As Monmouth County’s only countywide land trust, Monmouth Conservation Foundation’s overarching mission is to create a permanent legacy of open space and to protect the natural habitat and wildlife throughout the county for our generation and future generations.
Our Properties
Established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1977 by Michael Huber and Judith Stanley, Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) has directly preserved thousands of acres throughout Monmouth County. The conservation and preservation of land creates a better quality of life – protecting the character of Monmouth County for everyone to appreciate and benefit.
Our ongoing charge is to steadfastly continue that mission and serve our community to make Monmouth County an even more extraordinary place to live.
CHRIS’ RIVER PLAZA MARINA (now known as Swimming River Park)
Middletown Township / 14 acres / Completed in 2015
This waterfront property located in the River Plaza section of Middletown, will soon be transformed by the County of Monmouth into a beautiful park. Located just over the bridge from Red Bank, Swimming River Park will feature numerous passive recreational options, such as a boat launch and sledding hill.
FARIELLO PHASE 1 AND 2 (an addition to Freneau Woods Park)
Marlboro Township / 66 acres
This land is a set of properties acquired in furtherance of a new Monmouth County regional park called Freneau Woods Park. The property was purchased as a collaborative effort by the Monmouth County Park System and the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. To date, 154 acres have been purchased, being acquired like pieces of a puzzle, that with future acquisitions will one day become a 250-acre regional County Park.
ABERDEEN WILSON ASSOCIATES (addition to Freneau Woods Park)
Aberdeen Township / 89 acres / Completed 2015
Aberdeen Wilson Associates is the largest acquisition of the Freneau Woods Park, comprised of 89 acres. MCF has partnered with the Monmouth County Park System, as well as the NY/NJ Baykeeper, to ensure this land is preserved for future generations. This new park will ultimately connect to the Henry Hudson Trail.
BATES
Wall Township / 0.5 acres / Completed 1999
BAUM
Tinton Falls Borough / 10+ acres / Completed 2000
This property, which sat within Shark River Park, was acquired by the Monmouth County Park System with aid from MCF. The property has become an addition to Shark River Park.
BOWNE HOUSE EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 0.34 acres / Completed 1987
In MCF’s 10th Anniversary year, the historic Bowne House, located in the Leonardo section of Middletown, was purchased in an effort to preserve one of Monmouth County’s oldest homes. With the help of Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson, MCF placed a conservation easement on the property and exterior of the house to assure that the historic value of the house would be preserved.
BREZA ROAD
Upper Freehold Township & Allentown Borough / 101 acres
MCF assisted project partners in the acquisition of this property. The preservation of this site met the goals of both communities and provided a greenbelt and scenic vista between the historic village of Allentown and the surrounding municipality.
CHASE TRACT
Holmdel Township / 416 acres / Completed 2001
The Chase Tract was part of the original 1677 land grant to the Holmes family, from which Holmdel got its name. The property contains several historic homes and barns dating back to the 1700 and 1800’s including the foundation of a rare Anglo-Dutch barn. MCF, with help from Friends of Holmdel Open Space, the Monmouth County Park System, Holmdel, the State Agricultural Development Committee and Green Acres, raised $19 million to purchase the property from Chase Manhattan Bank. This beautiful land, which was saved from development, is now permanently preserved as part of Holmdel Park.
COE PROPERTY
Middletown Township / 25 acres / Completed 2011
This beautiful property with a historic house and significant conservation value was a wonderful example of a private and public partnership. MCF worked with IMPACT/Oasis, a non-profit group interesting in establishing a group home for young adults with autism, NY/NJ Baykeeper, Green Acres and Middletown to preserve this environmentally sensitive site. IMPACT/Oasis purchased the house and the surrounding acreage, and the Township retained ownership of the remainder for a park.
CONOVER CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Wall Township / 14 acres
The pending purchase of an Agricultural Easement on this scenic family-owned Christmas Tree Farm contiguous to Conover Farm, will ensure that the farming heritage the Township is known for is forever remembered.
CONOVER FARM
Wall Township / 36 acres
The Agricultural Easement on this farm assisted in sustaining the overall environmental integrity of the area for generations to come.
DeNORMANDIE
Fair Haven Borough / 0.7 acres / Completed 2014
Located at the end of DeNormandie Avenue and fronting the Navesink River, this property is known as the Charles Williams Robard Estate and dates back to the pre-Civil War era. With its preservation, children and families now have direct access to the magnificent Navesink River.
