Commissioners voted to award recommended open-space grants and land-acquisition funding for the 2025 cycle, the board’s committee report said.

The Open Space Trust Fund awards include acquisitions and municipal park-improvement projects. Examples cited by a commissioner included a parcel in East Rutherford intended to convert industrial land into parkland, an Inglewood acquisition to create parkland to mitigate flooding in a densely populated area, and purchases to preserve historic structures in Park Ridge and Saddle River as part of a broader village-historic preservation effort. Other awards fund municipal park improvements such as renovated fields and paths, new playground equipment, outdoor exercise equipment, and upgraded lighting and camera equipment to enhance park safety.

A commissioner thanked the Open Space Trust Fund Committee and named members who worked on the awards.

Ending: The meeting recorded approval of the recommended awards; implementation steps, timelines, and project-level budgets will be handled by county staff and municipal partners and were not detailed at the meeting.