Brightwood Park is a natural oasis in highly developed Westfield, Union County, New Jersey.  It consists of mature forest (upland and wetland),  wildflower meadow, lakes and lakeshore shrubland communities.  All of these habitats are under immediate threat from an overabundance of white-tailed deer, and infestations of invasive plant species.

White-tailed deer are a very significant problem at Brightwood Park and their removal of much of the native forest understory facilitates invasive species infestations.  Numerous native trees, shrubs and herbs show severe deer browse damage (deer preferentially eat native species relative to invasive species).  Sun gaps in the tree canopy typically support the growth of young trees that regenerate the forest.  However, deer browsing is eliminating growth of new trees — if left unchecked, forest cover will ultimately be eliminated at the Park. The extent of invasive species infestation at Brightwood Park is significant.

The Rahway River Association hopes to accomplish the following goals with this restoration:  

• Eliminate deer browse impacts on habitat with creation of deer exclosure
• Eradicate emerging populations of invasive species
• Reduce private landowner use of invasive species through outreach to Westfield residents
• Encourage volunteer stewardship and study of Brightwood Park by local students (K-12)
• Maintain invasive-free areas
• Initiate a consistent annual volunteer effort toward reduction of invasive species throughout the Park
• Foster native forest regeneration through removal of invasive canopy trees
• Create wildflower meadow in the 1-acre area near the parking lot and lake
• Restore lakeshore shrubland community between the lake and wildflower meadow
• Restore health of lakes by developing and implementing engineering plans to eliminate lake eutrophication
• Restore health of lakes by controlling the resident Canada goose population

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Habitat-federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection; Ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal, native flora restoration

Outreach, Recreation and Aesthetics: Environmental education- outreach to residents, volunteer training

Total Project Cost:  $242,400

Status:

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

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     The Seal the Deal! campaign is mobilising political leaders, the business sector and civil society on an ambitious, global scale to raise a strong call for urgent and united action on climate change.

    Combating climate change is an investment with strong returns, today and for many generations to come. Delays and inaction will only make matters much worse for millions of people and much more expensive.

    Let’s make 2009 the year the world finds an answer to climate change.

    The numbers dont sound big, but their effects could be cataclysmic. A 2C rise above pre-industrial levels would see 20-40% of the Amazon die off within 100 years. A 3C rise would see 75% of the forest destroyed by drought over the following century, while a 4C rise would kill 85%. (Nature Geoscience).

    However there is good news. The worst of global warming can still be avoided if Greenhouse gases levels are cut substantially.
    Look at the inspiring figures here who have joined the Seal the Deal! campaign and given us their time, talent and energy to help make the world a better place.
We look forward to seeing your name here too.

The Seal the Deal campaign team!

Sign the petition for a fair climate agreement at the Copenhagen conference

The New Jersey Pinelands contains numerous populations of rare plants that are characteristic of this distinctive region. Some of these populations represent the global stronghold for the species. For several notable species, the Pinelands is the only place in the world where they can be found.

In 2008, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) initiated a partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create an informal statewide committee of experts to focus on plant conservation, called the Partnerships for Plant Conservation.  Using a list of priority sites developed by the DEP, PPA is organizing and implementing in situ management of several high priority rare plant populations.  All of the sites require field visits and consultation with ONLM staff, state forest superintendents, and local experts.  PPA will organize and supervise volunteers  involved with monitoring, data collection and woody plant removal.

Several sites are in Wharton State Forest. Near Atsion, PPA will enhance the habitat for Croton willdenowii, Fimbristylis puberula, Gentiana autumnalis, Ludwigia hirtella, Muhlenbergia torreyana, and possibly Oldenlandia uniflora. Near the abandoned settlement of Friendship, the plan is to restore a dwindling population of Stylisma pickeringii. In both cases, the plan is to organize volunteers to thin the trees and shrubs that are encroaching on the habitat. In Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, in the Cedar Swamp Natural Area, PPA will enlarge the existing habitat for Aristida virgata, Gentiana autumnalis, Scleria minor, and Calamovilfa brevipilis. This will also require tree and shrub removal. In the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area (East Plains Natural Area) PPA will help with an existing DEP project on behalf of Corema conradii. Fire suppression over the last few decades has allowed trees and shrubs to outcompete the Crowberry population, so, again, removal of woody material is the primary goal.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Habitat-federal threatened/endangered species protection; Ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal

Total Project Cost:  $9,900

Status:  This project is in the initial stages of development. PPA is coordinating plans with experts in the field of rare plant conservation.