DEY
Upper Freehold Township / 15+ acres / Completed 2001
DITTMAR EASEMENT
Colts Neck Township / 1.5 acres / Completed 2007
The Dittmar Family donated a conservation easement on this wooded parcel located on Bucks Mill Pond to MCF in order to preserve and protect the natural conditions and wildlife in the area. The property is contiguous to the already preserved Duck Hollow Farm, which has an agricultural easement over the farmstead area and a historical easement to protect the farmhouse, barns and outbuildings.
ELLIS EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 40 acres / Completed 2007
The Ellis Farm, formerly known as the Aulde House, is a breathtaking horse farm located in the Navesink area of Middletown. A conservation easement protecting this property was donated to MCF by the late Anne Haskell Ellis in her last will and testament. The preservation of the Farm, featuring scenic views of the Navesink River, ensures that the property will continue to serve as an important reminder of the rural and farming heritage of Monmouth County.
FISHERMAN’S COVE
Manasquan Borough / 65 acres / Completed 1995
MCF assisted the Monmouth County Park System with the acquisition of this property, the last undeveloped tract on the Manasquan Inlet. Fisherman’s Cove is a great place to fish, walk on the beach, or go sunbathing.
FISHER-STERN
Middletown Township / 40 acres / Completed 2005
MCF led the efforts to preserve this beautiful waterfront property located on the environmentally sensitive Claypit Creek. The property was preserved through a partnership with the Monmouth County Park System, Green Acres and Middletown. This property has become a beautiful addition to Hartshorne Woods Park and is known as the Claypit Creek extension.
FLEMER ENTITIES (FORMERLY PRINCETON NURSERIES)
Upper Freehold Township / 1,200 acres / Completed 2012
One of MCF's most recent accomplishments, the preservation of Flemer Entities (formerly Princeton Nurseries) represents the largest tract of land preserved in Monmouth County -- over 1,200 acres in Upper Freehold Township
GIAMBRONE FARM
West Long Branch Borough / 10 acres / Completed 1996
GIMBEL FARM
Middletown Township / 44 acres / Completed 2012
MCF purchased an agriculture easement on this 44-acre farm in Middletown Township with the help of the State Agriculture Development Committee and the Monmouth County Agricultural Development Board. The donation of a conservation easement on the remaining 6 acres of the farm from the Gimbel Family ensures that the property will forever remain as farmland and open space. The Gimbel tract is not only valuable to our farm community, but it also falls within the Foundation’s Navesink Highlands Greenway project area, which stretches from the shores of Atlantic Highlands to the inlets of the Navesink River and the farm landscapes of the Chapel Hill section of Middletown Township.
GOWER FARM
Upper Freehold Township / 82 acres / Completed 1989
GRAY FARM
Upper Freehold Township / 167 acres / Completed 1989
MCF assisted in permanently preserving this farmland through the Farmland Preservation Program, restricting the land to agricultural use only. This farm is the centerpiece of an agricultural district made up of contiguous farmlands along Crosswicks Creek.
HAIN
Howell Township / 11 small lots / Completed 2001
HALIFAX PIECE
Wall Township / 119 acres / Completed 1995
HAUSER FARM
Aberdeen Township / 22 acres / Completed 2012
The preservation of the Hauser Farm, located within the headwaters of the Matawan Creek, a tributary to the Raritan Bay, and consisting of wetlands and uplands, eliminated the construction of over 200 new housing units ensured that the Farm will forever exist in its natural state. Rich with wildlife, the property will become a passive recreational park with hiking trails and picnic and bird watching areas.
The Trust for Public Land, Monmouth County, the NJDEP Green Acres, the New York/New Jersey Baykeeper and the NJ Department of Natural Resources also participated in the acquisition.
HISTORIC BAIRD FARMSTEAD
Millstone Township / 7.5 acres / Completed 2012
The Historic Baird Farmstead is a Greek revival farmhouse dating back to 1836. Now owned by the Township, it will be utilized as a community cultural resource center focusing on the history of NJ agriculture and will showcase historic items once displayed at the Rutgers Museum of Agriculture. Project partners include Millstone Township and Monmouth County.
HISTORIC WALNFORD
Upper Freehold Township / 41 acres / Completed 1980
This historic mill site was donated to the Monmouth County Park System via MCF by Edward and Joanne Mullen. The structures at Walnford, rich with history, date back to the 1800s and reveal much about the changing culture and economy of the region during the last three centuries. Walnford is the centerpiece of the 1,500-acre Crosswicks Creek Greenway, which forms a narrow corridor of land around Crosswicks Creek.
