To ensure the high quality of life that we're all used to in the Garden State, we must preserve more of our open space and farmland. New Jersey has about 5 million acres. Roughly 3 million of them have been either developed or preserved. That leaves 2 million acres of land that could still go either way. As much as we gain from new homes and new businesses, we lose out when development occurs haphazardly.
Suburban sprawl eats away at our precious open space and clogs our roads.
We need open space to help clean our air and water, put food on our tables, and provide opportunities for recreation and tourism. For the sake of our families today and tomorrow, we need to make sure that at least half of New Jersey's remaining land continues to be undeveloped. I announced last month at my inauguration a goal of preserving 1 million acres of open space and farmland within the next decade. I pledged to work on acquiring at least 300,000 of those acres during my administration. Last Tuesday at my Budget Address, I made a downpayment on this pledge.