New Jersey Loses up to 10,000 acres of Open Space every year. Our region is losing valuable farmland, forests, wetlands and historic properties at an alarming rate. The changing landscape brings with it added traffic, pollution, and places financial burdens on our children's schools and on our municipal services.

In November 1998, Franklin Township residents voted to endorse the preservation of our dwindling open spaces by creating an Open Space Trust Fund to acquire and preserve these resources and by establishing an Advisory Committee to identify properties and priorities for preservation. The Franklin Township Open Space Advisory Committee has adopted an OPEN SPACE PLAN (PART1 / PART2) and is seeking help in the process of identifying properties for preservation.

Though the term 'open space' means different things to different people, as used in our plan it refers to several different things: natural or undeveloped areas, Farmland Preservation, recreational opportunities and Historical Properties. Each of these is a key component of our Plan.

Funding Open Space Preservation is a challenging effort, especially because of the high cost of property. But the Township has an aggressive Funding Plan that it is following.

Landowners in the Township may want to continue to own their property, but want to ensure that it can never be developed or they may simply want to sell it. For those interested in preserving their property, there are many Preservation Options available whereby the property can be protected and the landowner may be compensated. There are a variety of options for those landowners interested in selling outright. The Township, and non-profit organizations working with the Township, may be able demonstrate ways to sell properties to the township that could benefit the landowner financially, perhaps even more so than a sale to a developer. In many situations, we can make a better offer than a developer who will end up changing the natural character of the land.

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