“Garden State Greenways” a cooperative preservation-planning project receives New Jersey Planning Official’s Award.

TRENTON (April 29, 2005) - The Executive Director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Michele Byers, announced that the collaborative project “Garden State Greenways’ has been awarded the Achievement in Planning Award from the New Jersey Planning Officials (NJPO). The NJPO, whose membership includes elected and appointed officials and land use professionals throughout New Jersey, will confer the award to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) at the annual NJPO Awards Banquet on April 29, 2005 at the Somerset Hills Hotel in Warren Township.

"The DEP is proud to partner with the NJCF and the other agencies involved in the Garden State Greenways initiative," said DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell. "We hope that this web-based tool will continue to be a helpful resource for planners and nonprofits far into the future."

Garden State Greenways, the result of the collaboration of Federal, State, municipal and non-profit organizations, is an online planning tool for all those interested in conserving open space, farmland, and historic preservation in New Jersey. The website, hosted by Rutgers, introduces a statewide vision of interconnected open space. The interactive mapping of Garden State Greenways shows both currently unpreserved open lands and potential greenways. Data on natural resources and landscape features from federal and state agencies assist the user to access information in making decisions about preservation strategies.

“Imagine a New Jersey where every resident can walk out their door and access an interconnected system of parks, protected natural, agricultural and historic lands, this is the vision of Garden State Greenways,” said Michele Byers. “We are delighted to have this project receive an award from the statewide planning association, NJPO.”

“Garden State Greenways” went “live” on the Internet in September of 2004 and presentations, hosted by NJCF and Green Acres, are being held all over the state. State government organizations, county government, local governments and non-profits are already using Garden State Greenways to inform Open Space and Farm Preservation Plans and to facilitate land preservation.

Garden State Greenways encourages a strategic approach to open space planning and preservation and assists partnerships and projects that transcend municipal and county boundaries.

The mission of New Jersey Conservation Foundation is to preserve New Jersey’s land and natural resources for the benefit of all. As a leading innovator and catalyst for saving land, NJCF protects strategic lands through acquisition and stewardship; promotes strong land use policies; and forges partnerships to achieve conservation goals. Since 1960, NJCF has protected tens of thousands of acres of open space – from the Highlands to the Pine Barrens to Delaware Bayshore, from farms to forests to urban and suburban parks. For more information, call 1-888-LAND-SAVE or visit www.njconservation.org.

Return to Garden State Greenways News