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Conservation advocates urge Pinelands Commission to prioritize protection of 800‑acre Black Run Headwaters parcel
Summary
A public commenter urged the Pinelands Commission to help secure the 800‑acre Headwaters parcel adjacent to Black Run Preserve, proposing Evesham Township ownership, a memorandum of agreement for trails and a fundraising timeline; staff said the applicant signaled interest in permanent preservation and an appraisal is underway.
A founder of the Friends of Black Run Preserve told the Pinelands Commission on Aug. 8 that an 800‑acre parcel adjacent to the preserve should be conserved and that local officials and nonprofits should have time to arrange funding and an ownership plan.
"If a price for the 800 acres can be agreed upon, then planning for the next stage will help Evesham know what will be allowed upfront," John Volba said during public comment, speaking as a private citizen of Evesham Township. Volba asked the commission to work with Evesham Township and local nonprofits and proposed a memorandum of agreement that would allow boardwalks and an accessible trail loop similar to recent boardwalks in Wharton State Forest.
Commission staff earlier in the meeting said they have an application for the parcel and completed site inspections; the applicant told staff on July 2 that it intended to pursue permanent preservation, potentially with Green Acres and nonprofit partners, and that an appraisal is needed before next steps. Staff issued a comment letter on July 24 asking for revisions to wetland delineation work and are continuing review.
Volba said the proposed CMP amendment that staff has advanced would limit major development in the Black Run Headwaters but would not, by itself, guarantee that "perhaps 30 to 40 multimillion dollar homes" would not be built on upland areas; he urged proactive work with the township to secure ownership and an MOA to define allowable trails and infrastructure.
The Commission took the comment into the record and staff noted it will continue review of the application and the appraisal process.