HOLLY CREST FARM EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 37 acres / Completed 2008
MCF purchased an agricultural easement on Holly Crest Farm with the assistance of the State Agriculture Development Committee and the Monmouth County Agricultural Development Board. This scenic horse farm, which is now in the Farmland Preservation Program, is located in the Locust section of Middletown and was the first preserved farm in the town. The farm is contiguous to Huber Woods Park and is identified as an environmentally sensitive area.
HUBER WOODS PARK
Middletown Township / 366 acres / Completed 1985
Overlooking the Navesink River and located in MCF’s Navesink Highland’s Greenway, Huber Woods Park (owned by Monmouth County Park System) was established in 1974 with a 118-acre gift of land from the Huber family and the J.M. Huber Corporation. In 1985 MCF assisted with the acquisition of additional land. Continued acquisitions and additional land donations have grown the Huber Woods Park to 366 acres of permanently preserved open space. The park features over 8 miles of multi-use trails and an Environmental Center, in addition to acres of woods and forests.
HUNT’S CROSSING EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 84 acres / Completed 1992
MCF placed a conservation easement on this property located on McClees Creek in the Navesink Highlands Greenway in order to protect valuable wetlands and floodplain areas, to prevent a 14 lot subdivision, and to preserve the character of the surrounding area. MCF created a unique scheme allowing the property to be developed with a substantially lower number of estate lots, limiting development to a total of four houses.
HURLEY POND
Wall Township / 25 acres / Completed 1994
MCF assisted Wall Township with the acquisition of this property located on Hurley Pond for use as a Township park.
LANGEFELD DUTCH BULB COMPANY
Freehold Township / 375 acres / Completed 1990
MCF coordinated the sale of this open land bordering the upper reaches on the Manasquan River in Freehold. Thanks to financing from NJDEP Green Acres, Monmouth County, Freehold and MCF, the property is now part of the Manasquan River Greenway under the County’s Stream Valley Protection Plan.
MADSEN
Middletown Township / 10.5 acres / Completed 1999
MAHON EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 6 acres / Completed 2002
MCF assisted Middletown Township, the Monmouth County Park System and Green Acres in purchasing a conservation and trail easement on this scenic property adjacent to Huber Woods Park.
MARLU-TWITCHELL TRACT
Holmdel & Middletown Townships / 456 acres / Completed 1987
MCF joined residents and other groups, concerned about the protection of the County’s water supply and the impact of a proposed 450-unit development, by assisting the Monmouth County Park System in acquiring and protecting this farmland on the Swimming River Reservoir in Holmdel and Middletown. This property, adjacent to Thompson Park, has become an addition to the park.
MERRICK FARM
Howell Township / 66 acres / Completed 2001
MILLMAN EASEMENT Middletown Township / 8.5 acres, Completed 2014
The Millman Property is the most recent addition to MCF’s ever-growing number of easements. This 8.5-acre donated easement abuts the Claypit Creek component of MCPS’s Hartshorne Woods Park and overlooks the Navesink River. The easement serves as a buffer to the nearby private park property and will remain as untouched woods allowing native flora and fauna to flourish and further protecting the Navesink Highlands Greenway.
MURRAY FARM
Howell Township / 76 acres / Completed 1997
MCF assisted the Monmouth County Park System in acquiring this farm in order to create a link between the Bear Swamp Natural Area and Allaire State Park in Howell.
NATCO LAKE
Hazlet Township / 73.5 acres / Completed 1980
In its first endeavor, MCF acquired and then transferred this valuable property to the Township of Hazlet for use as a nature study area. This breeding and resting habitat for migratory and non-migratory birds also serves as a ground water recharge area for the Bayshore region. Development here would have had an adverse effect on the wildlife, as well as the drinking water for residents in the area.
NURKO & CUZZOLINO FARMS
Roosevelt Borough / 300+ acres / Completed 2000
MCF helped with a bridge loan to enable the Town to honor its farming heritage and purchase these two properties.
OLD WHARF PARK
Oceanport Borough / 0.5 acres / Completed 1983
MCF assisted Oceanport in obtaining a final addition to its Old Wharf Park on the banks of the Oceanport Creek. Old Wharf Park is a lovely passive recreation facility with an historical legacy that represents a gateway into the Borough. The Park has shuffle board and bocce ball courts, picnic areas, game tables, benches and parking. The Borough is in the process of improving the park with a boat launch ramp and fishing decks made possible by the funding to the park.
