the staff oof the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, in a landmark achievement, the Land Conservancy of New Jersey has been honored with the 2024 National Land Trust Excellence Award for establishing New Jersey’s first Indigenous land trust. This historic milestone, marked by the preservation of the 54-acre Split Rock Mountain sacred to the Ramapough Lenape Nation, has catapulted the organization into national recognition. The prestigious award was presented by the Land Trust Alliance at the National Land Conservation Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, this past September.
The award celebrates the Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s enduring commitment to preserving critical natural spaces across the state. As Jennifer Miller Herzog, interim president and CEO of the Land Trust Alliance, noted, “The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has been a leader, conserving nearly 30,000 acres of farmland, trails, and wildlife corridors while connecting and educating people about the natural landscapes and diverse communities that surround them.”
David Epstein, president of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, expressed the organization’s pride in receiving this national honor. “We are honored to have our dedication to preserving and restoring imperiled forests, farms, and tribal lands acknowledged,” he said.
The Conservancy’s efforts to establish the Split Rock Mountain land trust spanned a decade and culminated in 2023 with the acquisition of this sacred Ramapough land. The 54-acre area, also known as Tahetaweew, sits along the Mahwah border and reaches into Rockland County, New York. After purchasing the property for $500,000, the Conservancy cleared and donated it to the Ramapo Munsee Land Alliance in March 2023, ensuring its protection.
Beyond this landmark project, the Conservancy has led numerous preservation initiatives in North Jersey, including:
- Mahwah: Successfully completing the purchase of Split Rock Mountain for the Ramapo Munsee Land Alliance.
- Oakland: Assisting the municipality over four years to acquire 12 flood-prone homes, transforming the area into natural flood storage, parks, and open spaces.
- Bergen County: Protecting the last 12 remaining farms for the county’s Recreation and Open Space Inventory.
- Ramapo Mountain Preserve: Preserving 104 acres adjacent to Bergen County’s Ramapo Mountain Reservation.
These initiatives reflect the Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s mission to help municipalities protect vital resources, enhance recreational spaces, and sustain New Jersey’s natural beauty for future generations. With the establishment of the Indigenous land trust at Split Rock Mountain, they continue to set new standards in conservation while honoring the cultural heritage of the Ramapough Lenape Nation.
This award underscores the far-reaching impact of land conservation and the importance of community partnerships in preserving the state’s natural and cultural landscapes.
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Thanks for highlighting this incredible organization… one we have supported for years. The leadership so dedicated and talented. As this article states, the latest Split Rock purchase is an awesome site, a sacred place for the Ramapough Lanape Nation which would have been developed. Because of this and other tens of thousands of acres preserved, the National award is well deserved.
I hope others will be as inspired as we have been. Once land is gone, it is gone forever and the LCNJ has worked tirelessly to protect our open spaces.
We urge you to learn more about, and support the LCNJ.