2 3 1960s Helen Fenske, Russell Myers of Morris County Parks, Hugh Stearns of the Morristown Rotary Club, and the Junior League of Morristown develop idea for Patriots’ Path, a greenbelt along the Whippany River in Morris County, an area rich in Revolutionary War history. Over more than four decades, it would grow to become one of the county’s signature parks. We make first open space gift to newly-established New Jersey Natural Lands Trust, an agency created to accept donations of land from private Grassroots opposition mobilizes against property owners, donating 36 acres Port Authority plan for 10,000-acre interna- Helen Fenske and other conservationists go to We help Somerset County acquire 749 acres along along the Rockaway Creek in Readington tional “jetport” in the Great Swamp of Washington to convince federal officials to support the Passaic River in the western section of the Great Township that were given to us by Morris and Somerset counties. a national wildlife refuge in the Great Swamp. Swamp; it becomes Lord Stirling County Park. Mr. and Mrs. Gurdon Wattles. 1960 1961 1966 1967 1968 1961 The Great Swamp Committee of the David Moore replaces 1965 1965 North Jersey Conservation Foundation makes its 1964 1969 1966 North American Wildlife Foundation first purchase, the 77-acre Dismal Harmony Helen Fenske as is officially established, led by Preserve in Mendham Township, which Executive Director. housewife-turned-activist Helen Fenske. is later turned over to the town. It’s the first time a nonprofit partners with the state Green Acres program. The Great Swamp Committee extends its vision to become the North Jersey Conservation Foundation. Preservation effort succeeds; the Great Swamp Our first newsletter, National Wildlife Refuge is dedicated with U.S. Footprints, debuts. Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall in attendance. 4 5 1970s Landmark property tax assessment decision won by us; State Division of Tax Appeals rules that assess- ments must be lowered to An 84-acre parcel in Chester Township, given to reflect reduction in market After years of helping preserve land in Monmouth County, us by Corinne and Percy Chubb, was transferred value of properties with North Jersey we help found the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. conservation easements. We begin weekly column, “The to the township, forming Chubb Park. Later, 42 Conservation Foundation Edward and Joanne Mullen donate Walnford Mills, an 18th We preserve the 60-acre McBride State We’re In,” commenting on adjoining acres in Chester Borough were turned becomes New Jersey century house and gristmill on 41 acres in Upper Freehold celery farm in heavily developed environmental topics in New Jersey. over to that municipality, enlarging the park. Conservation Foundation Township, Monmouth County, to us. We transfer the Bergen County. It is later turned The column is still published today, This creates our first conservation easement, to reflect growing property to the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, which over to the town of Allendale running without a gap for 40 years. and one of the first in Morris County. statewide focus. later ensures its preservation as a county historic park. as the Celery Farm Natural Area. 1970 1972 1974 1979 1979 1979 We unveil new environmental curriculum, The first one-mile section of 1975 We propose “Rails for Trails” 1974 1974 1979 1976 The New Jersey Legislature 1970 “Education for Survival,” at a national educators’ Patriots’ Path opens in Mendham program to turn abandoned approves the Pinelands convention in San Francisco. At the time, few Township; a master plan for railway corridors into hiking Protection Act, one year schools incorporated environmental education the 27-mile greenbelt park is and biking paths. after Jimmy Carter signs into their curricula. Thousands of books were finished the following year. bill creating the million-acre distributed nationwide. We build Newark’s first “instant” park on a Pinelands National Reserve. vacant half-acre lot across from City Hall. It is We were among the leading designed by our trustee Robert Zion, a noted advocates for the Act, landscape architect. Despite its temporary and had spent design, the park is still there today. three years fundraising for Pinelands preservation. We acquire the 165-acre Cross Estate in Bernardsville By year’s end, and transfer it to Morristown National Historical we hold nearly Park. Basketball star Bill Bradley, just beginning 2,000 acres in Pine Barrens. his run for U.S. Senate, speaks at the dedication. 