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

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The Lady Slipper Preserve consists of 11 acres of forested open space bordering Waackaack Creek, a tributary of Raritan Bay, and Allocco Park, a small but heavily used municipal park. The Lady Slipper Preserve provides a much needed expanded recreation area in densely populated North Holmdel.  Notable botanical features include Lady slippers, Willow oak, Sassafras, Mountain laurel, and Sweet gum. Friends of Holmdel Open Space (FOHOS) worked to preserve this property with the help of NY/NJ Baykeeper, and with funding from the Port Authority of NY/NJ, Green Acres, and Monmouth County.

FOHOS is working to make this preserve more accessible to residents. With over 100 hours of volunteer labor and donated big equipment with skilled operators, FOHOS has been able to remove heaps of dumped trash, put in a permeable small parking lot, erect a fence to prevent further dumping, and plant shrubs and flowers. FOHOS plans to erect boundary markers and establish a wood chip trail connecting the preserve to the adjacent park.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

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

Biological Diversity: Habitat- federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection, extend habitat corridors

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

Total Project Cost:  $7833, plus the cost of in-kind donations

Status:  CRI awarded Friends of Holmdel Open Space a $1000 Franklin Parker Small Grant in 2009 .

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

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The Rancocas Conservancy would like to preserve 73 pristine acres in Medford Township, which will serve to connect existing preserved lands.

The Masso-Christaldi property is dominated by a hardwood/cedar swamp along the Little Cedar Run.  This property provides a link between the Rancocas Conservancy’s Wurst Preserve, Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge and other protected lands in the area.  The property was identified by the Medford Sub Regional Planning study as a parcel whose preservation could link the Wharton State Forest and the forests of southern Medford Township with those of Evesham Township to the west.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

Biological Diversity: Habitat- extend habitat corridors

Total Project Cost:  $736,000

Status:  The NJDEP Green Acres Program will provide $368,000 towards the cost of this acquisition, and the New Jersey Pinelands Commission has pledged an additional $127,4333. The Rancocas Conservancy received a 2009 Franklin Parker Small Grant Award of $3000 towards soft costs of preserving this property.

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

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Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- aforestation

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality and quantity- wetland restoration, protection of headwaters, riparian land protection

Biological Diversity: habitat- protecting aquatic and riparian habitat, ecosystem restoration

Total Project Cost: $94,300

Status: Project is fully funded and restoration is underway. In 2008, Conservation Resources Inc. helped to facilitate a $42,000 contribution to this project from the NJDEP Office of Natural Resource Restoration.

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

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The Musconetcong River runs 42 miles from Lake Hopatcong to the Delaware River, the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi. Over 24 miles of the Musconetcong River are designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System due to the remarkable recreational and scenic characteristics of this watercourse. It is the existence of the Warren Glen Dam that ends a 20 mile stretch of this Wild and Scenic River. The Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership believes that the removal of the Warren Glen and Hughesville Dams would add up to 6 additional miles of river to the National Wild and Scenic River System.

The goal of this project is to complete a feasibility study to evaluate restoration and engineering requirements for the Warren Glen and Hughesville Dam removals, and to complete removal of the remnants of the Rieglesville Dam. The feasibility study will include a survey of the dams, including impoundments and extensive diversions, sediment survey and analysis, and a conceptual design of restoration at Warren Glen and Hughesville Dams.

The successful completion of this project will improve fish passage, restore natural sediment transfer, restore floodplain wetlands, improve water quality, restore aquatic habitat, improve forage for raptors, and reduce public safety risk.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality-protection of headwaters, wetland restoration; Water quantity-restoration of natural water flow, increased aquatic habitat

Biological Diversity: Habitat- extend aquatic habitat for fish spawning and raptor forage

Recreation and Aesthetics: expand area designated as part of National Wild and Scenic River system

Total Project Cost: $571,169

Status: The Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership is seeking matching funds in the amount of $50,000. Non-federal matching funds will help the Partnership’s application to the NOAA Open Rivers Initiative Grant Program to compete for funding.

