In December 2006 the former Maple Ridge Golf Course closed. For decades it had been one of most popular and enjoyable courses in Southern New Jersey. For years it had been known as Tall Pines, later The Eagle’s Nest and finally, Maple Ridge. It was sold to a development company that moved forward with plans to construct 123 homes on the site.

The Maple Ridge property consists of 112 acres in Northern Gloucester County, NJ and is located west of Woodbury-Glassboro, Rd. and south of Bark Bridge Rd. The northern portion of the property lies in Deptford Township and the southern portion in Mantua Township. It is a beautiful place. The topography is varied and aesthetic. There are open meadows now on the former greens and fairways. Groves and alleys of mature conifers and deciduous trees are scattered across the landscape. The terrain in many areas is rolling and hilly, more reminiscent of the piedmont than the inner coastal plain of northern Gloucester County. The most striking natural feature is a great stream valley through which runs the Mantua Creek. There are areas of marsh and wetlands, and patches of eastern hardwood forest.

There are paved walkways (originally put in for golf carts) that are perfect for walking or jogging throughout the property and two footbridges to cross Mantua Creek. The cost to convert Maple Ridge to a public park and to maintain it would be minimal. Preventing a large residential development so close to Mantua Creek would also help prevent degradation of water quality from residential runoff. Potential traffic and highway congestion problems resulting from large scale development would also be ameliorated by preservation.

The property is home to abundant wildlife, including such mammals as White-tail deer, Red fox, raccoon and opossum. A wonderful variety of birds can be spotted by even casual visitors, including many varieties of hawks, bald eagles, and the Short-eared owl. The many trees at Maple Ridge, both native and exotic make the site a de facto arboretum. Knowledgeable naturalists have begun the process of a natural resources inventory at Maple Ridge.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- prevent runoff associated with development

Status: Local conservation groups that have rallied to the support of a county nature park at Maple Ridge include: Gloucester County Nature Club, Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, South Jersey Land and Water Trust, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, as well as the Wenonah Environmental Commission, Maple Ridge Preservation Committee, The Township of Deptford, The Township of Mantua, the Borough of Wenonah, and the Gloucester County Office of Land Preservation.

Otto’s Farm Park sits on the northern edge of the regionally significant Sourlands. Contiguous forest blocks are known habitat for the state threatened Barred owl and other declining wildlife such as the Eastern box turtle, Black and white warbler, Canada warbler, Hooded warbler, and Louisiana waterthrush.

Hillsborough Township will contract with Conserve Wildlife Foundation to afforest 7.6 acres within the township’s Otto’s Farm Park. Native trees and shrubs will be planted in two areas–a 5-acre field recently fallowed as part of a crop rotation regimen; and a marginal 2.6-acre field currently cultivated in corn. Project partners include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which is providing much of the plant materials (~1,000 trees and shrubs), and Hillsborough Township’s Department of Public Works, which  will offer their time to help accomplish the planting and deer fencing.

Benefits will include the conversion of marginal cropland to long-term wildlife habitat and extending the forest cover of the Sourland Mountains Central Focal Area as identified in the draft RPWHP Forest Conservation Plan. Other benefits of this project include improved soil stability and water quality, increased rainwater infiltration, and buffering of adjacent forested wetlands, which are documented habitat for the Fowler’s toad, a species of special concern in New Jersey.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Management: Carbon sequestration- afforestation

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- improved groundwater recharge

Biological Diversity: Habitat- protection of habitat for Fowler’s toad, species of special concern in NJ

Total Project Cost: $40,000

Status: The project area will be mowed in late August 2010 to prepare for planting, followed by fence installation.  Planting will occur in September-November with the project completed by December 2010.

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

This project aims to improve the buffer along the Stony Brook, much of which is classified as a Category 1 stream. The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association will partner with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Hopewell Campus, to design and implement a forested buffer planting along the Stony Brook. Enhancing existing buffer areas on BMS property will reduce sediment runoff, improve habitat for land species, and protect aquatic life in the stream.

The BMS campus is a targeted parcel within the priority Stony Brook riparian corridor. Management of targeted parcels is an implementation strategy of the RPWHP Forest and Conservaton plan.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- restoring buffers to streams

Total Project Cost: $24,000

Status: As neighbors, the Watershed Association has a long-standing relationship with BMS. From 2002-2006, SBMWA helped with environmental improvements on campus through its River-Friendly Program. SBMWA hopes to partner with BMS on this project as well.

