Highlights of our 30 year history include:

1981        The Land Conservancy of New Jersey was “born” when New Jersey’s Secretary of State signed the incorporation papers that created the Morris County Parks and Conservation Foundation. The brainchild of Russell W. Meyers, the first director of the Morris County Park Commission, the organization was conceived to assist the Park Commission in accomplishing its mission and to ensure that his life’s work would continue after he was gone.

1983        The Russell W. Myers Scholarship, the Conservancy’s longest continuously running program, was established laying the foundation for our Scholarship Program.  The Conservancy provides annual awards to New Jersey college students pursuing careers in environmental preservation. 

1992        As its activities increased, the Morris County Parks and Conservation Foundation changed its name to Morris Parks and Land Conservancy.  The first issue of our Newsletter was published featuring a tribute to recently deceased founder; Russell W. Myers   

1993        No longer functioning on volunteers alone, the Conservancy hired its first permanent staff. In July 1994, David Epstein became the first full time Executive Director.

1995        Randolph Township became the first town to retain Morris Parks and Land Conservancy as its Open Space Advisor.  Our Partners for Greener Communities program grew from this early effort to forge partnerships with the towns to preserve open space.

1996        Eight volunteers from the Florham Park office of the Prudential Insurance Company of America improved the landscaping in Jefferson’s popular Children’s Park.  This volunteer project launched the Conservancy’s award winning Partners for Parks Program that continues to put volunteer teams to work on one day projects to beautify and maintain our region’s magnificent parks.

1997        We completed our first land acquisition project, purchasing the development rights on a 100-acre farm in Washington Township from Anthony Araneo and simultaneously transferring these rights to the Morris County Agricultural Development Board.

1999        Morris Parks and Land Conservancy changed its name to Morris Land Conservancy.  We preserved our 1000th acre, as a result of projects in Randolph, West Milford, Pequannock, Madison, Mt. Olive and Kinnelon.

2000        The Aresty Mapping Center was established thanks to a generous contribution from Jim and Wendy Aresty.  The Center produces professional, computer-generated maps that are being used throughout the state as an important tool to target critical open space lands for preservation

2005        We preserved our 10,000th acre highlighted by the 852-acre Culvermere property in Sussex County added to the Bear Swamp Wildlife Management Area; the 525-acre Koehler Estate property, added to the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area; and the 1,200-acre Lam property in Kinnelon added to the Morris County Park System.  The Conservancy was honored to receive the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Take Pride in America award and the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Excellence Award for Land Conservation.

2006        The Rogers Family Scholarship was established greatly expanding the impact of our Scholarship Program. Since then we have awarded two scholarships annually to New Jersey college students. 

2008        With the scope of our work reaching far beyond the Morris County area Morris Land Conservancy changed our name to The Land Conservancy of New Jersey

2009        Achieving recognition on the national level, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey became the first land trust in New Jersey to receive accreditation. Awarded by The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, the accreditation seal is awarded to organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting open space lands, upholding the public trust and ensuring that conservation efforts are permanent.

2010        On June 9^th The Land Conservancy of New Jersey partnered with Mount Olive Township, Morris County, the State of New Jersey, and The Trust for Public Land to preserve the 135-acre Rezamir Estates property. Preserving this site was critical because it lies within the headwaters of the South Branch of the Raritan River, a drinking water source for more than 1 million New Jersey residents. Following the closing the Conservancy took ownership of the property and began work to restore the land to its natural state. We completed the first restoration of a residential subdivision ever accomplished in New Jersey in just four months!