Pine Barrens preserve honors conservationist
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Controversial land purchased from cranberry baron
By LAWRENCE R. HAJNA
Courier-Post Columnist
The New Jersey Conservation Foundation on Friday formally dedicated the Franklin Parker Preserve. The 9,400-acre woodlands in the heart of the Pine Barrens was purchased nine months ago from former Burlington County cranberry baron J. Garfield DeMarco, his brother Mark, and their sister, Anna Lynne Papinchak.
Dignitaries gathered on a cranberry bog, untended vines crunching underfoot, to dedicate the land, a beautiful quilt work of pine forests, cedar swamps, bogs and blueberry fields in eastern Burlington County. The tract now knits together more than 200,000 acres of state-owned lands including Wharton, Bass River and Brendan Byrne state forests.
Together, these lands make up the largest contiguous tracts of protected open space in New Jersey. And, from an acreage standpoint, this was the largest conservation deal ever pulled off by a nonprofit group.
"Permanent land acquisition is an extremely important part of the comprehensive management plan, which is the guiding post for us who are still working to preserve and protect the Pinelands," former Gov. Jim Florio, who chairs the state Pinelands Commission, said during the ceremony.
Franklin Parker, 79, the foundation's former president and first Pinelands Commission chairman, called the honor of having the vast preserve, about 15 square miles, named after him a "little embarrassing. There are so many other people who deserve similar treatment. I don't know why they chose me, except I think I know the right people," he said with a laugh prior to the dedication.
Although the Far Hills-based Conservation Foundation is developing a trail network, it also doesn't want too many people disturbing the rare orchids, frogs, snakes and other wildlife that abound on the property. It's currently developing an access and management plan.
Before the dedication, Marilyn Schmidt, who runs a gift store in the nearby village of Chatsworth, said the preserve has become a magnet for wildlife researchers. "They ask about the preserve, where it is and what's going to be done," she said.
It's quite possible the place, miles from any major highways or population centers, will be underappreciated, a destination for only true solitude seekers and wildlife lovers. That's fine, given the human spirit's need to occasionally part paths with the relentless demands of society.
But the road getting to this point was as full of bumps as any of the myriad sugar-sand trails that transect the Pine Barrens.
The state initially refused to contribute to the purchase, arguing the land already had adequate protections and the state was locked in a legal battle with DeMarco over charges that he illegally filled in wetlands several years ago.
The administration of Gov. Christie Whitman had already paid the DeMarco family $7 million to prevent development of this land even though state Pinelands Commission zoning rules already precluded development.
The Conservation Foundation argued the land still could have been logged had it not been bought outright. It pursued the purchase even when Mark DeMarco filed a lawsuit alleging his brother ran the cranberry farm into the ground while living the life of a jet-setter. The suit lingers, but Mark DeMarco, who did not attend Friday's ceremonies, dropped elements that could have held up or even scuttled the $12 million deal.
In fact, all of these problems seemed to be relegated to the distant forests on this day. Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell even announced the state has contributed $3.5 million toward an outstanding portion of the sales price.
Campbell said DeMarco's agreement earlier this year to pay a $400,000 fine in the wetlands-filling case made it possible for the state to contribute. He even took a moment to "applaud Garfield DeMarco, who really began this process with a vision of a legacy he wanted to bequeath to future generations."
The federal government has also contributed $4.5 million and plans to restore 2,200 acres of bogs and wetlands to a more natural state. "It will be the federal government's largest wetlands restoration in the Mid-Atlantic region," said Michele Byers, the Conservation Foundation's director.
These government contributions mean the foundation has paid DeMarco in full, nearly four years ahead of schedule. It's now raising $3 million toward ongoing land stewardship programs.
Garfield DeMarco, 66, was low key and did not speak during the dedication. As he arrived, though, he said he's looking forward to relaxing and getting away from the cranberry empire built by his father, Anthony R. DeMarco.
While DeMarco said he remains one of the largest shareholders in the Ocean Spray cranberry cooperative, he said it's unlikely he will exercise an option to grow cranberries on the land for a few more years. It's time to get out of the business because of the industry's downturn, he said.
"Change is inevitable, and it's bound to happen. I'm very proud of what we did, putting this huge piece of land together," he said. "I'm just happy I'm able to see this in my lifetime."
