FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 20, 2026

 
MEDIA CONTACT: 
Derek Sands
DSands@bergencountynj.gov 

REMINDER – BERGEN COUNTY OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND INTENT TO APPLY DUE MARCH 27th

Floodplain Protection, Historic Preservation, Land Acquisition, and Municipal Park Improvement grants available in 2026 funding cycle

(HACKENSACK, NJ) – The Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Land Management, announces the 2026 Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund Grant Program. The 2026 grant cycle welcomes applicants seeking aid in three categories: Land Acquisition, Historic Preservation, and Municipal Park Improvements. All Bergen County municipalities and qualified non-profit organizations are invited to apply. All applicants must file a Letter of Intent no later than Friday, March 27th, 2026.

Municipalities that currently have more than $1,500,000 in funding from the Open Space Trust Fund are not eligible to apply for additional funding during this year’s grant cycle.

Trust Fund grants are administered by the Division of Land Management, Bergen County Department of Parks. The Bergen County Board of County Commissioners has set the 2026 open space tax assessment rate at 1 cent per $100 of total County equalized real property valuation.  It is anticipated that approximately $22 million will be collected; the County Treasurer will determine the final amount of available funding.  2026 Trust Fund money will be allocated with 70% of the available to the County Program and 30% to the Municipal Program.  The Municipal Program’s 30% will be further allocated into each of six sub-regions in the County. 

  • Historic Preservation Program application materials for historic preservation purposes can be found here: 2026 Grant Application
  • Land Acquisition Program application materials for conservation & recreation purposes can be found here: 2026 Grant Application
  • Municipal Park Improvement Program application materials for municipal outdoor park and recreation improvement projects can be found here: 2026 Grant Application

As a reminder, for all Land Acquisition applications, if there are any historic or potentially historic structures on the property, applicants must contact Ms. Elaine Gold of the Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs [DCHA] at egold@bergencountynj.gov to verify the presence OR absence of historic or potentially historic structures on the site AT LEAST 10 DAYS PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THEIR APPLICATION.  Please contact the individual program administrators with any questions:

Municipal Park Improvement Program – Nancy Witkowski – (201) 336-7255
NWitkowski@bergencountynj.gov 

Historic Preservation Grant Program – Elaine Gold – (201) 336-7294
EGold@bergencountynj.gov

Land Acquisition Grant Program – Kenneth Aloisio – (201) 336-6454
KAloisio@bergencountynj.gov

The Division of Land Management is dedicated to protecting and providing additional open spaces and maintaining and enhancing the quality and degree of open space throughout Bergen County.ained golf courses, reasonably paced rounds, and friendly customer service.

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