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OPEN
SPACE COMMITTEES &
OPEN SPACE TRUST FUNDS
Local
Process
Once
the voters in a municipality or county have passed a referendum
supporting the establishment of an Open Space Tax, the governing
body or board of chosen freeholders has to pass an ordinance establishing
the specific property tax rate. Generally they also appoint an
Open Space Committee to identify priorities for acquisition, develop
a spending plan and identify potential partners for specific projects.
Ordinances
Since there is no state law enabling the establishment of
Open Space Committees as official units of local government, many
function as ad hoc groups, appointed on a yearly basis. A few
towns have ordinances establishing Advisory Committees for the
Environment and Open Space. Others have separate ordinances for
Open Space Committees. These ordinances generally set up how many
people are on the committee, and if they represent another municipal
board. . There are usually a number of citizens as well as representatives
from the
- Governing
Body,
- Planning
Board,
- Environmental
Commission,
-
Recreation Committee, and/or occasionally from
- Historic
Preservation Commission.
The
ordinance also generally directs the Open Space Committee to
- Develop
a Plan for land preservation,
- Obtain
approval for the Plan from the Planning Board and/or the Governing
Body
- Make
recommendations for specific acquisitions.
To
obtain a copy of existing ordinances establishing Open Space Committees,
email the Resource Center.
ANJEC
Membership
ANJEC welcomes Open Space Committees as members. We can help with
information and training on local and state laws and regulations,
building local support, GIS mapping, and funding sources. For
just $280 a year, seven members of an Open Space Committee will
each receive the quarterly 20-page ANJEC Report at home,
as well as full access to our Resource Center, and discounts for
training sessions and publications. If your municipal environmental
commission is already an ANJEC member, the Open Space Committee
can join at a reduced rate of $130
2/09
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