[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE MORRIS LAND CONSERVANCY

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                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Morris Land 
Conservancy, located Morris County, New Jersey, a county I am proud to 
represent! On October, 19, 2006, the Morris Land Conservancy will 
celebrate its 25th Anniversary with a reception to honor twenty-five 
years of land preservation within Morris County.
  Incorporated on July 30, 1981, the Morris County Parks and 
Conservation Foundation was created by Russell W. Myers, the first 
director of the Morris County Park Commission. A seven member Board of 
Trustees guided the original organization. Today the organization, now 
known as Morris Land Conservancy, is governed by a board of twenty-five 
outstanding civic and business leaders. The mission continues to be 
``to preserve land and protect water resources, focusing on northern 
New Jersey; to conserve open space; to inspire and empower individuals 
and communities to preserve land and the environment.''
  During its history, the Conservancy has evolved from an all-volunteer 
organization to a state leader in open space preservation. Over 10,000 
acres of open space land has been preserved in northern New Jersey. 
Programs developed to further the Conservancy's mission include: the 
award winning Partners for Greener Communities, which offers technical 
assistance on open space planning and land preservation to 
municipalities; a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Resource Center 
that produces professional maps for use throughout the state to target 
critical open space lands for preservation; and the nationally 
recognized Partners for Parks Program which has organized over 5,200 
volunteers from 65 corporations and civic groups to do one day 
community service projects in seventy-three different parks in the past 
ten years!
  In the early 1990's, the organization became actively involved in the 
movement to preserve the Highlands. The Conservancy helped organize the 
Farny Highlands Watershed Coalition, a partnership of more than thirty 
towns and conservation groups dedicated to preserving the region known 
as ``heart of the Highlands''.
  The Conservancy has grown dramatically since it was established in 
1981. The original 56 members now number more than 1400, all working to 
preserve important properties and add them to the network of local, 
county and state parks throughout the region.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Morris Land Conservancy on its twenty-fifth Anniversary.

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