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Warren County amends approvals for two farmland easement purchases under new Statewide Formula
Summary
The board approved two resolutions revising purchase approvals for McEvoy farms in White Township, applying New Jersey’s new Statewide Farmland Preservation Formula and updating per-acre cost-share amounts.
The Warren County Board of County Commissioners on May 28 amended prior approvals for two farmland preservation purchases in White Township to reflect the new Statewide Farmland Preservation Formula enacted by the state. On a motion by Commissioner James Kern III, seconded by Deputy Director Lori Ciesla, the board approved Resolution 292-25 (McEvoy #1 farm, 84.618 surveyed acres) and Resolution 293-25 (McEvoy #2 farm, 20.090 surveyed acres); recorded votes were James Kern III, Lori Ciesla and Jason Sarnoski: yes on both. The amendments apply the State Agriculture Development Committee’s (SADC) certified values under the statewide formula created by P.L.2023, c.245 and implemented at N.J.A.C.2:76-26. As described in the resolutions, the SADC certified market values and adjustments produced a new Statewide Formula per-acre easement value of $7,842 for the McEvoy #1 parcel (84.618 acres) and $7,923 per acre for the McEvoy #2 parcel (20.090 acres), after landowner-accepted voluntary restrictions. For McEvoy #1 the SADC share per acre is listed as $6,273.60 and the county share per acre as $1,568.40, producing an estimated total easement cost of $663,574.35. The county’s estimated share for that parcel is $132,714.87; the resolution notes $4,533.27 in certified funds in account #03895-5067-8952203-5067 to cover the additional amount. For McEvoy #2 the SADC share per acre is listed as $6,335.20 and the county share $1,583.80, producing an estimated total easement cost of $159,173.07 and an estimated county share of $31,818.54; the resolution states funds have been allocated in account #03895-5067-8952106-5067. The resolutions explain the Statewide Formula approach: P.L.2023 c.245 revised valuation method for farmland easements; SADC rules at N.J.A.C.2:76-26 implement a base value equal to 50% of an unrestricted fee simple appraisal then adjust upward for certain agricultural and natural-resource features and for voluntary restrictions the landowner accepts. The resolutions further specify that the purchase price for rights-of-way and similar non-easement interests will remain at original per-acre values ($4,800 per acre for McEvoy #1 and $5,200 per acre for McEvoy #2 as applicable). The Warren County Agriculture Development Board approved the amended formula values at its May 15, 2025 meeting, and the Board of County Commissioners recorded unanimous approval of the amendments.
