Losing Open Land
Editorial | The race to save space

March 19, 2007

New Jersey is losing a race with bulldozers.

Despite heroic efforts at preservation, the state continues to lose nearly 50 acres a day to development, causing property taxes to rise as towns struggle to fund new schools, roads and sewers.

Studies predict that New Jersey could be the first state to "build out," perhaps within 25 years.

In 1998, at the urging of former Gov. Christie Whitman, voters wisely dedicated up to $98 million a year of annual sales tax revenue to preserve farmland, create parks, and restore historic buildings through the Garden State Preservation Trust. Since then, more than $2 billion has been spent saving 432,000 acres and $60 million restoring historic sites.

It's the largest preservation program in the nation for a geographical area of New Jersey's size.

But by next year, money for new projects will be gone. The trust's remaining balance must all go toward debt service.

The Garden State Preservation Trust needs an immediate infusion of cash to continue its vital urban, suburban and rural preservation. The Legislature should put a question on November's ballot asking voters to dedicate up to $175 million in annual sales-tax revenue for another 10 years.

Open space helps cleanse the air, filters drinking water, and prevents flooding. It provides vital wildlife habitat and natural recreational opportunities. It sustains agriculture as a business.

The trust's three preservation programs - farmland, historic and Green Acres for parks - have been wildly successful. Each turns away millions of dollars more in requests than it cannot honor every year.

The Garden State Preservation Trust extends taxpayer money by matching grants from the 21 counties and 225 municipalities with local open-space initiatives. It also partners with nonprofit historic groups and land trusts.

In his January State of the State address, Gov. Corzine praised New Jersey's effort so far and recognized the continuing need to slow development.

"I know we need to protect our open space and create more urban parks, particularly in light of the need to ask the voters to renew the Garden State Preservation Trust," he said.

Since then, the governor has lumped open-space preservation into the programs he'd fund through "asset monetization" - leasing the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway, or selling the lottery. That link is disturbing. Corzine shouldn't leverage preservation's popularity and current plight to garner support for an as-yet-unclear financial proposition.

The trust needs a new funding stream by next year. Dedicating new sales-tax revenue for land preservation makes sense. It's time for voters to speak up again.

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