The
State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC)
has been awarded a $765,600 federal grant to assist
New Jersey in farmland preservation efforts, Agriculture
Secretary Art Brown, Jr., announced today. The
funds are available through the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation
Service. New Jersey's grant was part of a total
of $17.5 million awarded to help communities in
28 states preserve farmland. "This $765,600 grant
- the third highest in the nation - recognizes
New Jersey's leadership role in farmland preservation," said
Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco. "Most importantly,
this funding will bring us another step closer
to meeting our goal of preserving a million acres
of farmland and open space this decade." "Partnerships
among all levels of government are key to achieving
our farmland preservation goals," noted Secretary
Brown, who chairs the SADC. "We look forward to
continuing to work cooperatively with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service to preserve farms
approved for funding under this grant." This is
the fourth grant New Jersey has received through
the USDA's Farmland Protection Program. Prior to
this, New Jersey received a total of $2.6 million
in federal grants. To date, a total of 540 farms
covering 75,025 acres have been permanently preserved
under the state Farmland Preservation Program
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