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

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Between 1977 and 1982, approximately 1.5 miles of flat un-channeled wetlands from Cologne Avenue to Babcock Creek were illegally channelized and diverted to drain hundreds of acres of wetlands.  After the creation of this huge ditching system with levees on both sides, the water table has been lowered and the adjacent wetlands have been separated from the flood plain. This modified hydrology and stream flow is causing water quality degradation to Adams Branch, Babcock Creek and Babcock Swamp, which are parts of the Pinelands National Reserve, the National Wild and Scenic River System, Makepeace Wildlife Management Area, and Atlantic County’s new 700 acre Cologne Park.

The goals of this project are to improve water quality and enhance stream corridor and wetlands habitat for aquatic life, fish, and other wildlife.  A restoration plan must be developed that will specify the implementation of small scale projects along the length of the ditched reach of Adams Branch. This could include bank grading and the installation of cross vanes, log weirs, root wads, ditch plugs, brush sills or fascine sills, and live stakes and tubelings that could be utilized to adjust morphologic features, connect the channel to the floodplain, slow flows, and create habitat.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- protection of headwaters,  coastal ecological restoration project, filtration and sediment control; Water quantity- stormwater management; Flood control- flood plain management

Biological Diversity: Habitat-  protection of aquatic ecosystem, fish habitat enhancement

Total Project Cost: $38,900

Status: A restoration design proposal for $23,900 has been secured, and funding outreach is now underway.

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

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Source: KnowTheLies

Submitted by SadInAmerica on Sat, 08/29/2009 –

Our Economy Was a Scam and Now We’re Dead Broke By Joe Bageant, JoeBageant.com.

America is broke. And the easy credit, phantom “growth” economy has been exposed for what it was: a credit scam.

When Barack Obama took office it seemed to some of us that his first job was to get the national silverware out of the pawn shop. Or at least maintain the world’s confidence that it was possible for us to get out of debt. America is dead broke, the easy credit, phantom “growth” economy has been exposed for what it was. A credit scam. Even Hillary Clinton and Obama’s best efforts have not coaxed much more dough out of foreign friends. But at least we again have a few friends abroad.

So now we must jackleg ourselves back into something resembling a productive activity. No matter how you cut it, things will not be as much fun as shopping and speculative “investing” were.

The fiesta is over, the economy as we knew it is dead.

The national money shamans have danced around the carcass of our dead horse economy, chanted the recovery chant and burned fiat currency like Indian sage, enshrouding the carcass in the sacred smoke of burning cash. And indeed, they have managed to prop up the carcass to appear life-like from a distance, if you squint through the smoke just right. But it still stinks here from the inside. Clearly at some point we must find a new horse to ride, and sure as god made little green apples one is broaching the horizon. And it looks exactly like the old horse.  READ MORE:

http://www.alternet.org/politics/143521/our_economy_was_a_scam_and_now_we%27re_dead_broke

6 Signs That the American Empire Is Coming to an Early End By Michael T. Klare, Tomdispatch.com.

The day of America’s global pre-eminence is over. We must face the new global realities.Posted October 27, 2009.

Memo to the CIA: You may not be prepared for time-travel, but welcome to 2025 anyway! Your rooms may be a little small, your ability to demand better accommodations may have gone out the window, and the amenities may not be to your taste, but get used to it. It’s going to be your reality from now on.

Okay, now for the serious version of the above: In November 2008, the National Intelligence Council (NIC), an affiliate of the Central Intelligence Agency, issued the latest in a series of futuristic publications intended to guide the incoming Obama administration. Peering into its analytic crystal ball in a report entitled Global Trends 2025, it predicted that America’s global preeminence would gradually disappear over the next 15 years — in conjunction with the rise of new global powerhouses, especially China and India. The report examined many facets of the future strategic environment, but its most startling, and news-making, finding concerned the projected long-term erosion of American dominance and the emergence of new global competitors. “Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor [in 2025],” it stated definitively, the country’s “relative strength — even in the military realm — will decline and U.S. leverage will become more constrained.”

