The River-Friendly Farm Certification Program publicly recognizes and rewards farmers who do an excellent job of managing their farms in an economically and environmentally sound way that protects and improves soil and water resources for future generations. The program provides the farmers free consultation to help identify resources concerns and choose best management practices.  The program then helps the farmer find any available cost-share to help offset any financial burden in the installation of the conservation practices. Upon meeting all of the necessary criteria, a farm is certified as “River Friendly” and receives public recognition.

The criteria for the certification include soil loss management, nutrient management, pest management, riparian buffers, and irrigation water management. This recognition program is an incentive-based method for increasing adoption of conservation practices in the target watersheds. An additional benefit is that the program, through the signage and media coverage, informs the general public about sound contributions farmers make to protect and improve our soil, water and related natural resources.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality

Total Project Cost: $749,036

Status: The River-Friendly Farm Certification Program (RFF) is currently supported in the Raritan Basin until 2014.  North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development (NJRC&D) serves six counties: Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren.  NJRC&D would like to expand RFF to fully serve all six counties. This project is requesting the funding for initial launch into new watersheds. After the funding for the initial launch is exhausted then NJRC&D will seek additional funds for continued support in the new expanded area.  At some point the RFF program will reach a threshold requiring a business plan to maintain funding and acquire the necessary staffing and resource for a large service area.  At that time NJRC&D will seek funding to help develop the business plan.

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

Since the 1960’s, New Jersey counties and municipalities have worked to preserve open space.  With the emphasis on acquisition, too often municipalities are unable to properly manage acquired open space within their communities. Most municipal and county governments lack the time, expertise, and priority to manage preserved lands.  In most cases goals have not been set for what the intended conservation and/or community development purposes are for particular parcels.  Rarely is a public participation process part of this goal setting. Many local governments and organizations have expressed an imperative need for open space stewardship.

North Jersey RC&D Council recognizes this need within the communities served and has the unique ability to assist municipalities in achieving open space goals. Due to the wide array of partnerships, connections, and in-house knowledge of staff and board members, North Jersey RC&D Council can help municipal and county governments plan and implement community open space goals.

To implement the Stewardship of Open Space (SOS) program, North Jersey RC&D Council can offer a comprehensive package of services to municipal and county governments. These services can incorporate topics such as:  renewable energy production, local food systems, outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, threatened and endangered protection, invasive species management, water quality enhancements, and stormwater management.  Assistance in implementation will include volunteer training, documentation, grant writing, partnership developments, and technical advice. Ultimately, the Stewardship of Open Space (SOS) program will be based on a “fee for service” structure. This will allow for program sustainability and long-term assistance to local governments.

Critical habitat and land cannot only be protected or set aside. Now, it is crucial to manage open space for specific practices and goals, to ensure the long-term sustainability of natural resources, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation. The Stewardship of Open Space (SOS) Program provides an enormous ecological service or conservation value to municipalities and counties for a reasonable price.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Aid municipalities in open space management including: public participation, alternative energy production, reduced maintenance plans, community agriculture, outdoor recreation, invasive species removal, stormwater management, riparian mitigation, and Sustainable Jersey Certification.

Total Project Cost: $20,650

Status: Currently, the Stewardship of Open Space (SOS) program is in the planning stages, and hopes to launch the program in 2010.

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

Currently North Jersey RC&D is working with Rutgers Cooperative Extension to continue a water quality sampling program in the Musconetcong Watershed (Hampton Borough to Bloomsbury Borough).

This watershed is on the NJDEP impaired list for fecal coliform contamination.  Water quantity samples for this area have been collected for the last 2 years in order to determine the fecal coliform problem and to start to focus on particular areas of concern.  In this most recent round of sampling additional monitoring sites were located based on 2008 sampling results.  The water quality samples are being taken from the Musconetcong River, West Portal Brook, and an un-named Musconetcong Tributary from Warren County.

Through the MST analysis, NJRCD was able to further determine the source of fecal contamination through DNA tagging.  Thus far sources of fecal coliform can be identified as human, bovine or other.  This watershed project is located in a heavily influenced agricultural and on-site wastewater management system rural area.  Based on the 2008 samples the Project Team would like to continue to collect and analyze additional samples in the areas of concern.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

Total Project Cost:  The cost of analysis if $100 per sample.

Status:  Thus far NJRCD, along with project partner Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, has obtained three analyses from 18 sampling locations in 2008.  These initial analyses’ costs were covered by Rutgers Cooperative Extension.  NJRCD needs an additional $3,300 to $5,500 to continue the analysis of eleven water quality samples using the Microbial Source Tracking (MST) method.  In order to obtain a more complete picture as to the source of fecal coliform contamination RC&D located 11 more sampling locations.  However Rutgers is not able to cover the cost of this additional analysis and even though the project is funded by NJDEP Watershed Management they are not able to cover the cost of the MST work with federal funds.

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

This project is located on the Central Valley Farm in the Musconetcong River watershed in Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County New Jersey.  The West Portal Brook is approximately 2,000 feet in length as it flows through the property. This stream is classified by NJ DEP as a Category One, Trout Production Stream. The implementation of a riparian buffer corridor on this property included components of installation of 2100 feet of livestock exclusion fence, removal of multiflora rose and the establishment of riparian corridor in accordance with the design plans prepared by North Jersey RC&D.

The goal of the project is to improve the water quality in West Portal Brook, prior to its confluence with the Musconetcong River, through brush management, installation of livestock exclusion fencing and establishing a riparian buffer. The fencing parallel to the stream excludes livestock from the stream corridor. The establishment of a riparian forest buffer within the fenced corridor will provide benefit to both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

The riparian forest buffer was established from the top of the stream bank to the livestock exclusion fence, a minimum distance of 25 feet. The buffer will help to improve and protect water quality by reducing the amount of sediment and associated pollutants, such as nutrients, in the surface runoff. The improved riparian corridor will provide food, shelter, shading, nursery habitat, and pathways for resident and nonresident aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial organisms.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality- restoring stream buffers, riparian land protection, stream bank stabilization, preventing sedimentation

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- aforestation, riparian buffer restoration

Biological Diversity: Habitat-extend habitat corridors and increase native wildlife habitat

Total Project Cost: $282,520

Status: In August 2011, 3.4 acres of invasive plants such as multiflora rose were removed, while preserving existing native trees and shrubs. North Jersey RC&D completed this work as a contract through Tuff Greens Inc. The New Jersey Youth Corps were directed by The Fence Company and North Jersey RC&D to string the 5-strand high tensile fence lines. Around 400 trees and shrubs were planted at the project site in early November 2011 by volunteers from Trout Unlimited and members of the community. Most of the trees had black mesh or welded wire caging placed around them to reduce damage by deer browse during the establishment time period.

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