Bergen County open space, recreation, floodplain protection, farmland &amp; historic preservation trust fund program summary 1999-2013; An alphabetical listing of grant awards from the trust fund programs from 1999 through 2013
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Year: 2014

description: Under State Law, the Board of Chosen Freeholders needed voter approval to create and fund such a trust. The County of Bergen recognized the merits of a trust and, on November 3, 1998, placed a public question on the ballot to determine whether the County should establish such a trust fund. The ballot question was approved by a two-to-one majority of those who voted. The vote of approval allowed the Freeholder Board to establish a trust fund, which they did via Resolution #1853 on November 24, 1998, entitled the Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland &amp; Historic Preservation Trust Fund (hereinafter “Trust Fund”).Bergen County’s Trust Fund had an initial life span of 5 years, ending in 2003. Based on the success of this initial effort, the County of Bergen sought to re-authorize the Trust Fund, via a public question to the electorate on the ballot of November 4, 2003. The ballot question was approved by a two-to-one majority of those who voted. The vote of approval allowed the Freeholder Board to re-authorize and modify the Trust Fund, which they did via Resolution #1753 on December 17, 2003, which took effect in 2004.The Trust Fund is divided into two separate programs, each having its own distinct goals and objectives. The County Program uses Trust Fund dollars on a countywide basis for the following: 1. acquisition of land for conservation or recreation purposes; 2. development and redevelopment of land existing or acquired for recreational and/or conservation purposes; 3. beginning in 2014, the acquisition of flood-prone properties along waterways for floodplain protection via open space conservation/restoration; 4. acquisition of agricultural lands for farmland preservation purposes; and, 5. historic preservation activities such as acquisition or upgrade. Those that are eligible to apply to the County Program include: County agencies, local municipalities, and non-profit corporations with Qualified Charitable Conservancies under tax section 501(c).The second program of the Trust Fund is the Municipal Park Improvement and Land Acquisition Program. Each of Bergen County’s 70 municipalities is eligible to apply to this program in order to acquire land for recreation or conservation purposes and to improve their municipal open space and recreational facilities. This program is designed to supplement municipal efforts and does not serve as a full funding resource.In September of 2011, the state’s Trust Fund Law was amended to include an additional purpose to acquire flood-prone properties, otherwise known as “Blue Acres Projects.” Based upon this amendment, the County of Bergen sought the approval of the voters, via a 2013 ballot question, to add this new program category. The ballot question was approved by nearly a two-to-one majority of those who voted. The vote of approval allowed the Freeholder Board to amend the Trust Fund, which they did via Resolution # 1762-13 on December 18, 2013, and to rename the program the “Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, Farmland &amp; Historic Preservation Trust Fund."This program is an alphabetical listing of grant awards from the Trust Fund Programs from 1999 through 2013.