pinelands conservation fund
CRI Assists NJ Pinelands Commission in Awarding Grants
The New Jersey Pinelands Commission established the Pinelands Conservation Fund (PCF) in 2004 to further the Pinelands Protection Program that had been in place for over twenty-five years.
Conservation Resources has been working with the Pinelands Commission to provide assistance with the Land Acquisition Program of the PCF.
Since 2007, CRI has assisted the Pinelands Commission with reviewing proposals and making recommendations for funding. A total of 30 projects have been awarded over $8.6 million in funding through the PCF. This has or will permanently preserve more than 3,710 acres of unique natural, cultural, historic and agricultural resources in the Pinelands Region of New Jersey.
The Pinelands Commission focuses funding on three distinct areas of the Pinelands:
In addition, the Commission has decided that the PC will generally provide grants not to exceed a maximum of 33.3% of the cost for the acquisition of the land or land interest. However, these grants cannot fund incidental costs associated with such acquisitions, such as appraisals, surveys, Phase I environmental assessment costs, and closing expenses. The Commission expects that most projects will be highly leveraged and involve several partners including the NJDEP Green Acres Program, counties, municipalities and non-profit organizations.
the evaluation process
The Pinelands Conservation Fund will be used to fund exemplary Land Acquisition Projects that meet the following criteria:
- Project must be located within the 18 Planning Areas, Section 502 Target Areas, the Toms River or Medford Evesham Sub Regional Planning Areas, or must qualify as a Contingency Project;
- The project must be sponsored and undertaken by a local or county government or a bonafide non-profit conservation group which has sufficient technical and financial ability to complete the project. PCF grants will typically contribute up to 33.3% of the total project cost;
- The project must be eligible for matching public funds (e.g. funds from NJDEP Green Acres Program). Please note that Pinelands Development Credit restricted land IS eligible for PCF funding;
- The project must include an adequate legal mechanism, acceptable to CRI and the Pinelands Commission, to insure the permanent protection of the subject tract of land;
- Preference will be given to projects where the applicant has a signed purchase contract, or a letter from the landowner indicating their willingness to enter into negotiations to sell the property, as well as one completed fair market value (FMV) appraisal of the property. The Commission established this new higher standard of project readiness in order to ensure that they are not obligating funds to projects that are not likely to be completed;
- Applicants must obtain one or more FMV appraisals conducted by an appraiser who is included on the list of certified appraisers maintained by the Green Acres Program of the Department of Environmental Protection. Two independent FMV appraisals will be required for lands or land interests valued at $500,000 or more. One appraisal will suffice on lands or land interests that are valued at less than $500,000.
contact us for more information
If you have a project that meets the above criteria and would like to apply for funding from the Pinelands Conservation Fund, please contact us via email or phone. For more information on the Pinelands Commission's Permanent Land Protection initiative, click here.