In 2011, CRI awarded this project $4000 through its Franklin Parker Small Grant program.

The Lightning Bug Hollow property consists of obtaining a conservation easement on two adjoining properties totaling approximately 202 acres in Hardwick Township. The properties consist of steep-to-rolling topography that culminates in a flat, developable plateau.  An abandoned but not vacated township road -  Butler Road – runs through both properties, giving access for development.  The properties are completely forested, contain a small lake and numerous vernal pools that serve as critical wildlife habitat, adjoin Princeton Blairstown Center, and are in close proximity to Ridge and Valley Conservancy’s 360-acre Limestone Forest Preserve and the Bennett Farm, recently preserved by Warren County, creating a significant greenway.

The properties will remain in private ownership after the easement is placed on them.  RVC and Hardwick will hold the easement, with the State holding a secondary right to enforce the easement.  The easement will require public access via the Ridge and Valley Trial.  Butler Road provides the missing link of the Ridge and Valley Trail, which will connect the Paulinskill Valley Trail and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

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.

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.

Swamp pink photo courtesy of USFWS

This 96-acre property, located within the New Jersey Conservation Foundation‘s Burden Hill Project Area, is located in Alloway Township near the Thundergut Pond Wildlife Management Area. It is approximately 80% forested, and contains part of a federally listed Swamp pink (Helonias bullata) population estimated at 1900 plants. It is adjacent to preserved farmland.

In 2008 the NJDEP designated parts of the property as Exceptional value wetlands with some Intermediate value wetlands as well. Important tributaries of Alloway Creek flow through the property, some of which support thriving Swamp pink populations on adjacent parcels of land.   This critical forest habitat can support other threatened species as well, such as Red-headed woodpecker, Bald eagle, and Cooper’s hawk.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service considers this property to be of the highest conservation priority in accordance with its Swamp pink recovery plan.

Ecosystem services provided: groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, riparian buffer, federal threatened species habitat protection

Total project cost: $997,500

Status: The property owner has filed an application to sell with Green Acres and the Natural Lands Trust. Green Acres is presently unable to move on the property due to unavailability of funding.

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

The 68.84 acre Thompson property is of critical importance to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed and its surrounding region.  It was purchased in July 2011 by the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association (SBMWA) through the state Green Acres program, in partnership with Mercer County and Hopewell Township, with support from CRI. The tract now connects the Association’s formerly separate units into 930 contiguous acres. In addition to important habitat and resource protection, securing this land is also critical for completing an uninterrupted hiking trail between Hopewell Borough and Kunkel Park in Pennington.

Honey Brook, a tributary to the Category One waters of the Stony Brook, bisects the property. Approximately one third of the tract includes associated wetlands and habitat.  Honey Brook is also the feeder stream to a 4.5 acre pond, so the protection of this area is crucial from a habitat management standpoint.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

Biological Diversity: Habitat- management of wetlands habitat

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

Total Project Cost: About $1.5 million

Status:  Purchase was completed July 2011.

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

The South Jersey Land and Water Trust (SJLWT) and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) are working cooperatively to preserve this remarkable property overlooking the tidal Oldmans Creek in Salem County.  An approximately 39-acre property, the landowner is offering to subdivide about 31 acres of woodlands to sell for fee to the SJLWT as part of the SJLWT’s newly established Oldmans Creek Preserve.  The proposed 30-acre preservation area is a hardwood forest of Beech, Hickory and Oak on 2,900 feet of the Oldmans Creek shoreline.   The tidal marshes along the property are rich in wild rice and are important habitat for migratory waterfowl.  The property includes a tributary stream with deep ravines and high bluffs overlooking the Oldmans Creek.  The property has good biological diversity, many specimen trees and a largely intact native plant community.  It’s one of the largest unprotected, forested riparian buffers remaining on Oldmans Creek and serves as an important bald eagle foraging site.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- protection of tidal marshes, riparian buffers

Biological Diversity: Habitat- protection of native plant communities and migratory waterfowl habitat

Total Project Cost: $155,000

Status:  NJCF is  negotiating the terms of an agreement, and will need funding soon to cover the cost of the survey.

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

This property, in Holland Township, Hunterdon County,  has been owned for generations by the Saeger Family.  The family has a strong desire to preserve the land, understanding the public benefit that comes from adding it to the adjacent land.  This property adjoins 90 acres acquired by Holland Township, and 10 acres acquired by the Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance (HLTA) over the summer of 2010, and makes a great link in the preservation efforts in Holland Township.  HLTA as the new land owner seeks to connect the trails on the adjoining Township owned park with this property and another HLTA owned property on Anderson Road.  Its  forty-five acres are in the Highlands Planning Area.

The property consists of farm fields in succession.  There is a small field currently cultivated for hay.  The rest of the property is successional forest.  The property has slopes and impressive scenic vistas.

The Central Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team did an inventory of the property in June of 2010.   During the inventory it became clear that the upper portion of the property is practically inaccessible due to the presence of autumn olive which has grown into dense thickets with thorns.  The original owner of the property mowed it regularly until the 1990s.  Since then, land management has been sporadic. HLTA will be coordinating efforts to remove invasive species from this property and make it accessible for hiking.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

Total Project Cost: not yet available

In 2010, CRI awarded $3000 to this project through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.

Status: This project is in the planning stages.

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.