newjerseynewsroom.com

57-acre property costs Somerset County, N.J. Conservation Foundation $1 million

A 57-acre farm off Township Line Road in Hillsborough, described as an important "crowning piece" in a 600-acre block of preserved farmland, has been permanently protected by Somerset County with the aid of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at a cost of $1,096,699.

The county has purchased the development rights to Maple Lane Farm, ensuring that the land will remain in farming forever.

The Conservation Foundation, a private nonprofit that preserves land and natural resources, contributed $514,605 from its federal farmland preservation grant. The contribution allowed the township and county — which initially planned to use their own open space trust funds — to reallocate that money toward other preservation projects.

"We are very happy that we were able to take advantage of federal funding through a partnership with New Jersey Conservation Foundation for the preservation of the Maple Lane Farm," Freeholder Peter S. Palmer said Thursday. "This farm will be a proud addition to our inventory of preserved farmland in Somerset County, and we look forward to working with the township and the foundation on advancing the industry of agriculture in Somerset County.''

Palmer added, "The Somerset County Agriculture Development Board and Board of Freeholders have funded the preservation of over 8,000 acres since the inception of the Somerset County Farmland Preservation Program, with the largest portion in Hillsborough Township."

Hillsborough Mayor Frank DelCore said he is pleased to see Maple Lane Farm preserved.

"Preserving property from development whenever the opportunity arises is one of the township's main priorities....,'' DelCore said.

Of the total preservation cost, $582,094 came from a grant to the county from the state Agriculture Development Committee and the remainder came from the Conservation Foundation's Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Chickie Haines, chairwoman of the township's Open Space Advisory Committee, said Maple Lane Farm "is a nice crowning piece" to a preservation area that is now about 95 percent complete.

"This is an important property in a block of over 600 contiguous preserved farm acres in the southeastern part of the township, and is part of approximately 2,000 acres of preserved farmland in the township," Haines said.

Maple Lane Farm is currently used for growing hay. Now that development rights have been extinguished, the property will be owned by the D & R Greenway Land Trust of Princeton. D & R Greenway Land Trust plans to lease the land to a farmer under the condition that it be managed for grassland bird habitat. Bobolinks, grassland birds that are designated by New Jersey as threatened, have been observed on the farm.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM