The J. Seward Johnson Sr. Woodland Preserve is a 14-acre nature preserve located in Princeton, NJ. While the Preserve’s canopy trees are notably diverse, the shrub and herbaceous layers have been degraded by Princeton’s historic overpopulation of deer, and a resulting invasion of non-native plant species, including large populations of several emerging-invasive shade-tolerant shrubs, most notably Oriental Photinia. Through a 3-acre fenced exclosure, and planting of a native shrub understory comprised of 1800 shrubs, grasses, sedges, and wildflowers, D&R Greenway intends to guarantee the future carbon-sequestering capacity of the preserve. These plants will be sourced in large part from D&R Greenway’s own Native Plant Nursery, and will be custom grown for the site from local-ecotypic wild seed collections. 

D&R Greenway will also conduct Early Detection/Rapid Response surveys and eradications across the entire 14-acre preserve, removing thousands of stems of Oriental photinia and other emerging invasive plants, in partnership with the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team. The innovative nature of this restoration, in a fragmented suburban woods burdened by emerging invasive species and a high deer population, suggests this project as an ideal model for future restorations in similar contexts region-wide.

Effectiveness of carbon sequestration will be measured by comparing a stem count of native saplings within the deer-excluded area to a similar three-acre area of the preserve, which will remain unfenced and unplanted, five years after planting. Saplings will be defined as tree species at breast height or above, less than 3” dbh. Amount of carbon sequestered will be based on biomass extrapolations for these saplings; the true carbon sequestration impact of these trees will be in the long-term, as they replace the existing canopy trees over time.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- reforestation

Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal and ecosystem management

Total Project Cost: $25,350

Status: D&R Greenway will be erecting fencing and controlling for invasives this winter, and planting during the 2012 growing season.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

The Hill & Dale Preserve is located in Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County. It provides magnificent and sweeping views of preserved farmland and distant mountain ranges, including Round Valley Reservoir.

The first 115 acres of the new Hill & Dale Preserve at the base of Hell Mountain were acquired by New Jersey Conservation Foundation.  Conservation Resources helped facilitate a large grant to this project from a previously collected Natural Resource Damage Settlement.    To read the press release, click here.

Project History 

New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) has been looking for a preserve in its Black River Greenway project area that would host both natural and agricultural components representative of the region. This property meets their criteria.   If NJCF could acquire this whole site, then they would intend to convert the lower agricultural land to an organic farming operation, while some of the more steeply sloping fields would be converted to conservation land for passive recreation. The hayed areas towards the top would likely be converted to warm-season grasslands, and would include hiking trails where visitors could enjoy distant views.

The property has been of critical local interest for many years, and nonprofits and the local government have sought to preserve it for over a decade.  The Garden State Greenways project identified the property as containing both Critical Resource: Agriculture and Grasslands, as well as providing a Critical Connector.  Tewksbury’s Open Space Plan identifies parcels of greater than 30 acres in size (p.140)  The plan proposes to carry out the Township’s policy to preserve open space by evaluating these parcels based on several criteria, including the following which the property meets: aquifer recharge, presence of freshwater wetland, unique wildlife and plant habitats, mature woodlands, headwater streams, steep slopes, aesthetic views and vistas, accessibility to the public, suitability for multiple types of uses, sustainability of the property’s intended use, and opportunity for preservation.  The Township plan encourages preservation of large interconnected natural areas.  Preservation of this property, nestled between the Township’s Hell Mountain Preserve and the Rothpletz farm, certainly meets this goal.  The County plan recommends collaboration with nonprofits and others in the conservation of priority lands in conservation zones.  The County Park Plan encourages protection of meadows of significant size (25 acres or more) to provide habitat to grassland bird species, and encourages 200 foot or larger buffers to streams, which would be afforded by preserving this property.  Furthermore, the Hunterdon County Planning Board identified Hell Mountain as the area in Hunterdon County with the highest Natural Resource Score, based on its groundwater recharge, significant forest cover and significant habitat for rare plant species.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation, grassland restoration

Water Protection, Filtration and Control: Water quantity- protection of groundwater recharge areas

