The
Livingston Open Space Committee & Livingston Environmental Commission
worked together with the Morris Land Conservancy to develop a Trails
& Greenways Plan for the Township. Morris
Land Conservancy is a member supported non-profit organization founded
in 1981.
The Township owns 428 acres of parkland in the
Township and is home to two county parks totaling 414 acres (primarily
West Essex Park). Nearly one-tenth of Livingston is currently
preserved parkland. Not included in this number are the landholdings
of the East Orange Water Reserve and the New Jersey American Water Company,
totaling 1,817 acres of watershed property in the Township.
The Township of Livingston was one of the 31
communities awarded a matching Smart Growth Planning Assistance Grant
from ANJEC (Association of NJ Environmental
Commissions) for the preparation of the Trails & Greenways Plan.
Matching funding for this grant has been provided by the Township, including
credit for the in-kind services for the volunteers working on this project.
ANJEC’s Smart Growth Grant program fosters local land use planning
initiatives such as: groundwater studies; mapping of critical resources
such as streams, groundwater, wetlands and steep slopes; and environmental
reviews of municipal master plans, zoning and ordinances. Some grants
help towns cover the cost of revising zoning codes, developing greenway,
open space or farmland preservation plans, or crafting new ordinances
to protect natural resources, discourage sprawl and create livable ,
pedestrian-friendly communities.