TRENTON New Jersey’s Green Acres Program preserved a record number of acres during 2005, making it the program’s most successful year since its inception in 1961. Last year, Green Acres funding was used to acquire more than 38,000 acres of land for recreation and conservation, surpassing by more than 2,000 acres the program’s previously highest annual acquisition total. Green Acres funding also helped municipalities, counties and nonprofits to acquire land and develop park and recreation facilities in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties. “New Jersey ranks as a national leader in land preservation,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell said. .” The DEP strengthened its commitment to preserving land in the Highlands and to boosting recreation and conservation opportunities in New Jersey’s most densely populated areas. In the Highlands, the Green Acres Program acquired more than 15,600 acres for permanent protection. These acquisition projects will help protect critical drinking-water supplies for more than 5.4 million residents. Since 1961, the Green Acres Program, together with public and private partners, has acquired and protected more than 597,000 acres of open space. New Jersey has more than 1.3 million acres of protected open space, including restored and improved municipal, county and nonprofit parks. Green Acres provides matching grants and low-interest loans to municipal and county governments to acquire open space and develop outdoor recreation facilities. The program also provides matching grants to nonprofit organizations to acquire land for public recreation and conservation purposes.