View from Forked River Mountains in Ocean County.Under the terms of a $15 million deal funded by Ocean County’s open-space tax late last week, nearly 8,000 acres of wilderness will remain in its pristine state. The purchase of 7,923 acres from a private landholder is the county’s largest preservation pact since the program began in 1997.
“This environmental gem will now be preserved in its natural state forever,” said Ocean County Freeholder director Virginia Haines. New Jersey Sierra Club director Jeff Tittel called the purchase a “big victory” for open space.
Credit: JSHN contributor Kara Ann
