The Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Land Management, announced on March 20 the opening of the 2026 Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund Grant Program. Municipalities and qualified non-profit organizations in Bergen County are invited to apply for grants in three categories: Land Acquisition, Historic Preservation, and Municipal Park Improvements. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by Friday, March 27.
The program is significant as it provides funding to support land conservation, historic site preservation, and improvements to municipal parks across the county. These efforts aim to enhance public spaces and preserve important community assets.
According to the announcement, municipalities with more than $1.5 million in current Open Space Trust Fund allocations are not eligible for additional funding this cycle. The grants are managed by the Division of Land Management within the Department of Parks. For 2026, the Board of County Commissioners set an open space tax assessment rate at one cent per $100 of total county equalized real property valuation. It is expected that about $22 million will be collected for distribution; however, the final amount will be determined by the County Treasurer. Of these funds, 70% will go toward county projects while 30% will be allocated to municipal programs divided among six sub-regions.
Application materials for each grant category—Historic Preservation, Land Acquisition for conservation and recreation purposes, and Municipal Park Improvement—are available online through dedicated links provided by the department.
Applicants seeking land acquisition grants must contact Elaine Gold from the Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs at least ten days before submitting their application if there are any historic or potentially historic structures on their property. Contact information for program administrators Nancy Witkowski (Municipal Park Improvement), Elaine Gold (Historic Preservation), and Kenneth Aloisio (Land Acquisition) was also provided in the announcement.
The Division emphasized its commitment to protecting open spaces and enhancing their quality throughout Bergen County.
