This is a reprint from the Home News Tribune. It is well stated and represents our opinion on the upcoming referendum. We'd like to add that purchasing open space holds down development which usually consists of housing and thus means more children in our schools. Sixty percent of our taxes are for the schools and we currently spend $9000 - $12000 per student (depending on your source). The average homeowner pays about $7000 in taxes. You do the math. New houses mean higher taxes.

Admittedly we at TUF are a bunch of tree huggers but you have to admit, once the land is gone it's awfully hard to bring it back. We applaud the County for asking the people's opinion and we have no problem with money being spent on small parking lots near trail heads so people can enjoy nature. We draw the line however at using open space for tennis courts, baseball fields and skateboard parks.

We live in the most densely populated state in the nation. It is projected that within 20 years New Jersey will be the first state to be considered "built out." Every day we are forced to deal with crowds, heavy traffic, strip mall after strip mall, and new developments encroaching from every direction. To help combat this, residents from many municipalities and counties have approved "open-space trust funds" to preserve what little open space remains.

Somerset County residents overwhelmingly approved their fund for this specific purpose. The Somerset County Board of Freeholders has voted to put on the November ballot a change in the county's open-space trust fund language that would allow the county parks department to use some of these funds to construct active-recreation facilities.

The Franklin Township Environmental Commission believes this would drastically reduce the county's ability to preserve our open space before it disappears forever. The voters weren't casting a "yes" vote to build "corporate retreats," ice skating rinks and indoor swimming pools, which is what some freeholders are suggesting. Nor did they intend to supplement the parks department's budget with open space trust fund money.

While the commission is not against active recreation, the use of these funds should not deviate from the voters' mandate until the last parcel of privately owned land for sale has been purchased.

Regardless of what the commission members think, the ultimate choice will be cast with the voters' ballots this November. We urge everyone to exercise this most precious freedom. It is our belief that the majority of our county residents will send a clear message to our freeholders that the preservation of our dwindling open space, which reduces pollution, protects natural resources, wildlife and valuable watersheds used for drinking water, is far more important than constructing "corporate retreats."

Arnold W. Schmidt
Chairman, Environmental Commission
FRANKLIN