New Jersey - HUNTERDON COUNTY
Countywide program - Formed in 1980 - (East Amwell Township information illustrates
local planning patterns.) - researched by Al Sokolow
OVERVIEW - Located in west central New Jersey, Hunterdon houses many suburban commuters to the NewYork City region about 50 miles away at the nearest point. The county ranks third in the state in agriculture easement acres. Townships (municipalities) are active partners with county government in targeting particular farms, working with landowners, and funding transactions. Farmland protection efforts at both county and municipal levels receive strong voter majorities for bond issues and dedicated property taxes for easement acquisitions. East Amwell Township has the largest number of easement acres of any municipality in the county.
EASEMENT ACTIVITY - 10,168 agricultural acres in
85 parcels. Commodities include vegetables, orchards, horse farms and nurseries.
Parcels under easement average 119 acres. East Amwell Township contains 2,700
easement acres.
Goals: 50,000 acres by 2010.
Other Easement Programs: State agricultural easements-2,223 acres in
22 farms; Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance-107 acres in two farms. Another 1,896
acres in 32 farms are slated for protection under the state-funded Planning
Incentive Grant Program.
Total Agricultural Easements in County: 12,498 acres as of 2002, including the
county, Land Trust Alliance and state programs.
FUNDING
Acquisition Spending to Date: $49.6 million on agricultural easements.
Revenues: 65 percent from state funds; 21 percent from the county; 14
percent from municipalities. The county and most townships have voter-approved
funds for agricultural easements and other open space acquisitions, including
bond issues and dedicated property taxes. County and municipal shares for funding
particular easements are determined by a formula based on appraisal values.
In addition, the state has spent about $15.8 million to directly acquire easements
in Hunterdon County.
GOVERNANCE - The program is overseen by the Hunterdon County Agricultural Development Board (CABD), a 12-member citizens' body with four ex-officio members. Voting members are appointed by the Board of Freeholders to three-year terms. Municipal representatives, appointed by township mayors, serve as liaisons to the CABD.
STAFF AND OPERATING BUDGET - The program staff of two and one-half positions is a part of the Planning Department. It includes the Administrator, Assistant Administrator and half-time planner. Legal services are provided by the County Counsel. Starting in 2003, easement monitoring will be managed by a staff member of the local soil conservation district. The annual operating budget is about $150,000.
ORIGINS - Responding to local pressures for protecting farmland, the Hunterdon Board of Freeholders appointed a Rural Taskforce in 1980 that held meetings and conducted studies. This led to the formation of the CABD in 1983, at the time state legislation first provided easement funds. Earlier in 1980, county voters passed the first of several bond issues for agricultural protection.
ACQUISITION PROCESS AND STRATEGY - The CADB makes
the final decisions to submit particular parcels for state funding. Municipalities
are involved earlier in approving county easements in their jurisdictions. The
process emphasizes geographical targeting to create contiguous blocks of protected
land. As well as applying quantitative scores, the CADB exercises discretion
in inserting geographical and other program considerations into the review process.
Rating of Parcels: Quantitative. With a maximum of 111 points, the top
weights are contiguity, agricultural quality, farm management, planning compatibility
and urgency. The score for the quality of farm management is determined somewhat
subjectively by an inspection of candidate parcels by a committee of local farmers.
Landowner applicants can appeal their scores which may result in changes in
the ranking.
Other Criteria: Minimum standards applied before the quantitative scoring
include 40 acre-plus parcel size, less than 50 percent woodland, municipal participation
and location in an Agricultural Development Area.
CONNECTIONS TO LOCAL PLANNING AND LAND USE POLICIES
- Planning and zoning are township functions although the county runs the easement
program. Hunterdon County has a Farmland Protection Plan-last updated in 2000-that
identifies protection goals and describes economic opportunities for local agriculture.
East Amwell Township: The Township has a policy emphasis on maintaining large
farm parcels through zoning and easements-in large part to retain rural character.
The Amway Valley Agricultural District, containing most of the township's active
farms and best soils, is designated as an area for special protection. Also
limiting urban growth but virtually guaranteeing large lot rural residences
is the absence of public sewer and water systems and septic tank limitations.
Zoning: State legislation does not allow exclusive agricultural zoning.
Most municipalities in Hunterdon have rural zoning densities at about one unit
to five acres (1:5) or 1:6. East Amwell Township has 1:10 density in most areas,
with smaller lots allowed down to 1:1.5 through lot averaging and clustering.
Downzoning in 1999 replaced a 1:3 density.
DEMOGRAPHICS
2000 Population: 121,989
1990-2000 Population Change: +14,213; +13 percent
AGRICULTURAL LAND
105,230 acres: 74 percent cropland
Conversion to Urban Use: Between 1985 and 1995, over 12,000 acres of
the county were developed (+33 percent) and more than 9,000 acres of agricultural
land were converted to other uses (7.5 percent ). (Center for Remote Sensing
and Spatial Analysis 2000)
OTHER AGRICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
1997 Market Value: $36 million Number of Farms: 1,313
Principal Commodities: Nursery and greenhouse crops, hay, silage, field
seeds, grass seeds and corn for grain
MAP NARRATIVE - EASEMENT GEOGRAPHY
(PROGRAM MAP)
Agricultural easements are located in 12 of Hunterdon's townships,
in a seemingly scattered pattern. However, three townships-including East Amwell-contain
more than half of the acres and protected farms.