TOMS RIVER, NJ – In the month of September, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners approved the acquisition of three parcels of land for preservation, made possible through the Natural Land Trust Fund, a program designed to protect critical open space and farmland.

Following recommendations from the Natural Lands Advisory Committee, Ocean County has successfully authorized the preservation of 78.35-acres in the Township of Eagleswood, 1.22-acres in the Township of Berkeley, and 9.97-acres in the Township of Plumsted, which will add these properties to the more than 30,000 previously preserved acres of open space and 3,600 acres of preserved farmland in the County, through the Natural Land Trust program.

The Berkeley Township parcel is located adjacent to U.S. Highway 9. The parcel was donated to Ocean County by a private landowner.

"This acquisition is an inholding that is located between the former Blackbeard's Cave preserve," said Ocean County Commissioner Robert S. Arace, who serves as a liaison to the Natural Lands Trust Fund Advisory Committee. "The property has existing trails that could lead into the NJ Pulverizing site, a previously preserved 746-acre plot of land in Berkeley Township, which connects with a section of the Barnegat Branch Trail."

Ocean County has also approved the acquisition of property in Eagleswood on US Highway 9; the property is to be purchased for $850,000.

"This property is the second purchased in Eaglewood Township; the environmentally vulnerable land was at risk of potential development of nine single-family dwellings on the property," Arace said.

In Plumsted, Ocean County will acquire the development rights on 9.97-acres of a mostly wooded farm property on Hopkins Road for $255,000.

"The plot will be permanently preserved as farmland while the owners continue to own and operate on the property," Arace said.

Ocean County will become the easement holder of the property and own the development rights.

The farm is located near 64-acres of Ocean County Natural Lands property known as the Schen property or Old Hopkins Farm. Numerous properties preserved with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection surround the area.

The Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund has helped protect forests, wetlands, farmland, water resources, farmland, and open space throughout Ocean County. This November, Ocean County voters will consider increasing the Trust Fund's funding rate from 1.2 cents to 2.2 cents per $100 of total County equalized real property valuation to support continued preservation efforts, including future acquisitions, maintenance and cleanup, and habitat protection. Learn more about the Natural Lands Trust Fund and the proposed funding increase at https://oceancountynj.gov/frmOpenSpace.aspx.