That, of course, was then; this — some 11 months into the future — is now and how things have changed. Futuristic predictions will just have to catch up to the fast-shifting realities of the present moment. Although published after the onset of the global economic meltdown was underway, the report was written before the crisis reached its full proportions and so emphasized that the decline of American power would be gradual, extending over the assessment’s 15-year time horizon. But the economic crisis and attendant events have radically upset that timetable. As a result of the mammoth economic losses suffered by the United States over the past year and China’s stunning economic recovery, the global power shift the report predicted has accelerated. For all practical purposes, 2025 is here already.  READ MORE:

http://www.alternet.org/world/143514/6_signs_that_the_american_empire_is_coming_to_an_early_end

Apocalypse Soon: Halloween Interview on Overpopulation with Kierán Suckling

Scared of ghosts, goblins, and jack-o-lanterns? None of those are on the Santa Fe Reporter’s list of the top five environmental horrors. But human overpopulation is. “Apocalypse Soon: Today’s Environmental Horrors Could Lead to a Scary Sci-Fi Future” interviews Center for Biological Diversity director Kierán Suckling. Click below to read the whole article. Here are few excerpts:

“Virtually everything that is destroying wildlife habitat and the environment is driven by overpopulation,” Kierán Suckling, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, says.

“Whether it’s too many people diverting water out of the Rio Grande or too much wood use leading to the logging of old-growth forests, the bottom line is there are too many people using too many resources to be able to have a healthy environment.”

“It’s great to focus on reducing our carbon footprint, but…unless we start reducing the footprints to begin with, we and other species are not going to survive on this planet.”

“The majority of environmental groups avoid addressing overpopulation like the plague. I think that’s largely because they lack the courage of their convictions. They are fearful that in saying that [we are overpopulated] they will be viewed as being anti-human somehow–as if squalor and overpopulation are somehow pro-human.”  READ MORE:

Read the Santa Fe Reporter interview and learn what the Center’s doing to confront the overpopulation crisis head-on.

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:

Outreach and Education for municipalities to aid in: Climate stabilization, air pollution mitigation, water protection, biological diversity, agricultural production, and recreation and aesthetics.

Total Project Cost: $20,650

Status: Currently, the Stewardship of Open Space (SOS) program is in the planning stages, and is looking for an initial investment to launch the program in early 2010.

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

This project has multiple objectives, each of which ultimately supports the conservation and stewardship of grassland birds as well as local farmers.  Ultimately, the project offers one innovative solution to agricultural/conservation conflicts in this region; through a close collaboration between the conservation and agricultural communities, projects can be developed that sustain and ensure the ecological viability of grassland birds while, equally important, helping ensure the economic viability of the participating agricultural producers.  Specifically, the objectives include:

1)     Develop the first Jersey Grown birdseed as certified by the NJ Department of Agriculture.

2)     Provide an alternative, “greener” birdseed with a reduced carbon footprint.

3)     Develop birdseed as a niche agricultural crop that is more lucrative than alternative crops for farmers

4)     Generate enough revenue from birdseed sales to create and maintain one acre of grassland habitat for every 5 acres of sunflower planted for birdseed.

The birdseed produced is marketed under the S.A.V.E. brand – Support Agricultural Viability and the Environment – which was created specifically for this product.  The S.A.V.E. birdseed is a “greener” alternative for several reasons.  Most sunflower seed used for birdseed is grown in the Upper Midwest and must travel over 1500 miles to reach New Jersey shelves; S.A.V.E. birdseed is produced locally by New Jersey farmers.  The S.A.V.E. birdseed also contributes directly to conservation; the requirement of creating and maintaining at least one acre of habitat for every 5 acres planted to sunflower is a key difference between this and other brands.  Finally, as part of the project, the farmers are using biochar, an experimental soil amendment that seeds carbon in the form of charcoal into the soil that may allow crops with a neutral or perhaps even negative carbon footprint to be produced – that is crops that draw more carbon from the atmosphere than is released through their production.

