NJ Infrastructure > Infrastructure by Category > Parks and Recreation
Infrastructure by Category:
Parks and Recreation (Grade C-)
New Jersey is known as the Garden State. Its parks and recreation serve as homage to the nickname. Protected trails, forests, parks, creeks and rivers provide residents with multiple outlets to enjoy nature. New Jersey preserves and protects 42 parks, 11 forests and 3 recreation areas through both State and private programs.
History of Park Legislation and Funding in New Jersey
New Jersey became the first state to establish a County Park System.
In 1895, The Essex County Park Commission was created and 60 acres of
land in Newark was acquired to create the Branch Brook Park. The
commission hired the Olmstead Brothers to design the park, now a
national historic site. The State has continued to set precedent by
setting up the Green Acres Program (GAP). In 1961 the program was
created to manage the preservation and conservation of open space.
From 1961 through 1995, New Jersey's voters overwhelmingly approved
nine bond issues, earmarking over $1.4 billion for land acquisition
and park development. On November 3, 1998, New Jersey voters approved
a referendum, which created a stable source of funding for open
space, farmland, and historic preservation and recreation
development, and on June 30, 1999, the Garden State Preservation
Trust (GSPT) Act was signed into law. The bill established, for the
first time in history, a source of funding for preservation efforts.
The funding offered $98 million a year over a 10-year period. The
trust fund recently became depleted, and the State sought to find
continued funding. In a July 2007 letter to Municipal and County
Clerks, GAP announced that Governor Corzine and the State Legislature
allocated $20 million from the State's FY 2008 budget to continue to
fund land acquisition and the development of outdoor park and
recreational facilities.
On July 31, 2007, Governor Corzine signed a bill that authorized a Public Question on the November 6 ballot seeking voter approval to issue $200 million in bonds to keep the GSPT program going while work continues to find a permanent, stable funding source. The initiative also provides for an expanded Blue Acres program, which funds the purchase of flood-prone properties.
In concert with State programs, County and local government units have provided an increased boost to the preservation effort through local open space funding taxes. New Jersey Counties raised an estimated $117 million in open space taxes in 2003.
In 2006, the National Park Service (NPS) Land & Water Conservation Fund released its State Assistance Program Annual Report. The NPS reports New Jersey's unmet need for land & water conservation funds for the past fiscal year at $394 million.
The following programs are entrusted to regulate funding:
Green Acres Program
To date GAP has preserved more than 1.2 million acres of open space
and farmland in communities across the State. As stated in its
website "The Green Acres Program serves as the real estate agent
for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), acquiring land
- much of which has been offered for sale by property owners - that
becomes part of the system of state parks, forests, natural areas,
and wildlife management areas."
Similar to other public works programs, GAP appropriates funding for open space acquisition and park development projects on the basis of an application and approval process. Applications are subject to a competitive ranking system. The ranking system considers 9 factors:
Priority System Factors:
1. Open Space Needs
2. Service Area Facility Needs
3. Environmental Protection
4. Historic Resource Preservation
5. Public Participation/Support/Planning
6. Project Quality
7. Project Priorities
8. First Time Applicant
9. Facility Design Sensitivity and Site Suitability
Each factor is assigned a value of points. The applicant is awarded points on the basis of meeting each factor criteria. Applicants are encouraged to analyze their properties for such factors as wetlands, dunes, endangered species, mature forested areas and other significant natural resources, which may affect land development prior to applying. The program also encourages the applicant to use sustainable design principles as delineated in the US Green Building Council's (USBGCs) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) Green Building Rating System for New Construction and Major Renovations Version 2.1.
Competition for funding has increased in recent years, creating funding gaps. Applicants whose project cannot be fully funded may apply for a loan through the Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program (EIFP). The EIFP offers low interest loans for projects that protect or improve water quality, including most land acquisition projects. As with other GAP funding sources, competition for this funding has also increased.
The unmet need is represented by the average requests compared with the average funding approvals from 2000-2006. Local governments requested an average of $490 million compared with only $90 million in approved funding (19%). Non-profit requests averaged $94 million dollars compared with only $17 million in approved funding (18%). As stated above, the GSPT provides for the GAP program as well as other State programs dedicated to similar preservation.
New Jersey Historic Trust
As one of the original colonies, New Jersey is full of history and
heritage. Examples of generations past can be found in local
communities and municipalities throughout the 21 Counties. Their
preservation is entrusted to the New Jersey Historic Trust (NJHT).
The trust was created in 1967 to protect historic resources
throughout the State. Funding for this program is provided through
the GSPT in the way of a $6 million dollar authorization. In addition
to the GSPT, New Jersey Legislation signed the Garden State Historic
Preservation Trust (GSHPT) Fund into law in June 30, 1999 to provide
additional funding for the preservation needs of properties
throughout the State.
The Historic Trust offers applicants two types of grants. The Historic Sites Management grant is a small loan that provides the applicant with sufficient funding to plan exercises that promote the management of a historic site. For 2008 the funding level for these grants has been set at $5,000 to $50,000. The Capital Preservation Grants provide funding for construction expenses related to the preservation, restoration or rehabilitation of historic sites and associated with architectural and engineering expenses. Again, for 2008 the funding level for these types of grants has been set up to $750,000.
Despite the available funding, throughout the decade there have been unmet funding requests. From 2000-2005, of the $92 million dollars requested only $37 million dollars was made available; approximately 60% unmet application dollars. In 2006, of the $36 million requested, only $10.5 million dollars was made available; over 70% unmet application dollars.
Other Preservation Programs
The New Jersey Natural Lands Trust Program (NJNLTP) is a private
agency assigned to protect lands created in 1968 as an independent
agency to protect lands in their natural condition for public
enjoyment. To date, NJNLTP is responsible for over 22,000 acres
located throughout the State. The trust works together with various
NJDEP programs including Green Acres to acquire lands for protection.
