The South Jersey Pinelands Land Guide

What is the New Jersey Pinelands?

The Pinelands, also called the Pine Barrens, is a roughly 938,000-acre protected region across South Jersey. It is managed by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission under the Pinelands Protection Act and a document called the Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). Every municipality and county with land in the Pinelands has to bring its zoning into line with that plan, and changes to local ordinances in the Pinelands need Commission approval.

Which counties are in the Pinelands?

Seven of the eight South Jersey counties have Pinelands land: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean. The share of each county inside the Pinelands varies widely, from well over half of Burlington and Atlantic to a small slice of Cumberland and Gloucester. Salem County has no Pinelands area at all.

What are the Pinelands management areas?

The CMP sorts Pinelands land into nine management areas, each with different goals and permitted uses. The most restrictive is the Preservation Area District, where development is tightly limited. Others include Agricultural Production Areas, Forest Areas, Rural Development Areas, and the Regional Growth Area, where most new building is directed. The management area your parcel falls into is the single biggest factor in what you can do with it, and what it is worth.

What are Pinelands Development Credits?

In the strictest areas, landowners often cannot build, but they are not left with nothing. The Pinelands program assigns Pinelands Development Credits (PDCs) to qualifying land in sending areas like the Preservation Area District and Agricultural Production Areas. A PDC can be sold and used by a builder in a Regional Growth Area to build at higher density. For many preservation-area owners, the PDC is the real value in the land. Working out whether your parcel carries PDCs, and what they are worth, is exactly the kind of detail a national buyer misses.

How do I find out if my land is in the Pinelands?

The Pinelands Commission maintains maps and a land-use review process, and your municipality can tell you which zoning district and management area your block and lot fall into. You can also just send us the address. We check the management area, the zoning, and any PDC status as part of looking at your parcel, at no cost to you.

How does CAFRA fit in?

CAFRA, the Coastal Area Facility Review Act, is a separate state program that governs development along the coast and bays. It covers parts of Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties, running from the shore around Cape May and up the Delaware Bay. A parcel can be subject to CAFRA, the Pinelands, wetlands rules, or some combination. Each adds a layer to what can be built, which is why coastal South Jersey land needs a buyer who knows all three.

Can I sell Pinelands-restricted land?

Yes. This is one of the most common things we buy. The key is that a fair offer on Pinelands land comes from understanding the management area and any PDCs, not from guessing. We buy preservation-area parcels, forest-area lots, and farm-assessed Pinelands ground that other buyers reject. See selling Pinelands-restricted land for what to expect.