In its first year, demand for this seed was high, and supply never even remotely met demand.  The greatest problems related to increasing supply have been an inability to expand the production beyond the original group of farmers to increase the total acreage planted, take advantage of better, more productive soils, and locate the crop in locations with lower deer densities.  Expanding acreage and bringing new farmers into the project requires a small investment in additional capital. Sunflowers require a special attachment that is affixed to a traditional combine harvester for harvest.  One of the original farmers on the project possessed this piece of equipment; however most farmers do not have one.  It is difficult to impossible to expand the base of farmers if any new farmers brought in need to spend several thousand dollars on new equipment.  Therefore, the New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) proposes to buy a sunflower harvest attachment and make it available via loan to all farmers in the program.  This will work similar to the native warm season grass drill that NJAS owns and also loans to farmers helping with restoration projects.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- biochar amendment for soil; local seed production lowers carbon footprint

Agricultural Production: Soils-soil enhancement; Local agricultural systems- sustainable farming and support of New Jersey farmers

Biological Diversity: Habitat- maintenance of habitat for grassland birds

Total Project Cost: $5000 needed for purchase of specialized equipment

Status:  In its first year, the S.A.V.E. birdseed has been a highly successful product generating a lot of interest from consumers and selling out quickly.

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

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: $5000

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.

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The Tewksbury Land Trust, in partnership with Upper Raritan Watershed Association and Lamington Conservancy, is purchasing this 6 acre plot of land to add it to an already existing preserve.  Currently, this critical open space is vulnerable to development since it is an approved building lot.  The parcel will greatly enhance the Upper Raritan Watershed Association’s Fox Hill Preserve, and build upon current preservation efforts to create a significant greenbelt of preserved natural lands in the Cold Brook Watershed.

The site provides a variety of suitable outdoor recreation uses and activities, utilizing New Jersey’s Open space and outdoor recreation plan, including hiking, biking, and nature study.  Furthermore, several plants and animals on the site are identified on the US Fish and Wildlife Service or NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s list of endangered and threatened species.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Habitat- federal and state threatened/endangered species

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

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

Total Project Cost: $11,600

Status: This acquisition is under contract with closing anticipated in Fall of 2009.

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

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A baseline Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) survey will be conducted on Bull’s Island and Fireman’s Eddy Natural Areas, in Hunterdon County, to identify rare and endangered plants prior to initiating proposed invasive species removal and native restoration plans by the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, Delaware River Greenway Partnership, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The goal is to ensure that herbicidal application will not inadvertently harm NJ’s native and rare species.

The proposed plan for Bull’s Island aims to restore approximately 5 acres of upland and palustrine forested and scrub/shrub habitat by controlling invasive Japanese knotweed and planting native trees and shrubs. The Natural Heritage Database revealed four possible records of rare plant species that may be found within the proposed project area. These species include few-fruit sedge (Carex oligocarpa – SE), blue waxweed (Cuphea viscosissima – SC), Carolina whitlow-grass (Draba reptans – SE) and basil beebalm (Monarda clinopodia – SE). A management plan for Bull’s Island Natural Area was approved in 1992, and the designation objective for this area was “preservation of a northern floodplain and habitat and rare species habitat.”  This proposed project is designed to support this objective.

The plan for Fireman’s Eddy aims to restore an old 75-acre field within the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, currently dominated by old field vegetation and scrub/shrub habitat, to native warm-season grasses. Project partners will provide approximately 525 pounds of native grass seed made up of a mix of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).

This site is appropriately located to provide important resting, foraging, and nesting habitat for migratory grassland dependent birds.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration- Invasive plant removal, ecosystem-level management

Total Project Cost:  $33,875.00

Status:  Both sites are located within the Wild and Scenic River System. The PSI surveys will be conducted in early spring 2010 and again in mid-season July 2010 to prepare for the removal plans slated for August 2010. A PSI survey report will be completed for the project partners by August 2010. Ideally, subsequent PSI surveys would be conducted in two years.

