Op-Ed: Additional Protections Needed for NJ’s Preserved Farmland

by Jim Waltman, Executive Director, Wastewater Institute

njspotlightnews.org

Photo Credit: Pictured Jim Waltman | Photo from: Njspotlightnews.org New Jersey’s farmland preservation program is the envy of the nation. More than $1.8 billion in public funds have been spent to preserve more than a quarter of a million acres on 2,800 farms. But despite their preservation status, these lands are under constant pressure for development that undermines the very reason that the public paid to protect them. Pressure continues to build, for parking lots, gravel roads, riding arenas, greenhouses and even enormous luxury homes on New Jersey’s preserved farms.