6 7 1980s Grover’s Mill Pond in West Windsor Township, Mercer County, site of Orson The 180-acre Van Doren Wells’ fictional 1938 “War of the Worlds” Assisting the city of farm in Tewksbury Township Martian invasion, is acquired by us, and Camden with plans for a is sold to Hunterdon County as later passed to the township along with greenway along the a park, along with easements funds to maintain the dam. Cooper River, we begin forming a green belt seeking land and ease- surrounding historic Oldwick. ment donations from We purchased the farm private, corporate and four years earlier to prevent nonprofit landowners. a housing development We agree to help residents of northeastern from being built. Morris County save a forested ridge We launch project to restore the state-owned NJ Freshwater Wetlands but neglected Pine Barrens community of Protection Act becomes law, known as Pyramid Mountain. The land, Whitesbog, home to Elizabeth White, who three years after we and which contains evidence of occupation began cultivating native wild blueberries We save land near the Forked River our partners launch by prehistoric people, eventually there in 1912. We help establish Whitesbog Mountains of Ocean County that later campaign to protect the becomes Pyramid Mountain Natural Preservation Trust. becomes Wells Mills County Park. state’s freshwater wetlands. Historical Area. 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1987 1981 1981 We purchase 234 acres in 1985 1985 Campaign launched to protect habitat We acquire a Camden row house on We found the Pinelands We begin new project in cooperation with 1987 Roxbury Township, Morris 1984 Delaware Twp, Hunterdon County, to protect along the Delaware Bay where migratory the block where poet Walt Whitman 1989 Preservation Alliance 1989 County, which eventually an eight-mile stretch of the Wickecheoke shorebirds stop each spring to replenish once lived, and later transfer it to serve as watchdog become Morris Canal Park. Creek. We save an 89-acre farm, their energy by feasting on horseshoe to the state as part of Walt Whitman in the Pine Barrens. It contains sections of defunct one of the first to be preserved The State Planning Act crab eggs. We accept donation of Historical Complex. canal bed and towpath. a stretch of Bayshore beach in through the State Farmland is passed, affirming Cape May County, later turned over Preservation Program. that New Jersey needs sound and integrated to state Natural Lands Trust . statewide planning to conserve its natural Gov. Brendan Byrne and State Senator resources, revitalize Raymond Zane peruse our poster its urban centers and highlighting the persistent loss of farmland protect the quality of in New Jersey. The New Jersey Agriculture its environment. Retention and Development Act and As a result of lobbying by us and our partners, a bond issue providing $50 million for a Green Acres bond referendum is amended farmland preservation are subsequently to allow nonprofits to apply for funding passed by voters. directly for the first time. 8 9 1990s Actor Christopher Reeve, We save 3,000 acres in the Forked River Gov. Jim Florio and former Mountains of Ocean County, the largest acquisition Gov. Brendan Byrne are by a nonprofit group in New Jersey to date. David Moore retires after 30 special guests at our 30th years; Michele Byers becomes our anniversary dinner at the third executive director. AT&T headquarters in Basking Ridge. We successfully rally with partners to save Riverbank Park in We build a nature trail on one of Newark, designed by our properties in Burlington Frederick Law Olmsted, County as a memorial to the late Walkill River National First part of the 150- from being developed conservationists Brooks and Wildlife Refuge in Sussex The Donald and Beverley Jones Footpath mile-long Highlands into a baseball stadium. Dorothy Evert. The property is County is established; in the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve is Trail opens, as a result now known as the Evert Preserve, its nucleus is formed named to honor dedicated preservation- of efforts by us, the NY- one of the first of our properties by the first property ists from Hunterdon County. Donald NJ Trail Conference and to be actively managed. donated by us. Jones is a former president of our board. National Park Service. 1990 1991 1992 1995 1995 1997 1993 1999 Four influential New Jersey Conservation We become the first nonprofit to New Jersey Conservation 1997 Garden State Preservation Trust Act 1992 1998 1990 1994 1994 1996 Foundation publications, starting with The New make a grant to a county to preserve Foundation offices move to the passes, launching New Jersey’s Jersey Highlands: Treasures at Risk, helped shape farmland. Salem County used the Bamboo Brook Outdoor ambitious initiative to preserve one land use policy in key regions during the ’90s and funding to buy an agricultural Education Center in Chester million acres. beyond. The special reports that follow are: easement on the dairy farm owned Township, a property that was Greenways to the Arthur Kill, Charting a Course by Vera and Elmer Pettit. once home to Martha Brookes for the Delaware Bay Watershed, and Gaining Hutcheson, one of America’s first Ground: Preserving New Jersey Farmland through female landscape architects. Effective Tax Policy. First annual New Jersey Land Trust Rally offers educational For Land’s Sake, a history of our first workshops for people involved 30 years, is published.