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Posts Tagged 'd&r greenway land trust'
Tags: carbon sequestration and restoration grant program, d&r greenway land trust
Posted in climate stabilization and/or air pollution mitigation project, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources
In 2009 this project was awarded $5000 from CRI and Elizabethtown Gas through CRI’s Carbon Sequestration and Restoration Grant Program.
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
Tags: d&r greenway land trust
Posted in biological diversity, climate stabilization and/or air pollution mitigation project, land preservation project, projects funded by conservation resources, recreation & aethestics
CRI granted the D&R Greenway Land Trust $150,000 for this project from the 2009 RPWHP Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Re-grant Program.
In the heart of the Amwell Valley and the Natural Heritage Program Amwell Valley Grasslands Macrosite, this property adjoins some of the largest remaining contiguous tracts of farmland in the region and has received priority ranking as grassland bird habitat in the Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership (RPWHP) Grassland Conservation Plan produced by NJ Audubon. Known as the “Cider Mill Road” property, this farm and adjacent farms are well known by birders and naturalists as a current breeding location for bobolinks and other grassland birds in summer and as winter habitat for grassland raptors including northern harriers and short-eared owls. The property is currently managed as open land in hay and grasses which is enrolled in the Federal Conservation Reserve Program.
D&R Greenway‘s intent is to acquire the fee interest in the property to insure that it will be managed long-term in an optimal manner for grassland habitat. Furthermore there is a potential synergy with the Farmland Preservation Program in that the property can be used to demonstrate the compatibility of grassland habitat and agriculture including involvement of local farmers and use of Federal Farm Bill Programs.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- grassland restoration
Biological Diversity: Habitat- Federal Conservation Reserve Program, breeding habitat for rare grassland bird species
Recreation & Aesthetics: Public access- birding habitat
Total Project Cost: $423,000
Status: The owners have indicated that they are willing sellers for a fair appraised value. There is a strong interest by a member of the family to retain a few acres of the site to do a green building demonstration project compatible with, and supportive of, grassland habitat management on the remainder of the site.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: d&r greenway land trust
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, biological diversity, land preservation project, projects funded by conservation resources
In 2009, CRI granted the D&R Greenway Land Trust $199,500 towards this project through the RPWHP Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Re-grant Program.
The 57-acre Maple Lane Farm property in Hillsborough, New Jersey is located in Focal Area 9 as identified in the Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership (RPWHP) Grassland Conservation Plan as a high priority property for protection. Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, a state threatened species, has been observed on a portion of the property, which exhibits suitable habitat – old hay field or fallow pasture. Additionally, the property is located next to more than 250 acres of additional suitable habitat and thus holds great potential for fulfilling conservation targets outlined in the RPWHP Grassland Conservation Plan.
This property is east of the largest expanse of open space in the area – the Sourland Mountain Preserve.
D&R Greenway will own and manage the remaining fee interest of the property and lease the property to an area farmer with provisions for grassland bird habitat management. D&R Greenway will seek to coordinate plans to manage the tract for grassland conservation.
Environmental Services Provided:
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation
Biological Diversity: Habitat- state threatened/endangered species habitat protection
Total Project Cost: $1,314,500
Status: Currently D&R Greenway is under contract to purchase the fee interest of the property, contingent on the farmland easement being acquired by Somerset County.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: d&r greenway land trust, franklin parker small grants program
Posted in biological diversity, projects funded by conservation resources
This project will create a holistic management plan based on the habitat needs of rare and threatened species present at the exceptionally diverse Plum Brook Preserve. The 160.9-acre Preserve, consisting of the Jones and Howery properties, hosts a high concentration of rare plants and animals across taxa. The habitats include upland cedar glades, mature mesic forest, a Category One stream, wet and upland meadows, and adjacent scrub-shrub habitats.
The D&R Greenway Land Trust will provide stewardship of this newly-acquired preserve. They are seeking to develop a thorough understanding of the habitat dynamics which successfully maintain an abundance of rare species. By locating, GPS mapping, and investigating the landscape context of these species, they intend to develop an adaptive management plan for the Preserve and target priorities accordingly.
Preliminary surveys have established the presence of numerous species listed by the NJ Natural Heritage Program. In partnership with Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Plant Stewardship Indices (PSI) were compiled for ten plots and transects at Plum Brook Preserve. Exceptionally high PSI values were determined and six state-listed plant species were discovered. A preliminary avian survey found numerous woodland birds of concern plus a state-listed dragonfly, the Mocha Emerald. The goal is to complete and enlarge these studies, plot the locations of the species of concern and use the data to prepare a management plan. This process will become a model for all future management plans.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Biological Diversity: Habitat- state and federal threatened/endangered species, ecosystem-level management, NJ Natural Heritage Program
Total Project Cost: $5,000
In 2009, CRI awarded a $2,000 grant to D&R Greenway Land Trust for this project through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: This project is ready to begin. Once funding is secured, the mapping will start.
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: d&r greenway land trust
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, climate stabilization and/or air pollution mitigation project, land preservation project, projects funded by conservation resources, recreation & aethestics, water protection, filtration, & control
In 2009, CRI facilitated a $25,000 payment towards this project from a previously collected NRD settlement.
D&R Greenway Land Trust is seeking $25,000 to enable acquisition of the last parcel needed to create Lime Kiln Alley Park in the City of Bordentown. Lime Kiln Alley Park is on the waterfront of Blacks Creek, a tidal tributary to the Delaware River.