Agricultural Production: Local food systems- organic agriculture

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

Total Project Cost:  $7,100,000

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

The Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) is planning to restore the 24-acre Shaw property, part of the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area in Upper Township, Cape May County, NJ.  Essential to this restoration will be the removal of Autumn olive and Phragmites, two invasive species that are prevalent in the wetland habitat.  They also plan to remove debris from the property, do some minimal grading, and reforest the site with native trees and shrubs that provide food and cover to wildlife. They will focus on restoring early-successional and forested habitats to provide habitat for wildlife, especially migratory songbirds. The site will be monitored for at least three years following the restoration.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- reforestation

Biological Diversity: Habitat- scrub-shrub habitat for migratory songbirds; Ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal

Total project cost: $204,050

Status: The CWF is seeking funding to carry out this project.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

This 20-acre property is a key link in the Allentown Historic Greenbelt and the Crosswicks Creek/Doctors Creek Watershed Greenway Plan, a plan devised by the Crosswicks Creek/Doctors Creek Watershed Regional Greenway Planning Group. It offers a scenic vista and gateway to Allentown and the region.   The historic house is a community landmark that reminds citizens and visitors of the region’s history as a backdrop for Revolutionary War activity.  A local citizens group is working to preserve a greenway commemorating the region’s historic legacy, referred to as the Allentown Historic Greenbelt, with this property featured as key to the integrity of the Greenbelt.

The property links with adjacent preserved lands, creating a greenway for healthier habitat.  The land is identified in the Crosswicks/Doctors Creek Watershed Greenway Plan as well as the Township of Robbinsville’s Land Preservation Plan.  The connected system of lands will create an opportunity for a trails network.  With few wetlands, the property can support a variety of recreation activities.

The land buffers Indian Run, a tributary to Doctors Creek to Crosswicks Creek which outlets into the Delaware River through the Hamilton Trenton marsh.  Flooding along Indian Run severely impacts the drinking water supply of Allentown Borough. Preservation of this land would help protect the drinking water supply from further degradation.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation

Water Protection, Filtration and Control: Water quality- protection of wetlands, water supply

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails as part of historic greenbelt

Total Project Cost: $4,075,000

Status: This property is under option with the private landowner. One appraisal has been completed, and a CMV is underway.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

Maple Ridge is a 113-acre former golf course that straddles the Mantua Creek in Deptford and Mantua Townships, Gloucester County.  The property serves as excellent wildlife habitat and helps protect the water resources of the Mantua Creek watershed.  The site is just upstream from the Wenonah Ravine Natural Heritage Priority Site, a wooded ravine featuring a critically imperiled tree species.  Preservation would help establish conservation linkages up and down the stream corridor.  Successful preservation of Maple Ridge would provide a host of recreational, educational, economic and sustainable growth services to the region.  It is well positioned for a park of regional significance in an area that has experienced significant growth in recent years.  In fact, conservation efforts need to move quickly as the property has obtained preliminary local approvals for 123 housing units.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation

Biological Diversity: Preservation of critically imperiled tree species

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- protection of headwaters

Total Project Cost:  $5 million

Status:  Project partners include The New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the Friends of Maple Ridge, and the South Jersey Land and Water Trust.  The Friends of Maple Ridge organization is exploring all potential funding sources from government grants to private fundraising.  At this time, no funding commitments have been secured.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

The New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) is working with a group of farmers to  develop black oil sunflower seed as a specialty crop that can be sold as a Jersey Grown birdseed. As part of the project, NJAS trademarked a brand for the birdseed – S.A.V.E.^TM, Support Agricultural Viability and the Environment.  The project’s goals are to create a financially attractive niche crop for farmers and produce a “greener” birdseed with a reduced carbon footprint that uses product revenues to restore and manage 1 acre of grassland habitat for every 5 acres planted to sunflowers.

