The new jersey highlands water protection and planning council (highlands council) is requesting $830,862 in grant funding for the future acquisition of property located within an under-resourced,…

The new jersey highlands water protection and planning council (highlands council) is requesting $830,862 in grant funding for the future acquisition of property located within an under-resourced, under-served community in the highlands region. The highlands council was created to protect the incomparable water resources and natural beauty of the region so as to preserve them intact, in trust, forever for the pleasure, enjoyment, and use of future generations while also providing every conceivable opportunity for appropriate economic growth and development to advance the quality of life of the residents of the region and the entire state. The highlands council is currently engaged in the creation of a regional open space and recreation plan (osrp). The osrp will produce a list of properties to be preserved based on high resource value, protection of waterways, and the needs of the community. Part of the osrp is to connect with under-resourced communities and to solicit meaningful input and feedback through extensive stakeholder outreach. Over the next year, the highlands council will utilize the work produced by the osrp to identify properties that have high resource value and have an intangible benefit to under-resourced communities. Through the osrp planning process, the highlands council will establish partnerships with land preservation and community stakeholders and work together to identify properties that will provide the most community benefit such as providing recreation opportunities, or the preservation of invaluable natural resources that will benefit the public health, safety, and welfare. These properties will be targeted based on stakeholder feedback, and a combined effort of land preservation stakeholders in new jersey. As the osrp is well underway, IT is expected that a project can be identified by end of calendar year 2025. In addition to the work within the osrp, the highlands council will also prioritize any project that wishes to be preserved that meets the under-resourced criteria that emerges through the work of new jerseys land preservation partners. After the property or properties are identified, the highlands council will work with other land preservation partners to make a targeted acquisition utilizing grant and outside funding sources.