Bordentown is a densely populated community just below Trenton. The site of Lime Kiln Alley Park is easily accessible to walkers from all over town. It can also be accessed from the light rail line parking lot which is directly adjacent.
A total of 6 properties have been acquired by D&R Greenway and transferred to city ownership to create a greenway along Blacks Creek. A seventh property was recently donated to the city by the adjacent church that sits atop the hill overlooking the creek. These properties total approximately 5.5 acres.
A final property is currently under contract to be acquired by D&R Greenway Land Trust as the last addition to the park. This is a critical acquisition, as the property is central to the park at the entrance from Lime Kiln Alley. The property totals .263 of an acre and has two buildings on site. The buildings are being evaluated for possible use as a nature center and/or caretakers’ residence.
The park will provide for fishing, canoe launch, picnicking and will include nature trails and restored habitat along Blacks Creek. These efforts will also serve to protect the health of the Upper Estuary of the Delaware River, where the majority of buffer habitat has been lost to development.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Biodiversity: Reduction of invasive species, increase in native communities
Recreation & Aesthetics: Public access- hiking, access to waterfront
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality- buffers to streams
Total Project Cost: $125,000.00
Status: The acquisition is scheduled to close by the end of June 2010.
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: d&r greenway land trust, franklin parker small grants program, wma 10 (millstone)
Posted in biological diversity, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, recreation & aethestics, supplemental environmental project
 Native plants in New Jersey are deeply imperiled. Roughly 40% of New Jersey’s indigenous flora is listed as rare, threatened or endangered. Four primary factors are causing the collapse in plant diversity and abundance: development, habitat destruction, the deer overpopulation crisis, and exotic invasive plants.
The D&R Greenway Native Plant Nursery aims to re-establish indigenous plants in their native habitats, by supplying a diverse array of plants to those engaged in stewardship of New Jersey’s remaining wild places. Moreover, the Nursery recognizes that the human landscape needs to function in harmony with the natural landscape. Providing residents of Central New Jersey with locally native plants is central to D&R Greenway’s mission. At present, ornamental plantings in residential areas not only deprive wildlife of traditional food sources, they supply much of the exotic plant material that continually invades natural areas.
D&R Greenway Native Plant Nursery is dedicated to restoring a rich diversity of native flora to the local landscape. It supplies local genotypes of indigenous plants to conservation groups for ecological restoration, and to the general public, so that the residential landscape might be re-knit with the natural landscape.
The fundamental goals of the Nursery are: 1) To provide a crucial tool for D&R Greenway’s stewardship staff for ecological restoration work; 2) To provide the general public with a source of native plants with clear and local provenance; 3) To educate the general public about the ecological benefits of native plants; and 4) To provide a nexus for involving the local community in the restoration of its surrounding environment.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Biological Diversity: Habitat- restoring native vegetation
Outreach & Education: Environmental education about the benefits of native plants
Total Project Cost: $23,000
In 2008, CRI granted the D&R Greenway Land Trust $3,000 through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: D&R Greenway’s first growing season produced more than 4500 plants from over 100 species, the vast majority of these germinated from seeds collected locally on D&R Greenway’s nature preserves. Restoration projects supplied with plants this year included upland and wetland areas at several D&R Greenway preserves, and the restoration project at Lime Kiln Alley Park, a key parcel along Blacks Creek in Bordentown.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: d&r greenway land trust, franklin parker small grants program, wma 20 (assiscunk crosswicks and doctors)
Posted in biological diversity, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, recreation & aethestics, riparian mitigation candidate project, supplemental environmental project, water protection, filtration, & control
The restoration of the Blacks Creek waterfront will enhance wildlife habitat, increase the buffering capacity of riparian areas to improve the health of the Upper Delaware Estuary, and create recreational and educational opportunities for the local community and surrounding region of central New Jersey.
This project, sponsored by the D&R Greenway Land Trust, seeks to preserve urban open space, conserve historic structures (a scale house and trestle from the 19th century Camden & Amboy Railroad), restore riparian buffers and native plant communities, and create an interpretive nature trail along Blacks Creek to help promote the appreciation and conservation of natural resources in Bordentown City, as well as provide a walking path through one of the few remaining natural areas of the mostly urbanized city. This trail will comprise the first phase of a larger Blacks Creek Greenway that will eventually extend one mile along Blacks Creek, from Route 130 to Crosswicks Creek, and tie into the newly developed Railroad Avenue Promenade Trail and Thorntown Creek Greenway Trail, as well as the regional Delaware River Heritage Trail that will extend from Trenton to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. This project is listed on both the Bordentown City Open Space Plan and Bicycle/Pedestrian Circulation Element of the Master Plan.
The restoration of the riparian buffers along Blacks Creek will entail: stabilizing the shoreline in areas that are eroding; creating shallow water areas for fish habitat; reducing invasive plant species and replacing with natives to improve wildlife habitat; increasing the width of the buffers where possible to help improve water quality; and creating focused access points to the water for non-motorized boats and wildlife observation.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality- riparian buffers, shoreline stabilization, wetlands restoration, protecting aquatic habitat
Biological Diversity: Habitat- restoration of native vegetation; Ecosystem resilience and pest control- removal of invasive plants
Outreach, Recreation & Aesthetics: Environmental education- interpretive nature trail; Public access- hiking trails, access to waterfront
Total Project Cost: $40,000
In 2008, CRI granted this project $3,000 through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: Currently, 6 properties along Blacks Creek have been preserved by D&R Greenway and one property has been transferred from PSE&G to the City. D&R Greenway anticipates closing on two additional properties in the near future.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
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