MOUNT HOLLY — Burlington County will use $1 million from the federal government to help preserve farmland as part of a buffer zone around McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix -- a total of about 800 acres.

County Freeholder-Director Aubrey Fenton has signed an agreement with the Air Force to accept a $1.08 million grant from the Defense Department, which is assisting military bases with encroachment issues through its readiness and environmental protection initiative.

The county goal is preservation of more than 20,000 farmland acres surrounding McGuire Air Force base and the Army post at Fort Dix through public acquisition and innovative zoning techniques by municipalities.

The two bases are becoming part of a joint megabase that will include the adjacent Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station in Ocean County.

McGuire Air Force Base applied for the grant and received the $1 million being awarded to the county.

Freeholder William Haines Jr. said the county will use the money toward the purchase price of several farms totaling 800 acres in the critical areas of a buffer zone that has a two-mile radius.

"The county's farmland preservation program is an effective tool to minimize conflicting land uses that could impact the bases," he said.

Carolee Nisbet, Fort Dix spokeswoman, said there is a need to maintain a buffer between military operations and the surrounding communities.

"It is absolutely important to all three military installations and the county is doing a great job as have some of the townships," she said.

Dan Kennedy, county farmland preservation program coordinator, said the buffer is preferred for security for military operations.

In case of an emergency landing, he said the Air Force wants open space around the base in case a plane is ordered to dump fuel before a landing.

Kennedy said there has been no major residential development in the two-mile zone except for some base housing. He said sparse commercial or industrial development is not as intrusive as residential development.

The county plans to use the money for ongoing efforts to preserve farms in Pemberton Township and New Hanover and also for the $2.5 million purchase price of the Bell Farm in North Hanover.

He said a total of 6,673 farm acres already have been preserved in the military buffer zone with a total goal of more than 26,000. The countywide farmland preservation goal is 70,000 of the 110,000 active farm acres.