Intertwining his penchant for preservation with career passions, a New York transplant revels in securing new green spaces for Garden Staters

by Laura D.C. Kolnoski • Photos By Amessé Photography

Land has figured prominently in both the personal and professional life of Holmdel’s William Kastning. From his childhood home adjacent to New York’s 4,000-acre Pound Ridge Reservation and Croton Aqueduct Watershed to living in verdant Puerto Rico, tropical Tampa Bay, and in a 1726 farmhouse in Millstone, the beauty of nature and a strong desire to enjoy it has guided his trajectory.

Since becoming executive director of the venerable Monmouth Conservation Foundation in 2012, he’s perpetuated the organization’s mission, playing a vital role in helping save a diverse array of premier properties. The non-profit MCF land trust, founded in 1977, is acclaimed for preserving and protecting over 22,500 acres of open space, farmland, woodlands, wetlands, and parks that otherwise might be lost to development.

Nationally recognized, MCF, founded by Michael Huber and Judith Stanley Coleman, works and partners with organizations including Clean Ocean Action, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee, and Oasis Therapeutic Life Centers. Kastning also credited public officials for ongoing support, particularly State Senator Jennifer Beck (an ex-officio MCF board member who has helped with obtaining funding) and Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry. A former Colts Neck Mayor, Burry is a pioneer in the state’s historic and land preservation efforts (ironic, since she owns Colts Neck Realty and could profit from increased development). The Foundation’s successes have been considerable. In Holmdel, the 416-acre Chase Tract—part of the original 1677 land grant to the Holmes family (from which Holmdel got its name)—through the MCF is now permanently preserved as part of Holmdel Park. Huber Woods Park in Middletown, now part of the Monmouth County Park System, includes 366 acres overlooking the Nave sink River, with over eight miles of trails and an Environmental Center. In Manasquan, Fisherman’s Cove’s 65 acres were the last undeveloped tract on the Manasquan Inlet. MCF assisted with its acquisition, securing its future for fishing and beach activities. Picturesque Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold Township offers 41 acres, including an historic mill and other structures dating to the 1800s; it is centerpiece of the 1,500-acre Crosswicks Creek Greenway.

Progress has evolved significantly under Kastning’s stewardship. Two years ago, MCF decided to assist the creation of the 1.3-acre Springwood Avenue Park in Asbury Park. The urban green space was empty lots until the city, county, the local Interfaith Neighbors, and the MCF partnered to transform it into the first public park on Asbury’s west side. Creatively providing financial backing was essential; two fundraising events at popular local restaurants drew throngs of the organization’s well-heeled patrons.

“We collected $67,000 that way; it was a huge success,” Kastning said. “Our people and donors saw we had an urban focus we didn’t have before, and the funds are being wisely and well spent. We initiated new ways to raise money and wanted to move the project forward, and our Board of Trustees agreed to add $100,000.” With a combination of grants and other funding, the park, designed by the community, is expected to open this spring.

Bringing Springwood Park to fruition is source of pride for Kastning, who said MCF is expanding its focus to be more outreach-oriented. The “Kids for Conservation” program, begun in 2013 to teach youngsters about the environment, land conservation, wildlife protection, and open space preservation, will soon include high school and community groups planting pollinator gardens. This year, “Project Pollinator” will expand to create awareness of protecting butterflies, birds, bats, and bees, extending its reach to Long Branch, Red Bank, Freehold, and Asbury Park. The goal is to inspire the creation of habitats in school, community, and private gardens. Monmouth University and other educational institutions are helping develop an interactive and engaging curriculum for participating schools.

The work is a natural evolution of the subjects Kastning studied at John Jay College and Lehigh University: land use planning, zoning, land preservation, and cost/benefit analysis. He began his career with New York Telephone, AT&T, and NCR, which led him to positions in five states and Puerto Rico, where he served as a telecommunications consultant for the island’s telephone company.

