Under the agreement, Newark will continue to own the acreage, and the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Authority will continue to manage it. But the land, which sprawls across sparsely settled portions of Passaic, Sussex and Morris counties, will remain beyond the reach of developers at the state's behest. New Jersey will even get some of that cash back – the US Forest Legacy Program will give New Jersey about $5 million back to partially defray the cost.
The environmentally sensitive land, home to a number of endangered species besides its function as water bearer to the northern part of the state, is largely forested and laced with streams and ponds, including surface and groundwater recharge areas. The latest deal brings to more than 18,000 acres under state protection within the Highlands region. Altogether, New Jersey's preserved open space is some 1.2 million acres, most of that within the Pine Barrens region of South Jersey.
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