Freeholders Nix $1 Million Green Acres Funding

CREST HAVEN — It was a turf war that wasn’t. That’s because Cape May County freeholders refused to seek $1 million in Green Acres funding as advocated by the American Littoral Society.
At the Tue., Jan. 24 meeting, Jessica Daher, conservation coordinator, spoke on behalf of the society. She showed freeholders 10 resolutions from county municipalities that sought freeholders’ action to seek the state funds to set aside open space. Daher said the towns represented “90 percent of the residents and voter base” of the county. They should not be ignored,” she warned.
It was locked horns after that with Daher as Director Gerald Thornton repeated the words of his predecessor Daniel Beyel who told Daher months prior the county would not seek the additional funding, since it would mean turning over its 1,000 acres of open space, bought with $23 million of county taxpayers’ funds, into the state’s land inventory.
Not so, said Daher, it would enhance the open space, since the land was preserved from development in any case. Citing the 10 municipalities that were seeking the county to seek funds, Thornton asked for a show of hands in the meeting room for any representatives of those governing bodies. No hands went up. Daher looked around, and undeterred, continued her verbal advance.
“Tonight, Cumberland County will vote. They are the last county to to join the list to apply for Green Acres funding. I ask the county to reconsider,” said Daher.
She cited a Feb. 15 deadline to apply for funding. Since freeholders would meet Feb. 14, it would be too late to act, she said.
“The county may lose out getting funds,” Daher said, and stated it “could be the last opportunity for all local governments until there is a future stable (funding) source.”
Thornton said he thought Green Acres was a good program, but noted his “difficulty” with what Daher said previously and minutes prior.
“We haven spent more than $23 million on open space purchase of 1,000 acres of open space and farmland, 256 square miles of Cape May County.” He added that 65 percent of the county area was “restricted in some way, protected because of environmental restraints.”
Thornton pointed to the state’s cross acceptance plan as having further restricted what could be developed, and the 208 Wastewater Quality Plan that “restricted a great deal of growth in the county.”
“I have difficulty taking $23 million of county taxpayers dollars and giving it to the DEP (state Department of Environmental Protection) and the state when where put it in inventory and they take control of our investment.
“My experience with the DEP over the years has not been very good,” said Thornton. “They are extremely difficult to deal with. I, for one, am not willing to allot the state, through some land grab, to take almost 1,000 acres and $23 million. If municipalities are interested in Green Acres, they can apply and I will support using some Open Space funding,” he said.
“If you would lobby the DEP and Legislature so that properties that were protected were not placed in their inventory, then we would be very happy to apply for Green Acres funding,” Thornton continued.
“When you were here more than a year ago, I was one freeholder who thought it seemed rational to me. But I had the staff do research to see how difficult and how restrictive this process is to our funding and resources. I am not here to make the DEP and state look good. I don’t think the taxpayers in Cape May County would be very happy if we did that,” Thornton said.
He added that, after talking with mayors who had advocated seeking the Green Acres funding, “We were kind of blind-sided. You went out and asked many to be here. Are they any representatives from municipalities that were to be here tonight?”
Silence ensued as everyone looked around to see who, if any, was present. There were none.
Freeholder Kristine Gabor told Daher that, as an Upper Township Committee member, she supported the program and helped to vote approval for the resolution from that municipality.
“I concur with Director Thornton. We did not have the information I had before I joined the freeholder board. Had I done my homework in the municipality and researched all aspects, good and bad, I would not have supported that,” said Gabor.
Daher noted Upper was the first municipality to pass a resolution. “Maybe a couple of others did not thoroughly understand what the program was about,” said Daher.
“I believe, and I think I speak for residents of the county, that protecting our remaining uplands and the lands that border waterways is the first step to protect water quality…we are already experiencing salt water intrusion, wells are becoming salty. We have water quality issues in the county, as the Gibson bill revealed,” Daher stated.
She said “growing eco-tourism as an economic driver for the county outweighs negatives. I believe there are misconceptions for the Green Acre program. There are restrictions in place, but they are also regarded as safeguards,” Daher said.
“Of all the counties does any other have 65 percent of its property restricted that will never be developed?” Gabor asked.
When Green Acres regional director Curt Gellerman, Southern Team leader for acquisitions in this and neighboring counties, told Thornton, “Wetlands laws can change over time. Your 65 percent, if you are taking in all wetlands laws, is not correct.”
“My experience with DEP is they do not become more liberal they become more restrictive over and over again,” Thornton countered.
He also noted smaller lot sizes of 35,000 square feet was an example of protecting the environment.
Barbara Ernst, director of the county’s Open Space and Farmland Preservation program, rose to refute some things said against the county program.
She said that the county and Green Acres and other agencies “work well together.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “Specifically said they don’t have anything for us. They have not approached us. I would like to refute that,” said Ernst.
She said freeholders appointed an advisory board, the Open Space Board, that makes recommendations of land purchases into the Open Space inventory.
Daher, Ernst said, formerly worked for the county Planning Department, and “has never appeared before our board requesting any kind of funding for any property…”
Ernst said in the past three years, that 14 applications had been filed with the state Agricultural Development Commission for farms “that are working and open space to provide visual landscape.”
Ernst said the state had funded one of those 14 applications.
Freeholder M. Susan Sheppard asked Ernst if the county might consider property for the Cape May National Refuge.
“If the property owner came to us,” said Ernst, adding that no one had brought any property for consider of purchase to the board that could be included in the national refuge.
“Can you reach out to them?” asked Sheppard.
“I have no idea what property they are talking about,” replied Ernst.
Gellerman said there were “many misconceptions” stated that evening about the Green Acres program.
He said U.S. Fish and Wildlife did not possess funds to acquire the lands they would like to add to their refuge.
When the issue of control of land surfaced, County Administrator Stephen O’Connor asked Gellerman if the county desired to place a library at the park and zoo, would Green Acres allow it?
No, replied Gellerman. “Our mission is outdoor strictly,” he said.
O’Connor said that freeholders desired to retain their flexibility to decide what they would consider recreational, whether it was indoors or outdoors.
“We will help you with any questions you have with Green Acres,” said Gellerman.
“Thank you very much,” said Thornton.