Four conservation organizations are fundraising to purchase 835 acres of the Black Run property
Evesham Township would take ownership of the property and maintain it with the Black Run Preserve.
A campaign to raise private funds to help purchase 835 acres to add to the 1,300-acre Black Run Preserve in Evesham was announced Monday by four conservation organizations.
Burlington County has committed up to $5 million in open space funds, and the state Pinelands Commission has set aside $3 million toward the $15 million purchase price for the heavily forested property.
Kettle Run Investments LP, owned by the Samost family, last year announced plans for 270 single-family homes on 778 acres south of the Black Run Preserve, but the New Jersey Conservation Foundation negotiated with the owners to buy and preserve the land from development.
The foundation announced the sale price was about $2.4 million less than the land’s full value. The move to conserve the property has been widely applauded and even the property owners said they preferred preservation to development.
“We are thrilled that our property will soon be added to the Black Run Preserve through our agreement with NJ Conservation,” owner Linda Samost said in a statement earlier this year. “We are eager to move forward with the project so that the community can experience and appreciate the natural beauty of this land for years to come.”
Evesham Township would take ownership of the property and maintain it with the Black Run Preserve.
“Private support is still needed,” the four organizations said in a joint announcement on Monday. “Funds raised through this campaign will go toward covering the final costs of the purchase of the property, and building a strong foundation for the long-term stewardship and maintenance of the expanded Black Run Preserve.”
Donations can be made through the NJ Conservation website at njconservation.org/blackrun.
A request by 70and73.com for the amount of the campaign’s goal went unanswered early Monday afternoon.
The four fundraising sponsors are: NJ Conservation, Pinelands Alliance, Friends of the Black Run Preserve, and Rancocas Conservancy.
“We’re so excited to be on the threshold of permanently preserving this ecologically important property, and we hope supporters will join us in this final push to ensure these 835 acres remain intact for future generations,” Robyn Jeney, NJ Conservation South Jersey regional manager, said in a statement. Jeney has led the negotiations with the Samost family.
Jane Dean, president of the Friends of the Black Run Preserve, said: “It’s been an honor to see how passionate our volunteers and members of the community have been during this important land acquisition. ... Now, we hope the passion continues with those who can contribute to the fundraiser to help get us across the finish line.”
Inquirer South Jersey
70and73.com is a hyperlocal news site focused on South Jersey, including the communities of Cherry Hill, Evesham, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Medford, Medford Lakes, and Moorestown.
