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Cumberland County Farmland Preservation, Open Space, Parks and
Recreation Trust Fund Plan (1996)
In 1994, Cumberland County voters passed a trust fund referendum to set aside one (1)
cent per $100 of assessed valuation to preserve agricultural lands or open space. The
primary purpose of the Cumberland County Farmland Preservation, Open Space, Parks
and Recreation Trust Fund Plan is to continue providing County matching funds for the
Easement Purchase Farmland Preservation Program. The Plan also marks the beginning
of a comprehensive effort to coordinate local, state and federal government, and non-
profit and private investments.
This Plan is based upon several principles. It recognizes the importance of recreational
facilities to health and fitness, as well as the importance of hunting, fishing and birding to
Cumberland County's ecotourism program. Agriculture has long been the backbone of
Cumberland County's economy, generating over $2 billion per year and employing over
5,000 people. Further, because farms require relatively little public services, the lands
result in a net positive tax ratable even with the application of Farmland Assessment tax
rates. Finally, when the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development
conducted a business survey preceding its Economic Development Strategy for Action,
the presence of farmlands and open space were identified as the most prominent aspect of
the County's quality of life.
As of 1993, there were 3,036 acres of state forest and natural areas, 50,727 acres of
federal fish and wildlife management areas, 14,210 acres in private and quasi-public
holdings, and 95 other acres in protected land in Cumberland County. Largely because of
the considerable acreage in protected natural areas, the total amount of protected open
space is consistent with New Jersey Balanced Land Use Guidelines, despite the fact that
the County has no state park, and runs a 22,000-acre deficit for local park land according
to these same guidelines.
The County has 609 farms covering 68,000 acres, or 20 percent of the County's area.
Easement Purchase Target areas encompassing more than 64,000 acres of prime farmland
are concentrated almost completely in the western half of the county, with the one
exception being an area in eastern Vineland. As of 2000, over 7,000 acres were
permanently preserved. The Plan projects that the use of Trust Fund Revenues will
enable the County to preserve 800 to 1,000 acres of farmland per year.
Following are the short-term objectives and long-term goals for the Plan:
Short-Term Objectives
• Continue to support the Easement Purchase Farmland Preservation Program using
Trust Fund revenues.
• Continue to solicit Easement Purchase applications from land owners adjacent to
program participants in an effort to assemble blocks of contiguous deed restricted
farmland;
• Evaluate application selection criteria and target areas annually;
• Collaborate with municipal officials to keep target areas and priorities
coordinated;
• Update the county inventory of open space, preserved farmland, and parks and
recreation facilities on an annual basis;
• Encourage municipal planning boards to provide incentives for clustered
development in exchange for permanent preservation of open space;
• Begin dialogue between residents, local officials, and state and federal agencies to
identify priorities to protect strategic resources;
Long-Term Goals
• Identify and acquire key access points to outdoor recreation facilities, especially
water resources;
• Provide increased outdoor recreation opportunities for citizens with disabilities;
• Seek opportunities to partner with other organizations to protect resources;
• Use State Balanced Land Use Guidelines to continue to create a coordinated
network of open space;
• Link investments in open spaces, farmland and recreation facilities using trails
and greenways as linear parks;
• Leverage additional funding to the maximum extent in preserving and developing
projects;
• Cultivate the philosophy of preservation of critical farmland and open space in
advance of development.
N
GLOUCESTER
"
!
77 %
g
690
%
g
540
x
{
Deerfield
SALEM
%
g
553
"
!
Seabrook
%
g
696 x
{ 47
g
%
UPPER DEERFIELD TWP
%
g
658
x
{
%
g
617
SHILOH
"
!
56 Rosenhayn
x
{
615
ATLANTIC
x
{ DEERFIELD TWP
"
!
55 g g
% %
555 655
x g %
{Roadstown26 "
!
49
STOW CREEK TWP 6
HOPEWELL TWP x
{ %
g
552
Carmel
x
{ g
% 552
Springtown BRIDGETON MILLVILLE CITY Union
xx
{{
Othello
g
%
553 %
g
670 "
!
49
Lake
552 S
PUR
VINELAND CITY
GREENWICH TWP x
{
Greenwich
x
{ %
g 698
g
%
610 "
!
49
Cohansey River x FAIRFIELD TWP
{ Fairton
LAWRENCE TWP x
Centre Grove
{ "
!
55
%
g 553
xCedarville
{ %
g
555
x
{
MAURICE RIVER TWP
x
{
Sea Breeze
"
!
Laurel Lake
DOWNE TWP 47
COMMERCIAL TWP x
{Prt Elizabeth-Bricksboro
Farmland Newport
x
{
x
{ Mauricetown Station
{
x Centers x
{Money Island Beach g
% 667 x
{
State Route County Route
x
{ Gandys Beach
Dividing Creek
x
{
Mauricetown
%
g
r
Rive
Agricultural Uses (as classified in NJDEP - 1995 Land Use )
Preservation Status (Cumberland County Farmland Preservation 553
x
{ Dorchester-Leesburg
rice
Program)
Mau
Port Norris
Permanently Preserved Farmland
8 Year Development Restriction
x
{Fortescue x
{
x "
!
Easement Process Underway
{
Heislerville
Farms Not In Farmland Preservation Program 47
x
Delmont
{ CAPE MAY
Municipal Boundaries
Delaware Bay
Source: NJDEP, Census Tiger files and the 0 4 8 Miles
Cumberland County Department of Planning
