November 18, 2022
CREAM RIDGE, NJ –The Burlington County Agriculture Development Board (CADB) voted at its meeting on November 17, 2022, to support legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Alex Sauickie, which would provide for greater farmland preservation appraisal values.
The bill (A4729) would create a “Statewide Farmland Preservation Formula” to determine the amount offered to farmers to preserve their land. The formula approach considers not only the value of the land but that of the location and characteristics within the region being preserved. This approach is based on the Pinelands Valuation Formula currently employed in the Pinelands Area with remarkable success.
“I want to thank the Burlington CADB for their support,” said Sauickie (R-Ocean). “We must do all we can do to promote farmland preservation. Every acre saved is one less housing unit or warehouse people must contend with. We cannot continue to increase development and traffic at the sacrifice of our farms. l look forward to working with the Burlington CADB on this and other issues that they consider important in the fight to preserve the land and the farmer.”
The legislation was introduced on October 11, 2022 and was referred to the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee, of which Sauickie is a member. The bill is the product of on-going conversations with the Burlington CADB on ways to promote their highly successful farmland preservation program with area farmers.
Burlington County has preserved over 255 farms totaling more than 33,000 acres and is planning to preserve another 11,000 acres over the next ten years.
File photos of farm land in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, NJ