Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., the City of Newark, the NJ Keep It Green Coalition and State legislative leaders came together on Friday, June 3rd to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the NJ Green Acres program. In addition, the government and community leaders highlighted the development of new parkland along the banks of the Passaic River/Newark Bay and raised awareness about the many projects in the County, City and State that have benefitted from this State-funded grant program. June 3rd is the anniversary of the date that the first Green Acres Bond Act was signed into law in 1961. “Children play on modernized athletic fields, historic structures have been preserved and the aesthetics of our parks have been enhanced with the funding we have received from the NJ Green Acres program. During the last nine years, working with grassroots conservancy groups and Green Acres, every facility in our historic Essex County Park System has been touched with improvements,” DiVincenzo said. “The work we have completed has positively influenced our residents’ quality of life by providing first-class recreation and open space. This has been a catalyst for economic development in other parts of the community,” he noted.
“Through constant, strong collaborations we can continue to have greater green spaces for our residents to enjoy,” said Deputy Mayor of the City of Newark Margarita Muniz. “Thanks to all of our partners, we have seen significant renewal and development of many parks and green spaces throughout our communities in recent years thanks to the leadership of County Executive DiVincenzo and the City of Newark is committed to supporting these on-going efforts to keep providing the best for our residents,” she added.DiVincenzo noted that Essex County has partnered with over 35 non-profit conservancy groups to apply for Green Acres funding for its historic Park System. Applying with the non-profits as well as on its own, Essex County has received in excess of $100 million in Green Acres grants during the last nine years. It is partnering with Governor Chris Christie, NJ Green Acres, the Port Authority of NY/NJ and several local non-profit organizations to acquire and develop a 12.33-acre park in Newark’s Ironbound. The park will be located along the banks of the Passaic River on property that was formerly used to store oversees shipping containers and house several trucking companies. The new park, Essex County Riverfront Park, will have a soccer field, baseball field, tennis courts, basketball courts, a meadow for passive recreation, playgrounds and parking. Work to develop the park is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2011.
"This is a proud day for the Green Acres Program," said Green Acres Administrator Rich Boornazian. "We are happy to join with so many of our partners to celebrate 50 years of successful land preservation and park development projects. Green Acres has enjoyed consistent public support and, in turn, has had a positive impact on every part of New Jersey," he said.
“At its inception, Green Acres served as a national model, and it continues to do so 50 years later with marked success throughout the Garden State," said Anthony Cucchi of the Trust for Public Land. "The program's investments have consistently leveraged funding from other public and private partners to create great public spaces – as is the case with Riverfront Park in Newark, where Green Acres, Essex County, the City of Newark and numerous non-profits, foundations and corporate partners are joining forces to reconnect the city's residents to their riverfront,” he said.
"As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Green Acres Program this year, it is heartening to see continued funds moving forward under the 2009 Green Acres Bond Act approved by the voters to protect critical lands and waters, and to provide quality parks and recreation opportunities for our families in every county of the state," said Kelly Mooij of the NJ Audubon Society and Coordinator of NJ Keep It Green Coalition. "We are grateful for the bipartisan support for continuing these vital investments that are critical to protecting our quality of life and revitalizing our communities," she said.
Elected officials from around the State also shared their support for Green Acres.
“Green Acres is more than protecting forests and fields in rural New Jersey. It’s also about ensuring residents in Newark and all our urban centers have access to clean, green spaces that they and their families can enjoy,” NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney. “For five decades, Green Acres has enjoyed unparalleled support among residents from all walks of life and in every corner of the state, urban, suburban and rural. And that's because all New Jerseyans understand the importance of preserving open space for our children and future generations," he pointed out.
“The Green Acres program is a New Jersey success story,” Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said. “It has allowed all New Jersey residents, no matter where they live, to enjoy preserved open space and parks that make New Jersey a better place to live, especially here in Essex County. I very much look forward to the program’s continued success and new developments such as the park along the Passaic River that will add to New Jersey’s quality of life,” she said.
“Today marks an important day in New Jersey history as it celebrates the visionary foresight of our State leaders who understood the inherent and long-lasting value of preserving the State’s natural resources and environmental assets,” Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. said. “The significant impact that the Green Acres program has had on our state over the past 50 years is reflected in the positive affirmation that Green Acres bond referendums have consistently received not only by the Legislature, but most importantly, by the voters of this state,” he added.
"The preservation of valuable tracts of land and sources of clean, drinking water in the nation's most densely populated state is one of our fundamental environmental priorities and key to our economic viability and quality of life," Assembly Environment Chairman John F. McKeon said. "This golden anniversary, which serves as a significant milestone for Green Acres – the nation's most successful land preservation program – is also a testament to the environmental stewardship of members of the Keep It Green Coalition who have been outstanding in rallying support for the program. It is a tribute to the citizens of New Jersey who have given us their overwhelming mandate to protect and preserve precious land and freshwater resources by approving 14 consecutive open space acquisition initiatives," he noted.
The mission of the NJ Green Acres Program is “to achieve, in partnership with others, a system of interconnected open spaces, whose protection will preserve and enhance New Jersey's natural environment and its historic, scenic, and recreational resources for public use and enjoyment.” The first Green Acres bond ordinance was signed into law on June 3, 1961. Since then, voters have approved 13 ballot initiatives to allocate funding for park development, land acquisition and historic preservation. Over the last 50 years, a total of $3.32 billion has been allocated through Green Acres, approximately 640,000 acres of open space has been protected and hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities in communities around the State have been developed.
The first bond initiative in 1961 included funding for property acquisition by the State and Local governments. Municipal and County governments were required to match the Green Acres grants. The most recent bond initiative was passed in 2009 and included funding for the State, Municipalities, Counties and non-profit organizations to acquire open space and develop parkland, and for the State to acquire property in floodways that are prone to flood or storm damage.
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