Programs > Heritage Partnership of New Jersey

The Heritage Partnership is a collaborative effort, led by Preservation New Jersey, of state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations that are developing and implementing solutions to problems of preservation and stewardship of historic sites and cultural resources located on publicly preserved open space and farmland.

 

The Partnership is composed of groups committed to the preservation of the built and natural environment. The Partnership is developing policy initiatives, building public awareness, and providing direct local assistance to groups and local governments seeking to become stewards of historic and cultural resources on publicly preserved farmland and open space statewide.

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation President David Grant recently wrote: "We especially appreciate the fact that The Heritage Partnership views historic preservation as fitting hand in hand with the conservation of open space. In fact, we believe as you do that preservation puts a human and cultural face on open space preservation. We are proud to support your efforts to serve as a resource to local officials and local citizen groups to assist in preservation and stewardship."

The members of the Partnership recognize that several critical issues are created because of inadequate planning and poor policy implementation:

• There is often no clear mechanism for identification and protection of historic resources prior to or during open space or farmland acquisition or protection by state, county or local governments, or by land trusts and other nonprofit organizations.
• There is as yet no comprehensive statewide Geographic Information System (GIS) data layer that identifies cultural and historic resources.
• State policies provide a very narrow range of potential stewards and uses for preserved landmarks on state-owned preserved open space.

In response, the Partnership is working to:

• promote dialogue among key entities within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), including Green Acres, the Farmland Preservation Program, and other state government agencies.
• investigate and make the leasing process less cumbersome and more convenient for parties that are considering leasing a historic resource on public land. A Lease Toolkit has been completed and is available online.
• develop a "best practices" toolkit for nonprofit land trusts that educates potential stewards of historic resources about identification, protection and creative alternative uses.
• encourage adoption of state policies that broaden access for potential stewards of state-owned historic resources.
• encourage completion of the long-awaited comprehensive statewide cultural resources GIS database.

Through education and outreach, the Partnership encourages more effective stewardship programs meaningfully incorporated into smart growth strategies and we provide direct support for groups dealing with issues of natural and cultural resource protection. If you would like to be a partner in the Heritage Partnership or would like more information about its work, please contact Preservation NJ at 609-392-6409.

To view list of Current Partners, visit: Partners List