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

The Six Mile Run Grassland restoration project encompasses 153 acres of State-owned land in Franklin Township, Somerset County and is part of a larger grassland restoration effort that generated over 300 acres of grassland habitat along Six Mile Run.  This site has been identified as a priority site for grassland restoration in Central New Jersey.

The first  97 acres were cleared and seeded in 2008, with the remaining 56 acres targeted for planting in 2010.  Prior to seeding, 11 acres of Eastern red cedar needs to be removed and 45 acres need to be brush hogged.  The entire site will then be treated with herbicide and planted with native grassland species.    This project will provide additional critical habitat for grassland-dependent birds as well as help to improve water quality and erosion.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Habitat- grassland restoration,  grassland bird habitat

Total Project Cost: $32,000

Status: NJAS received a 50% matching NRCS WHIP grant on behalf of the State of New Jersey to assist in the completion of this project.  In 2008 NJAS obtained a $2,000 grant from USFWS to assist in the seeding of the original 97 acres. Project partners include the NJ chapter of Pheasants Forever, which is donating $500 towards seeding of the 56 acres, and Advanced Forestry Solutions, which contributed $15,000 of in-kind services toward the clearing of the first 97 acres. The remaining acreage will be cleared during the summer of 2010.

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

Baldpate Mountain and its vicinity have been identified as a priority forest conservation area in the RPWHP Forest Conservation Plan. There are several fields near the summit of the mountain that have been utilized for agricultural or programmatic reasons (e.g., historic Kuser homestead, viewshed of Delaware River). Two of these fields totaling 8.3 acres have been identified for forest restoration to improve connectivity of large forest areas that surround these fields .

This project will convert these fields to forest habitat by planting 1,660 native trees and shrubs (planting density of 200 per acre) and fencing field perimeters to avoid deer browsing on plantings and naturally recruited native trees and shrubs. Periodic control of invasive species and maintenance of exclosure fencing will occur as needed in 2011 and beyond.

Baldpate Mountain is known to harbor nesting Kentucky and Hooded Warblers. The increase in continuity of forest cover will ultimately provide additional habitat and reduce forest edges that are avoided by forest interior birds.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- reforestation

Biological Diversity: Habitat- restoration of forest bird habitat; Ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal, forest restoration

Total Project Cost: $35,000

Status: May–June 2010: Identify fencing contractor and have fences installed; August 2010: Mow project area to prepare for planting; September–October 2010: Install native trees and shrubs; November 2010: Prepare brief report with maps to document project success.  Ongoing maintenance: Exclosure maintenance and invasive species control will be conducted as necessary to allow establishment and growth of native plantings.

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

The proposed project is to design, construct, and plant a scrub/shrub coastal maritime forest with indigenous coastal species on a barren dirt lot located between the Bradley Beach Boardwalk and Ocean Avenue. The lot is composed of hard-packed dirt and is used for summer staff parking, winter storage of beach equipment, gravel pile placement, and access to the beach for heavy equipment and emergency vehicles. The project would provide valuable forage and staging habitat for coastal resident and migratory avian and insect species and other coastal detritivores. As part of the project, an ancillary boardwalk consisting of eco-friendly materials will be incorporated into the design to provide public and handicap access from the existing boardwalk, through the coastal maritime forest, to the adjacent Fletcher Lake Park. In addition, stabilization and re-vegetation of the shorelines directly adjacent to the proposed maritime forest (approximately 100’ feet on each side of an existing flume bordering Lake Fletcher) will be completed.

The maritime forest will provide 0.4 acres of valuable coastal and beach/back dune habitat for resident and migratory birds and insects (monarch butterflies, dragonflies), forage base (fruits and berries) for important coastal species, refuge from predators during migration, and staging areas for herons and egrets. The project will also provide enhanced storm and flood protection to local residents, and improved lake water quality and coastal/marine habitat through the elimination of runoff associated with the existing lot and increasing infiltration, as well as the natural treatment of approximately 430,125 gallons of runoff annually. Improvements to water quality and the stabilization/ re-vegetation of the shoreline directly adjacent to the forest will also assist in improving critical resident and migratory fish habitat and will improve the aquatic environment of finfish and shellfish utilization.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- afforestation using scrub/shrub coastal maritime species

Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality and flood control-reduction of runoff, improved infiltration

Biological Diversity: Habitat-improved habitat for migratory birds, insects, migratory fish, finfish, and shellfish

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- eco-friendly boardwalk provides public and handicap access from existing boardwalk through forest to adjacent park

Total Project Cost: $135,000-150,000

Status:  The project is supported by project partners: the Borough of Bradley Beach, the Bradley Beach Environmental Commission and Shade Tree Commission, NOAA, EPA, US Fish and Wildlife, National Park Service, NJDEP, Monmouth County, Pinelands Nursery and Supply, the American Littoral Society, and the US Army Corps.

