Green Jersey

Corzine approves November ballot question for open space

Preserved farmland in Gloucester County, via state.nj.gov.

Gov. Corzine today approved a November referendum that lets voters decide on a $400 million bond for open space preservation.

The measure had been contested by two major environmental groups, the N.J. Sierra Club and N.J. Environmental Federation, but both have since dropped their opposition — the Sierra Club to support the measure, and the NJEF to take a neutral stance. Both groups have said they would prefer a more stable source of funding for open space preservation moving forward. Options floated in the recent past have included a water use fee and surcharge on the heaviest, least fuel-efficient SUVs.

Corzine’s bond-issue signing today was applauded by the Keep it Green coalition of environmental and advocacy groups, which earlier had sought $600 million in state funding to replenish the Garden State Preservation Trust.

“The public question will give voters a choice on preserving things that are near and dear to New Jersey: the quality of our drinking water, the health of our lakes and streams, our native wildlife, working farmland and other natural treasures that are worth preserving in our state,” Kelly Mooij, the coordinator of N.J. Keep it Green, said in a statement. “Continuing these efforts will make us better off today and ensure a better New Jersey for our children and grandchildren.”

Assembly Environment Chair John McKeon said that this is a good time to purchase land for preservation because land values are “at a historic low.” “There has never been a better time to maximize our ability to purchase open space,” he said.

At issue is whether a cash-strapped public will endorse more borrowing, even if the land is a “good deal” — which means considerably less here than elsewhere.

But the referendum’s supporters make it sound like a no-brainer. According to McKeon and others, the bond is equivalent to an investment of $10 for every New Jersey household. Lunch money.

Get involved: There is a monthly meeting scheduled for the N.J. Keep it Green group tomorrow in Far Hills. Click here for details.