A significant component of the project’s attempt to reduce the crop’s carbon footprint is the use of biochar on the crops and restored grasslands.  Biochar is a charcoal-based compound that is exposed to beneficial soil microbes prior to its direct application to the soil.  The biochar is purported to help rebuild the soil’s organic layer, retain moisture, thus helping crops withstand drought, and harbor beneficial soil micorrhizae that can reduce the amount of artificial fertilizers and water that growing plants need.  By taking annual soil samples and sending them for testing, NJAS is measuring the impacts of the use of biochar on cropped soils and restoration sites. Because the biochar decomposes very slowly and is not washed or leached from the soil, its use can help “seed” excess carbon into the soil for decades or more.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- carbon-based research for sequestering carbon in the soil

Agricultural Production: Soils- soil enhancement; Local agricultural systems- promoting local birdseed crops

Biological Diversity: Habitat- create habitat for grassland bird species

Total Project Cost: $120,000

Status: Funding for the grassland restoration onsite has come from a number of sources: NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant – $52,000 (this includes the grassland restoration and start-up costs associated with initiating production of black oil sunflowers for birdseed), Merck, Inc. – $18,000 for grassland restoration, CRI/Doris Duke Charitable Foundation – $35,260 (for restoration of grasslands on Merck Tract for RPWHP project). $75,000 is currently needed for equipment, and to retain a project coordinator.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) is helping to restore habitat for migratory birds in one of the best birding regions in the world– Cape May, New Jersey. CWF is working with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to reforest fairways and create habitat to encourage wildlife, and wildlife-watching, at a former golf course called Ponderlodge. During the spring and fall the Cape May Peninsula, at the southern tip of New Jersey, plays an essential role in providing habitat for wildlife to rest and refuel. Each year, millions of migrating songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds are funneled into the Lower Peninsula during fall migration.

This important stopover site on the Cape May Peninsula was purchased by New Jersey’s Green Acres Program in February 2006 and it is now managed by the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW). As its name suggests, this property was a functioning golf course just prior to being purchased for open space. After being purchased, it was instantly prized by residents and outdoor enthusiasts for its size, location, and recreational opportunities. However, in its current state, the 253-acre site has limited value to wildlife because of the low-quality habitat left behind from the golf course operations. Remnants of the golf course, including a lodge, a burned down mansion, paved trails, and many ponds and sand traps remain.

Forested habitat on site is fragmented with little understory vegetation. Forests provide critical habitat for migratory birds for use as stopover habitat and for nesting. Restoration of these forests will also increase the minimum patch size requirements to provide suitable habitat for several species of endangered and threatened birds, including the red-shouldered hawk, Cooper’s hawk, and barred owl. Endangered amphibian species, like the eastern tiger salamander and southern gray treefrog, that utilize ponds with adjacent forests will also benefit from this project.

CWF has used NJDFW’s Habitat Restoration Plan to help guide efforts at Ponderlodge to enhance the site to benefit wildlife, especially migratory birds. While the focus has primarily been on the restoration of wildlife habitat, CWF also realizes that their reforestation efforts are capturing carbon from the atmosphere. They will  calculate the amount of carbon that is being captured from their reforestation efforts at Ponderlodge.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- reforestation

Biological Diversity: Habitat- protection of habitat for endangered/threatened species

Recreation and Aesthetics: Environmental education- Backyard habitat demonstration site

Total Project Cost: $30,000

Status: Since acquisition, CWF has worked with NJDFW to restore and reforest approximately 5 acres and enhance 12 acres of native warm season grasses. They have funding to create a “Backyard Habitat Demonstration Site” which will help educate local residents on the importance of using native species that provide habitat for migratory birds by providing food and cover.  Funding will be needed in winter of 2011 to help purchase materials for the intended restoration activities on site.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

In 2010, CRI awarded $3500 to this project through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.

The Ponderosa  property is a critical environmental resource because it includes Tiers 2 and 3 Wellhead Protection Areas, contains wetlands, is located in the Preservation Area of the New Jersey Highlands, and is listed as a suitable habitat for the wood turtle, which is on NJDEP’s list of threatened and endangered species. The water from this wetland ultimately runs into Greenwood Lake which is a source of drinking water for the public. The property has an abundance of beautiful trees and contains a quaint babbling brook (during non-dry periods) that runs through the wetlands. The site contains more than one ecosystem and also has a mixture of old and new growth. It is a great area for hiking.

