger than Parsippany Township and almost as large as Chester Township.

Jessie Gomez is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com and NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

E-mail: jgomez@gannettnj.com

Twitter: @jessiereport