How to Use New Jersey's Green Acres Program

Since 1961, the state of New Jersey's Green Acres program has been helping to preserve green spaces across the state. Green Acres, sponsored by the state Department of Environmental Protection, uses various methods to contribute to a greener New Jersey, including loans to municipalities and paying owners to preserve natural land. Green Acres can be a resource for landowners and others interested in how NJ property preservation works.

Instructions

• 1

  Go to the Green Acres information website (see Resources). This site contains the official information about this program and how it works for New Jersey.

• 2

  Review the four program areas to find out about how Green Acres works, what kinds of loans or land agreements are made under the program and how planners designate applicable green standards.

• 3

  Find information for land owners under the "State Park and Open Space Acquisition" tab. This will take you to a page explaining the process for those interested in working with the state to preserve green space.

• 4

  Click through the second paragraph at the bottom of the page for specific resources related to applying for the Green Acres program. This hyperlink is labeled as "for landowners" and leads you to a page showing the specifics of program involvement.

• 5

  Read the program columns ("Save Time," "Save Money/Make Money" and "Save Land") and download the application form from the bottom of the page in PDF or MS Word format.

• 6

  Send in your application to the office and keep in touch with state officials about the status of your submission.