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

New Jersey Audubon Society is restoring 40 acres of warm season-grasses at their recently acquired Wattles Preserve. This preserve will serve as the new location of the NJAS Conservation Program. The warm-season grasses will be harvested and pelletized and used to fuel a biomass-pellet furnace that will heat the new NJAS offices. The grant funds will be used to pay for the restoration project as well as proposed monitoring of the biomass harvested at the site – one measure of the amount of carbon sequestered.

This is a unique carbon sequestration project designed to trap carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gases in the forest and surrounding region.

CRI is working with the Township of Woodbridge, and in consultation with the NJDEP Office of Climate and Energy, to document the baseline condition of the property to be restored, including soil type, management history, baseline carbon levels, and species inventory.

In April of 2010, project volunteers planted 2,400 Sweet gum, Black gum and Red maple trees.  The Pin Oak Forest, a former polluted area which is home to the headwaters of the Woodbridge River, is now a reclaimed and nearly pristine open space resource.  The two-acre planting area will be monitored over the next two years to determine how much greenhouse gas is being sequestered by the growing trees.

Click on picture for slideshow.

This St. Michael’s site was used historically as a farm dump, dating back to the latter part of the nineteenth century. It was largely unmanaged during the last part of the 20th century. In order to facilitate cleanup in 2009, all vegetation was removed from the site, the dump was cleaned up, new soil was brought in, and the site was seeded.

When D&R Greenway received a grant from CRI’s Carbon Sequestration program in 2009, the site was fenced and planted with tree and shrub seedlings. It is now being used as a demonstration site for restoring landscapes and sequestering carbon.

Native shrubs and trees planted include:

• Shagbark hickory
• Ironwood
• Flowering dogwood  
• Persimmon
• Beech
• Red cedar
• Tulip
• Virginia pine
• Chestnut oak, Red oak, White oak, Black oak, Pin oak, Swamp white oak
• Green ash
• Black gum
• Sycamore
• Shadbush
• Winterberry
• Spicebush
• Bayberry
• Arrowwood
• Elderberry
• Swamp rose
• Staghorn sumac

Clean and healthy water in our rivers and streams is critical for the ecosystems, the wildlife, and the communities of the Delaware River region. The Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) works to protect the Delaware from pollution discharges, whether they be small spills or major catastrophic events.

When there is a pollution discharge, every moment counts. It is critical that agencies are alerted immediately; that clean-up efforts are identified and undertaken and when they are failing that the problem is identified and corrected; and that every injured animal and habitat is assisted and documented to ensure their greatest survival and to ensure that the polluters are held fully accountable for the harm.

The Delaware River Safe Water Action Team (DR SWAT) is a proactive initiative that includes the creation of a structured, permanent, and ongoing catastrophic response program, including a DRN Emergency Response Command Center that can kick into high gear at a moment’s notice.

DR SWAT will:

• supply agency approved protocols and trained volunteers at the ready in the wake of a catastrophic pollution event;
• coordinate and interact with agency emergency responders in order to inform and expand the success of their effort;
• inform press, public, and decision-makers of ongoing pollution incidents;
• inform the government natural resource damage assessment process;
• effectively engage the public which is energized and concerned in the wake of a catastrophe; and
• document the added resources that a volunteer network can bring in the event of a catastrophic pollution incident, in order to encourage the use of this model in other watersheds and communities.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality- protection of headwaters, wetlands protection

Biological Diversity: Habitat- federal threatened species habitat protection, protection of aquatic habitat; Ecosystem restoration- cleanup of catastrophic pollution event

Outreach, Recreation & Aesthetics: Environmental education- volunteer training, providing public with information

Total Project Cost: $88,000

In 2008, CRI awarded $3000 to this project through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.

Status:

Learning from their experience with the Athos I oil spill and other smaller spills and emergencies that have happened since, the DRN has updated its pollution hotline contacts, increased outreach, and begun staffing the hotline so weekend and evening emergencies are quickly addressed. The Delaware Riverkeeper also serves and is a voting member on the Delaware River and Bay Oil Spill Advisory Committee (DRBOSAC) to “provide advice, recommendations, and a ranking of priorities for measures to improve the prevention and response to future oil spills in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.”

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