“Their telephone system was archaic, the service poor,” Kastning said. “I was one of a team who relocated there to plan a new infrastructure and train employees. I purchased my first home there and lived in the mountains on a four-acre farm with an open-air house.” His work eventually brought him to the western U.S., where he indulged his love of visiting state and national parks (born when he camped cross-country at age 16 with his brother and a friend). Returning to the East Coast, he settled in Millstone after searching for the right rural home.

“Millstone was under severe development pressure,” Kastning recalled, adding that he was asked to run for local office as a running mate with an incumbent and lost by nine votes. “I took it badly. I decided to run again on an open space preservation platform, but was too late to be on the ballot. I won on my third attempt. I was on the bleeding edge of the Township Committee changing Millstone from development friendly to preservation-minded. All five seats on the committee were eventually filled with preservation-minded individuals. It remains that way to this day.”

Kastning also served on Millstone’s Historic Preservation, Environmental, and Parks and Recreation Commissions. Retired but “bored,” he learned of a part-time opening in the NJ Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program.

“I enjoyed the job so much, I asked then sitting Governor John O. Bennett III to assist me in getting a full-time position,” Kastning related. Beginning in 2000, he spent eight years as a project manager in land preservation planning for state and local acquisitions. It was his first exposure to and interaction with the Monmouth County Park System, the NY/NJ Baykeeper, the MCF, and other non-profits involved with land and historical preservation. In a territory that included parts of Middlesex and Hunterdon Counties, Kastning acquired properties to enlarge state parks, wildlife management areas, and forests. He preserved about $75 million in acquisitions and had another $75 million “in the pipeline” when he left for a job in Maryland; a move he made for love.

At that time, Kastning had divorced, sold his Millstone home, and moved to Hunterdon County. Eager for companionship, he joined eHarmony and met his future spouse Tina, who was a resident of Maryland’s eastern shore. After four years of weekend commuting, he took a job as Director of Planning and Codes in Denton, MD, taking on the development of a the town’s comprehensive plan and zoning regulations. He accomplished his goals in four years and was ready to move on.

“As luck would have it, I received an email from Adele Keller, MCF’s Executive Director, stating she had the perfect job for me, as she wished to retire after ten years,” Kastning related. As executive director, he is responsible for day-to-day operations, while the board sets policy and provides direction. Kastning implements the policies and manages a staff of three full-time and two part-time individuals, along with a cadre of volunteers.

As a facilitator on land acquisitions, MCF cuts through bureaucracy and provides financial resources. The organization’s annual Holiday Style Luncheon and Shopping Spree, for example, held at the Nave sink County Club, is a major fundraiser, attracting boldface names in business, politics, and social circles who patronize the event’s upscale vendors (twenty percent of sales go to the foundation). An annual dinner dance and private fund-raisers are augmented by individual and corporate donations. Kastning said MCF’s first annual Community Meeting will be scheduled in late February for those seeking to learn about preservation issues and projects. (Numerous volunteer opportunities exist, including participation by gardeners on Project Pollinator.)

The Preservation Process Monmouth Conservation Foundation uses various tools to identify properties for acquisition, determining how each will be best preserved and utilized to public benefit. Some are brought by partners and other organizations, others are targeted by the Foundation and its partners, or put forth by private landowners. Contenders are evaluated, ranked, and prioritized. MCF does not own land, but holds 23 conservation and agriculture easements to protect sensitive environments in perpetuity. The easements allow landowners to retain ownership while giving up certain rights (such as development). The Foundation stewards the easements and ensures restrictions are upheld.

“We have 40 properties at various stages of acquisition, part of our strategic plan,” Kastning said. “We are working closely with the county and will talk to landowners to increase existing parks in Marlboro, Aberdeen, and Manasquan.”

“Land preservation is a non-partisan issue,” he added, then quickly urged readers to keep an eye on MCF’s activities in 2016, when “very exciting things will be happening.”

Monmouth Conservation Foundation
628 Middletown Lincroft Road, Lincroft
732.639.1962 / monmouthconservation.org