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Controversial land purchased from cranberry baron
By LAWRENCE R. HAJNA
Courier-Post Columnist
The New Jersey Conservation Foundation on Friday formally dedicated the Franklin Parker Preserve. The 9,400-acre woodlands in the heart of the Pine Barrens was purchased nine months ago from former Burlington County cranberry baron J. Garfield DeMarco, his brother Mark, and their sister, Anna Lynne Papinchak.
Dignitaries gathered on a cranberry bog, untended vines crunching underfoot, to dedicate the land, a beautiful quilt work of pine forests, cedar swamps, bogs and blueberry fields in eastern Burlington County. The tract now knits together more than 200,000 acres of state-owned lands including Wharton, Bass River and Brendan Byrne state forests.
Together, these lands make up the largest contiguous tracts of protected open space in New Jersey. And, from an acreage standpoint, this was the largest conservation deal ever pulled off by a nonprofit group.
"Permanent land acquisition is an extremely important part of the comprehensive management plan, which is the guiding post for us who are still working to preserve and protect the Pinelands," former Gov. Jim Florio, who chairs the state Pinelands Commission, said during the ceremony.
Franklin Parker, 79, the foundation's former president and first Pinelands Commission chairman, called the honor of having the vast preserve, about 15 square miles, named after him a "little embarrassing. There are so many other people who deserve similar treatment. I don't know why they chose me, except I think I know the right people," he said with a laugh prior to the dedication.
Although the Far Hills-based Conservation Foundation is developing a trail network, it also doesn't want too many people disturbing the rare orchids, frogs, snakes and other wildlife that abound on the property. It's currently developing an access and management plan.
Before the dedication, Marilyn Schmidt, who runs a gift store in the nearby village of Chatsworth, said the preserve has become a magnet for wildlife researchers. "They ask about the preserve, where it is and what's going to be done," she said.
It's quite possible the place, miles from any major highways or population centers, will be underappreciated, a destination for only true solitude seekers and wildlife lovers. That's fine, given the human spirit's need to occasionally part paths with the relentless demands of society.
But the road getting to this point was as full of bumps as any of the myriad sugar-sand trails that transect the Pine Barrens.
The state initially refused to contribute to the purchase, arguing the land already had adequate protections and the state was locked in a legal battle with DeMarco over charges that he illegally filled in wetlands several years ago.
The administration of Gov. Christie Whitman had already paid the DeMarco family $7 million to prevent development of this land even though state Pinelands Commission zoning rules already precluded development.
The Conservation Foundation argued the land still could have been logged had it not been bought outright. It pursued the purchase even when Mark DeMarco filed a lawsuit alleging his brother ran the cranberry farm into the ground while living the life of a jet-setter. The suit lingers, but Mark DeMarco, who did not attend Friday's ceremonies, dropped elements that could have held up or even scuttled the $12 million deal.
In fact, all of these problems seemed to be relegated to the distant forests on this day. Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell even announced the state has contributed $3.5 million toward an outstanding portion of the sales price.
Campbell said DeMarco's agreement earlier this year to pay a $400,000 fine in the wetlands-filling case made it possible for the state to contribute. He even took a moment to "applaud Garfield DeMarco, who really began this process with a vision of a legacy he wanted to bequeath to future generations."
The federal government has also contributed $4.5 million and plans to restore 2,200 acres of bogs and wetlands to a more natural state. "It will be the federal government's largest wetlands restoration in the Mid-Atlantic region," said Michele Byers, the Conservation Foundation's director.
These government contributions mean the foundation has paid DeMarco in full, nearly four years ahead of schedule. It's now raising $3 million toward ongoing land stewardship programs.
Garfield DeMarco, 66, was low key and did not speak during the dedication. As he arrived, though, he said he's looking forward to relaxing and getting away from the cranberry empire built by his father, Anthony R. DeMarco.
While DeMarco said he remains one of the largest shareholders in the Ocean Spray cranberry cooperative, he said it's unlikely he will exercise an option to grow cranberries on the land for a few more years. It's time to get out of the business because of the industry's downturn, he said.
"Change is inevitable, and it's bound to happen. I'm very proud of what we did, putting this huge piece of land together," he said. "I'm just happy I'm able to see this in my lifetime."