OWEN NATURE PRESERVE EASEMENT
West Long Branch Borough / 7 acres / Completed 1994
A conservation easement on this property was donated to MCF by the Owen Family in order to preserve one of the last farms in the Borough. The ownership of the property was later donated to West Long Branch. The property now serves as a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve, as well as a potential osprey nesting site.
PRINCETON NURSERIES
Upper Freehold Township / 33 acres / Completed 1998
RIVERFRONT PARK AND MARINA
Avon Borough / 0.37 acres / Completed 2009
With the help of MCF, this property was acquired by Avon. The property has been turned into a park and marina with waterfront access. The marina is located next the Main Street bridge and provides a gateway into Avon.
ROBERTS SWAMP BROOK
Manasquan & Brielle Boroughs / 3 acres / Completed 1998
SACCO TRUST FARM
Upper Freehold Township / 55 acres / Completed 2012
The Sacco Trust Farm will become a wonderful addition to the Crosswicks Creek Greenway, an extension of the Monmouth County Park System. The acquisition of this key parcel was essential in connecting two trail systems in the Greenway.
SCHEUING
Middletown Township / 2.27 acres / Completed 2009
MCF helped the Monmouth County Park System to acquire this breathtaking property along the Navesink River. The property, located adjacent to Hartshorne Woods Park, will become an addition to the park.
SCHUMACHER EASEMENT
Holmdel Township / 4 acres / Completed 2002
Edward and Doris Schumacher donated a conservation easement on their property to MCF to preserve the natural features and plant and wildlife habitat. The property, which borders a section of Holmdel Park, is adjacent to headwaters that drain in to the Swimming River Reservoir, a primary source of drinking water for Monmouth County.
SCUDDER EASEMENTS
Middletown Township / 91 acres / Completed 1983 – 1999
Through the years 1983 to 1999, Richard Scudder and his wife Elizabeth donated conservation easements to MCF on 91 acres in the Navesink section of Middletown. The predominately wooded property is contiguous to Huber Woods Park with clearings and trails for hiking and horseback riding. In 2007 Mr. Scudder donated 64 acres of his eased land to the New Jersey Audubon Society for use as a nature preserve.
SEA WATCH
Manasquan Borough / 1.6 acres / Completed 2005
MCF and Green Acres assisted Manasquan in acquiring this beachfront property in order to expand the existing public beach access and the boardwalk.
SEITZ EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 4.7 acres / Completed 2008
Daniel Seitz, through his last will and testament, donated a conservation easement on his scenic property located on the Navesink River in Middletown to MCF. When he passed, ownership of the property was transferred to the Monmouth County Park System.The parcel is contiguous to Hartshorne Woods Park and will soon become an extension of the park.
SPELLMAN
Holmdel Township / 3 acres / Completed 1993
MCF purchased this wooded land on Holmdel-Keyport Road and transferred the property to the Monmouth County Park System as an addition to Holmdel Park.
STANLEY-COLEMAN EASEMENT
Middletown Township / 8 acres / Completed 2001
A conservation and scenic viewsshed easement on this waterfront estate located on the Navesink River was donated to MCF by Judith Stanley Coleman. The conservation of this property is vital to the protection, preservation and maintenance of open space along the Navesink River.
TIMOLAT FARM
Middletown Township / 99 acres / Completed 2006
MCF assisted the Monmouth County Park System with the acquisition of this property located on the McClees Creek basin. This beautiful property, containing lush woodlands, vast open fields and five scenic ponds, has become a wonderful addition to Huber Woods Park, expanding the open area available for public recreation such as hiking, bird watching and horseback riding.
TINDALL FARM
Upper Freehold Township / 122 acres / Completed 1989
MCF and the Monmouth County Park System permanently preserved this productive farm with rich and fertile fields. The farm was placed in the Farmland Preservation Program, restricting the land to agricultural use only. A portion of the property has been added to Walnford Park, part of the Crosswicks Creek Greenway.
THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS PARTNERSHIP
Upper Freehold Township / 58 acres / Completed 2003
WENY
Tinton Falls Borough / 5.8 acres / Completed 1991
The acquisition of this property provided access to a 17-acre recreation area owned by Tinton Falls. The tract was purchased by MCF and conveyed to the Borough.
WENZEL
Marlboro Township / 3 acres / Completed 2002
WOLF HILL FARM
Oceanport Borough / 95 acres / Completed 1997
The Monmouth Conservation Foundation assisted the Monmouth County Park System in acquiring this farm. In the future the property will be developed with active recreation in mind.