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

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The Great Swamp Watershed Association’s 50 acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) contains critical wetlands, vernal pools, forested areas, and the Silver Brook (a feeder stream to the Passaic River), and is home to several state and federally designated threatened species, including wood turtle and barred owl.

2009-10 Stewardship goals for the site are:

• Continue restoration of the property to a diverse ecologically functioning state.  Restoration projects undertaken to date have included 15+ acres of invasive plant species control, 23 acre deer exclosure fencing, enhancement of vernal pool habitat, stream bank stabilization and replenishment, and improvement of habitat compromised by past excessive deer browsing.
• Improve Public access for passive recreation.  1.5 miles of trails cross the site and are undergoing access improvements such as boardwalk construction over wet areas.
• Increase use of the property as an educational and demonstration site for volunteer-led restoration efforts and as a site for academic study and fieldwork.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: habitat- protecting aquatic habitat, federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection; ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails

Total Project Cost: $94,000

Status: Restoration has been underway at the site since 1996, with a 23 acre deer fence installed in 2005.  Corporate and community volunteers have so far labored thousands of hours towards the restoration of this ecosystem.

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

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The Mill Dam Fish Passage Restoration Project will install a denil-type fish ladder within the Mill Dam to provide access to spawning and rearing habitat for migrating fish and would benefit migratory fish populations that historically spawned in the Rancocas River including: alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata).  The fish ladder at Mill Dam would provide access to approximately 11 miles of spawning habitat for alewife, American shad, and American eel.

Currently, alewife are able to use the Rancocas River up to Mill Dam.  However, alewife are prevented from using areas upstream of the Mill Dam due to the obstruction.  As a result of the Mill Dam, hundreds of alewife congregate at the base of the dam every spring during the spawning run.  In addition, a fish ladder was constructed at the Smithville Dam approximately 5 miles upstream in anticipation of fish passage being provided at Mill Dam. The land use around the Rancocas River includes agriculture, open space, and residential and commercial development.

Improving migratory fish access into the Rancocas River will enhance the biological diversity of the riverine ecosystem, also benefitting wading birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife species.  As studies have shown, the reintroduction of herring populations through spawning runs not only makes available the juvenile herrings as a food supply for other marine or freshwater fish, but other life stages of the herring provide additional foraging opportunities for birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.  Thus, the number of fish species and piscivorous birds upstream of the dam will rise due to the overall improvement in the health of the Rancocas River’s riparian system as natural aquatic food webs are rebuilt.

Recreational fishing opportunities for the public will increase with future “herring runs.”  The recreational fishery for striped bass (Morone saxatilius) will benefit from the increases in aquatic biodiversity and forage fish populations.  A variety of warm-water fish (e.g., chain pickerel (Esox niger), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu),  largemouth bass (M. salmoides)) will feed on alewife, thus providing recreational fishing opportunities for both anadromous and warm-water fisheries.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration- restoring spawning grounds, restoring forage for upstream species

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- recreational fishing

Total Project Cost: $500,000

Status: The project has completed conceptual designs and is now finalizing engineering designs for the project.  Project construction can begin as early as Spring 2010 with funding sources in place.

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

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]]> http://werichanel.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/a-look-on-world-environmental-degradation/ Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:40:10 +0000 werievents http://werichanel.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/a-look-on-world-environmental-degradation/

When the environment becomes less valuable or damaged, environmental degradation is said to occur.

There are many forms of environmental degradation.

  When habitats are destroyed, biodiversity is lost, or natural resources are depleted, the environment is hurt.

    A habitat is a more permanent ecosystem that has stabilized and reached dynamic equilibrium.  The types of living organisms in a habitat are likely to remain there in the future, and the habitat will probably maintain some degree of constancy.

   Groups of species living in a unique environment constitute a habitat.  Habitats are classified based on their physical and chemical properties, inhabitants, and other features.

The environment may be classified based on its topography, soil, temperature, rainfall, moisture, and many other physical characteristics. 

Throughout human history, soil has been repeatedly ruined and destroyed.  This is highly dangerous to a civilization, because soil is an essential resource that is useful in many ways.  Some societies have even collapsed due to mistreatment of their soil resources, so modern people must be cautious to avoid a similar fate.

