OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEYGreen Acres State Land Acquisitions – Archived Success Stories
Green Acres has a long history of successful land acquisitions throughout New Jersey, increasing and enhancing State properties for recreation and preservation. This archive describes some State acquisitions with images to entice you to visit and maps of their locations.
On November 2, 2002, another 79.107 acres of open space were added to the State’s inventory, through the Green Acres Program. The former Hou property, in Knowlton Township, Warren County, expands the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Area. Map
On July 31, 2002, Green Acres added the property formerly known as the Cedar Lake Horse Farm in Blairstown Township, Warren County to New Jersey’s system of open space. The property comprises over 100 acres including a parcel of 42 acres between the Paulins Kill and the Paulins Kill Valley trail. Kittatinny Valley State Park operates the facility. (Map)
On June 7, 2002, the Green Acres Program added 230 acres of privately-owned land to New Jersey’s system of open space. The former Brewer property comprises approximately 200 acres of woodlands- including Atlantic white cedar trees – surrounding a 30 acre pond on West Creek in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County. It is now part of the Belleplain State Forest, managed by NJDEP Division of Parks & Forestry. (Map)
On April 22, 2002, the Green Acres Program added 4,090 acres of privately-owned, previously unprotected land to New Jersey’s system of open space. The former Thomas properties are situated in 6 municipalities (Buena Vista, Egg Harbor, Estell Manor, Hamilton, Mullica, and Maurice River, and two counties (Atlantic and Cumberland), and include lands along several Pinelands waterways including the Maurice and Great Egg Harbor Rivers. The acquisition added 1,265 acres to Belleplain State Forest, 1,511 acres to the Hammonton Creek Wildlife Management Area, and 731 acres to the Great Egg Harbor Wildlife Management Area. (Map)
On March 1, 2002, the Green Acres Program preserved the 47 acre Harbor Reef LLC property along the Delaware River in Cinnaminson Township, Burlington County. This beautiful waterfront property, bordering both the Delaware River and Dredge Harbor, has been incorporated into the Taylor Wildlife Preserve and is managed by the Natural Lands Trust. The property is located on Taylors Lane off River Road in Cinnaminson Township. (Map)
On November 21,2001, 96.7 acres were added to the State’s Limestone Ridge Project area in Blairstown Township, Warren County. Ridge and Valley Conservancy manages the site for the Green Acres Program while working closely with the State Division of Parks and Forestry to develop a trail link to the adjacent Paulins Kill Valley Trail. (Map)
On October 31, 2001, the Green Acres Program acquired 279 acres of open space in West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County. The former Mantell Property comprises over 2 miles of frontage on the Alexauken Creek, forested hills and high open meadows that make up the watershed for the Alexauken, a trout maintenance stream in the foothills of the Sourland Mountains. (Map)
On July 13, 2001, the 76 acre lake in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County – known for many years as “Parvin’s Pond” after its former owners – now known as Rainbow Lake – was purchased by the Green Acres Program, providing a place for the public to enjoy boating and fishing as Rainbow Lake Wildlife Management Area. (Map)
On April 6, 2001, the Green Acres Program preserved 28 acres of land in Mt. Olive Township, Morris County. The protected land represented a large developable tract in a growing suburban location, now managed as a recreation/wildlife preserve by the State’s Division of Fish and Wildlife as part of the South Branch of the Raritan Wildlife Management Area. (Map)
On March 22, 2001 the Green Acres Program preserved 588 acres of land in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County. This large and mostly undisturbed Pinelands property harbors a number of unique and rare plants native to the Pine Barrens as well as the endangered Pine Barrens Tree Frog. These forested lands, incorporated into the Hamilton Preserve, are located within the fast growing Atlantic City Corridor. The property is located east of Mays Landing on Rt. 40, (Harding Highway) and is accessible by turning south from Rt. 40 onto New York Avenue. (Map)
On July 26, 2000, the Green Acres Program in partnership with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) preserved the 537 acre former Merck & Co., Inc. property, spanning Readington and Raritan Townships in Hunterdon County and Hillsborough Township in Somerset County. This large, mostly developable tract in a growing suburban location is now preserved and managed as a recreation/wildlife preserve by Hunterdon County Parks System and the State’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. (Map)
On June 22, 2000, the Green Acres Program, along with the Trust for Public Land, Morris County, Rockaway Township, the Forest Legacy Program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund purchased the 295 acre Meriden property adjacent to the State’s 2,662 acre Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area in the State’s Highlands region. (Map)
On May 31, 2000, 724 acres of forested mountain ridge and open fields were added to Jenny Jump State Forest. The tract, purchased from the Pequest Property Company, borders Allamuchy Mountain State Park, at the junction of County Route 517 and Interstate 80, in Allamuchy Township, Warren County. (Map)
On September 17th, 1999, the land known locally as the Magnesite Property, comprising approximately 125 acres of undeveloped beachfront, dune, coastal wetlands and disturbed, former industrial area in Lower Township, Cape May County, was added to the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area through the efforts of New Jersey’s Green Acres Program. In the heart of what was known in the early 20th century as the Whitmer Stone Wildlife Sanctuary, the site had undergone tremendous human induced alterations from industry that threatened North America’s premier migratory bird junction. (Map)
Dedicated on March 17th, 1999, Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area is comprised of nearly 500 acres of rolling fields and woodlands in White Township, Warren County. The former Trap Rock Industries, Inc. property features spectacular vistas of nearby Jenny Jump Mountain and almost 2 miles of abandoned railroad bed, running from North Bridgeville Road to the Manunka Chunk Tunnel. (Map)
