Madison Receives Green Acres Funding From DEP

MORRIS COUNTY, N.J.– $67.4 million in Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres program funding will be available for open space, recreation and stewardship projects in Morris County and across New Jersey, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced.

The Green Acres program is accepting applications from municipalities, counties and non-profit groups for grants and loans for land acquisitions, park development and stewardship projects, according to Martin.

"Preservation of open space for people to enjoy nature and recreational opportunities is important to enhancing the quality of life in New Jersey,” Martin said. “We have a long tradition of continuously expanding our impressive inventory of open spaces and parks as a way of ensuring that everyone has ample
opportunities to find places to unwind, get together and enjoy healthy activities."

Added Morris County Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo: “We’re glad to see that the state is continuing it’s Green Acres Program which has provided matching dollars for many county, municipal
and non-profit open space preservation efforts. Those open space projects have preserved many key parcels, allowing our county to maintain a high quality of life for our residents."

Open space projects in Morris County funded through the last round:

• Chester Twp. open space acquisition, $205,000;
• Hanover Twp. open space acquisition, $300,000;
• Lincoln Park flood plan project, $550,000;
• Long Hill Passaic River Basin open space acquisition, $500,000;
• Harding Twp. open space acquisition, $550,000;
• Madison open space acquisition, $500,000;
• Mendham Twp. open space acquisition, $187,800;
• Pequannock planning incentive grant, $302,000;
• Rockaway Twp. open space acquisition, $550,000;
• Morris County planning incentive grant, $1.17 million.

According to Martin, Green Acres funding allows county and local governments and non-profits to leverage millions of additional preservation dollars through matching federal, state, county and local funds, as well as from private sources.

For more information about the Green Acres project, click here.

Click the link for more information on Morris County’s Preservation Trust.

Image courtesy County of Morris