Open-Space Conservation Cooperative

The purpose of the project is to create a bridge between the vast amount of open space under non-private ownership and the need for proper natural resource management of these lands. New Jersey’s open spaces have suffered serious decline due to lack of management and this effort is an attempt to bring these lands under comprehensive long term management for the purpose of; preserving water quality, enhancing productive farmland, reducing invasive species, increasing beneficial wildlife habitat, increasing populations of threatened nd endangered species, creating and enhancing riparian buffers.

One billion dollars has been dedicated in New Jersey of the past 15+ years for open space acquisition by either the municipality, county or state and thousands of acres have been converted from private ownership where it was managed, to public ownership where funding has been restricted to address land management needs.