This property was close to being developed, needing only a few more permits before the Highlands Act kicked in.  It is considered vulnerable to a changed regulatory environment. By acquiring the property, the Passaic River Coalition (PRC) would protect and preserve its ecosystems, habitats, and wetlands. The property is close to the Stanford property PRC is pursuing, also in W. Milford, as well as Bearfort Mountain. The purchase of this property would enhance relationship between PRC and Skylands Clean, as the latter would take on some stewardship responsibilities at the properties the PRC owns in the township.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation

Water Protection, Filtration and Control: Water quality- protection of wetlands, protection of headwaters / source of drinking water

Biological Diversity: Habitat- protection of habitat for state threatened and endangered species

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

Total Project Cost:$725,000

Status:  The contract is  signed. PRC is pursuing funding for this project.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

Acquisition of the Bongiovanni land is desired to conserve / restore green space in Elizabeth and encourage environmental stewardship, children’s natural learning and community gardens.  In the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, land containing fruit trees, flowering trees, and vegetable beds together on a sizable parcel is extremely rare.

The Elizabeth Conservancy (EC) would like to preserve the Bongiovanni property, and maintain its existing trees that have graced the property for many years, while providing beauty and environmental benefits to the community. The EC intends to reintroduce native plant species on the site to attract and support native wildlife and begin re-establishing the biodiversity that once existed in our neighborhoods; then support others to do likewise.  Children’s natural learning will be encouraged on site and combined with community gardens.  Following land acquisition, a small environmental education center will replace an existing structure.   The EC ‘s goal is to model, educate, and create momentum for replication so that open green space/community gathering spots will be multiplied throughout the city.

A half acre of green space on an urban residential street can make a huge difference in quality of life, and as a model, is more easily replicated.

This project site is also valued for the well it contains, which is also extremely rare in Elizabeth. In past years it had been used for watering the family’s vegetable and flower beds.  The EC would like to preserve and use it for bed irrigation to conserve water and keep utility bills to a minimum.

Through this project the EC can begin to serve the needs of Elizabeth’s culturally diverse population by providing opportunities for urban children and adults to connect with nature, grow their own food, exercise and improve their health, increase their environmental and gardening knowledge, and strengthen their community at the local neighborhood level.   Through the successful implementation of this project the EC can reach out and assist others who would like to do similar work in their neighborhoods, and create momentum for environmental stewardship and healthier living in urban centers.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation; Physical urban climate moderation/Air quality- community greening project

Biological Diversity: Habitat- urban habitat enhancement

Agricultural Production: Local food systems- urban community gardening

Outreach, Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access to green space, environmental education

Total Project Cost: $ 474,000

Status: All due diligence work has been completed on this project. The Elizabeth Conservancy has received a commitment from the NJDEP Green Acres Program for the amount of $242,713.  Matching funds are still needed in the amount of $ 182,500. The EC has a signed contract for this property.

If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.

D&R Greenway Land Trust is working to reforest two one-acre gaps: the Cat Tail Brook Gap, and the Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve Gap.

The Cat Tail Brook Gap is the only significant forest opening on the 117-acre Cat Tail Preserve. A remnant of a larger agricultural field now forested, this gap was kept open by hunters and planted with apple trees as a deer feedlot. It is now almost entirely vegetated with Multiflora rose and Autumn olive.

The Cat Tail Preserve is in the heart of RPWHP Forest Focal Area #4.  Over 1,000 acres of this forest are contiguous, and without paved roads. The forest around this one-acre gap is of very high quality, with plants like Showy orchids, Dwarf ginseng, Indian cucumber root, Silvery glade fern, and a very diverse canopy. A PSI botanical susrvey of the adjacent forest yielded a notably high Native Mean C of 5.72 and a PSI score of 46.82.

The Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve contains more than 700 acres of core Sourlands forest, stretching between Forest Focal Areas #3 and 4. There is a one-acre gap that was historically largely vegetated with Ailanthus. Stewardship work over the last three years has resulted in the removal of the Ailanthus canopy, and of the Multiflora rose shrub layer.

D&R Greenway  would like to continue the removal of  invasive plants in these two 1-acre gaps, and plant canopy trees and native shrubs. The plantings would be protected by 2-ft. diameter, 4-ft. high metal mesh hoops. This should result in a fully native canopy within ten years.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- reforestation

Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal, establishment of contiguous forest habitat

Total Project Cost: $12,200

Status: Clearing of invasive plants will take place between April and September 2010, with planting and protection from deer taking place in September, October, and November of 2010.