Target demographics: Preserve land, protect family farms, support clean air and clean water.
Geographic areas served: Hunterdon County, NJ
Programs: Land preservation: HLT preserves land to protect the rural character of Hunterdon county and ensure clean water, diverse wildlife, healthy food, scenic views, and recreational opportunities. HLT protects land by acquiring it directly for preservation purposes, facilitating projects with partners, such as municipalities and other nonprofit organizations, and establishing conservation and agricultural easements on properties that we monitor annually. To date, HLT has preserved more than 11,500 acres. Of the total preserved, HLT owns and manages 925 acres for the public to enjoy and monitors 637 easement acres to ensure permanent protection.
stewardship: hlt stewards both natural and cultural resources to protect the integrity of ecological systems and connect the public to our rural heritage. As a result of our natural resource stewardship efforts, 925 acres of preserved land is available for public enjoyment. All of our properties have management plans to prioritize stewardship activities such as invasive species removal, soil conservation, plantings, and wetland restoration projects. Three of our properties also have forest stewardship plans to improve the composition of the woodlands that protect water quality and support diverse native wildlife populations. Hlt utilizes a corpus of volunteers to implement stewardship projects and educate the public about the importance of these activities. Hlt promotes a strong connection to our local agricultural heritage through stewardship and programming at our headquarters, the historic dvoor farm. Activities, including structural repairs, restoration, and master planning strategically pursue the goals of preserving programs the dvoor farm's features of historical significance and providing education about its past and current relevance to the community.
food systems: hlt promotes a strong rural economy by enabling local producers to sell directly to the public at our weekly farmers' market. The year round market attracts approximately 800-1000 people each market day and supports between 12-20 vendors while providing educational programming and entertainment.