In 2005, the trust acquired lands from a third of an acre to over
1,200 acres. The trust also maintains the lands, planting new trees,
cleaning up trash and other maintenance. The trust accomplishes this
goal in part through the help of volunteers. In 2005, the NJNLTP
volunteers logged in over 2,000 hours.
Another State program, the New Jersey Trails Program was established with the passage of the New Jersey Trails System Act in 1974, leading to the development of over 600 miles of trails. In December 2006, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson announced that over $1.7 million in federal grant money was designated to maintain and improve trails in the State.
Other programs include the Farmland Preservation Program, the D&R Greenway Land Trust, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, New Jersey Audubon Society, the New Jersey Trail Plan and the various County Parks Systems. An example County Parks System, the Monmouth County Parks System (MCPS) operates on a budget funded through the open space tax along with donations, contributions, grants (from GAP) as well as volunteer hours. In 2006 the Park System revenue topped $33 million, with $34.8 million in expenditures and a total fund balance under $9 million. The 2006 donations and grants total $2.7 million, with approximately $1 million in grants appropriated by GAP. With this funding, The MCPS has protected and maintained over 14,000 acres in Monmouth County and has set a goal to protect a total of 19,099 acres. However, its efforts to protect the remaining 27% of Monmouth County lands require the continued funding source of GAP through the GSPT fund.
Other Factors Affecting Public Parks and Recreation
New Jersey's efforts to protect open space, forests, farmlands,
historic sites and parks for recreation often suffer setbacks by way
of various factors. Although funding may be the topic of choice,
other factors contribute equally to deterring preservation efforts.
In 1990, the Garden State was home to a population 7.7 million. By
2000, the State population jumped to over 8.4 million, an increase of
over 9%. The Department of Labor estimated a population growth of
over 1 million by 2020. The population density is now over 1,000
people per square mile, making it the most densely populated state.
Given the population growth, it is important to consider the
possibility of "build-out" of available land within the
next 40 years.
Compound the issue of population with availability of urban open space; 94% of the New Jersey population lives in an urban area. The clear need for open space and recreation for Urban Centers in New Jersey led to the development of the Urban Aid Funding category in the GAP regulations. The effort to provide recreation will rely on the redevelopment of parks and the acquisition of lands for preservation. One solution utilized in recent years is the remediation of brownfields , which has also led to improving the quality of life in many Urban Centers.
Another key issue is the demand for the New Jersey Shore, which is the biggest tourist attraction in the State. Various state beaches rely on shore visitor fees to fund rebuilding projects. In addition, shore businesses rely on visitors to support the local economy. In addition, the appeal of owning land and residing on the shore has continued to thrive. According to the 2003 State Comprehensive Open Recreation Plan (SCORP):
The demand for building lots in coastal communities, especially on the barrier islands is, in a word, fierce. The State Plan estimates that only 199 acres of undeveloped land remains on New Jersey's barrier islands. Coastal municipalities can see their summer population double and even triple. These communities are also witnessing the teardowns of existing homes with larger homes being constructed.
Access to the water remains an issue in some coastal communities, and the need for adequate parking and related facilities is increasing as more people engage in that quintessential New Jersey summer activity, going down the shore.
Maintenance and recreational opportunities on open space are just as important as acquisition. The backlog of needed repairs is about $250 million just in the State parks. Historic buildings in State parks such as Batsto and Ringwood are in major disrepair. Yet every year the count of visitors to State parks increases by 300,000. This creates a flow of State tax revenue of about $150 million. The parks are a neglected economic development tool.
Such high demand puts increased stress on an aging system. Maintenance, restoration and rehabilitation of parks and recreation centers by local units and counties continue to be under-funded. In many instances, volunteer groups are called to maintain park grounds by picking up garbage or planting flowers and saplings. Unfortunately, the main infrastructure, including buildings, boathouses, docks, restrooms and recreation centers continue to be neglected and are in disrepair.
Conclusion
The funding need and the race for acquisition of open lands pose
great challenges to the continued success of the various Programs
dedicated to Public Parks and Recreation in New Jersey. The Garden
State's history and heritage continue to battle urban sprawl, racing
to acquire historic sites and prevent their destruction. Counties,
such as Monmouth County, set goals to acquire open space ahead of
overdevelopment. All these factors contribute to the overall grade.
According to the 2003 SCORP, the primary goal of the plan is "To preserve sufficient amounts of open space for current and future public use and to utilize the environmental protection amenities of open space to protect important natural resources for the enhancement of the quality of life in New Jersey."
The ASCE grading system considered two factors: 1) State of Repair and 2) Quality of life. Since the state of repair of parks and open space is not easily quantified, ASCE based this portion of grading on the unmet need, or the percentage of funding provided for requested funding.
As previously stated, in 2006 GAP met only 19% of funding requests. In 2006 the NJHT met only 30% of funding requests, both corresponding to a grade of "F". However, to account for quality of life, ASCE considered the success New Jersey has achieved historically through programming focused on open space preservation, historic preservation, farmland preservation, and the implementation of County Park Commission and open space taxes. As a pioneer state in open space preservation, much of the work was accomplished throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Essex County Parks System, the Green Acres Program and the Garden State Preservation Trust are all quality programs that continue to serve as stewards to New Jersey open space. Based on the work done during the 19th and 20th century, the grade was raised to a grade of "D". The government's recent support for open space, through the resolution to include a Public Question for additional funding in the form of a $200 million bond provides reason to further raise the grade.
Based on the above discussion, ASCE further modifies and assigns a grade of C- to Public Parks and Recreation.