Soil is composed of both inorganic materials and living organisms.  It provides the basis for life, giving nutrients to plants, which allow animal life to exist.

Soil is also used extensively in human production.  It contains natural fibers, and produces lumber and crops that people consume.

Crops are usually grown on mollisols, grassland soils.  Soils found in other places, such as tropical rain forests, usually lack the nutrients necessary to support the growing of crops.

When bedrock breaks down, it is converted into soil.  Some soil also comes from sediments that are left by the wind, a volcano, glaciers, or other sources.

Soil resources can be lost through erosion.  Wind and rain can uplift soil that is made easy to transport by various human processes and take it somewhere else.

Soil conservation is being practiced in various forms in many places around the world.  Conservation efforts aim to prevent erosion and maintain life-giving nutrients that are found in the soil.  In the future, soil will have to be preserved if food is to be continued to be grown.

Information About Forests by Country:

    This is a thorough database of information provided by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre

WORLD OUTLOOKs

 Numerous forest statistics are provided by the database.  There are also maps for every country that show the forest covering for the country.  The maps are colored based on what type of forest is present in an area.

REGIONAL ISSUES

    Among the issues discussed for each part of the world are biodiversity, marine environments, urban areas, industrial processes, and more.  Resources discussed here include forests, land and water.  The factors that influence the environment are economic, environmental, political, and social.  Each region is searching for solutions to its environmental problems, and is involved in regional and national projects aimed at protecting the environment through cooperation.

There are a total of 65 Articles in this section.  The articles cover those issues that are most important topics for each region.

    Many of the developing regions of the world are rapidly losing their forested areas.  In order to develop and industrialize, these areas have had to sell their natural resources, including forests.

    The wealthier countries destroyed much of their forest lands long ago.  Now, these countries are able to use wood from forests in poorer countries and in many cases these rich countries are no longer seeing their total forest area decrease.

    Additional information is available for each region of the world in the World Oulook section and at these sites : 

• Africa
• Australasia
• Caribbean
• Central America
• Continental South and Southeast Asia
• Europe
• Far East
• Insular Southeast Asia
• Middle East
• North America
• Russia
• South America

 

Chemical properties, such as level of acidity, types of nutrients and pollutants present, and oxidation reduction status, also help to identify individual habitats.

The living organisms found within a habitat also help to define it.  Occasionally, those habitats with treed areas (forests) are classified as one group, while areas that instead have grasses (prairies) are grouped separately.

Most major types of habitats have many unique subtypes.  In forests, for example, different types of soil often lead to entirely different habitats.

A habitat is a more permanent ecosystem that has stabilized and reached dynamic equilibrium.  The types of living organisms in a habitat are likely to remain there in the future, and the habitat will probably maintain some degree of constancy.

Groups of species living in a unique environment constitute a habitat.  Habitats are classified based on their physical and chemical properties, inhabitants, and other features.

The environment may be classified based on its topography, soil, temperature, rainfall, moisture, and many other physical characteristics. 

Chemical properties, such as level of acidity, types of nutrients and pollutants present, and oxidation reduction status, also help to identify individual habitats.

The living organisms found within a habitat also help to define it.  Occasionally, those habitats with treed areas (forests) are classified as one group, while areas that instead have grasses (prairies) are grouped separately.

Most major types of habitats have many unique subtypes.  In forests, for example, different types of soil often lead to entirely different habitats.

Environmental degradation can occur naturally, or through human processes.  The largest areas of concern at present are the loss of rain forests, air pollution and smog, ozone depletion, and the destruction of the marine environment.

Pollution is occurring all over the world and poisoning the planet’s oceans.  Even in remote areas, the effects of marine degradation are obvious.

In some areas, the natural environment has been exposed to hazardous waste.  In other places, major disasters such as oil spills have ruined the local environment.

CFCs, or chlorofluorocarbons, are the primary cause of ozone depletion.  When industrial processes release these chemicals, they rise into the stratosphere and degrade the ozone.

Acid rain, smog and poor air quality have been the result of air pollution.  Both industrial operations and automobiles have released gigantic amounts of emissions that have intensified these problems.

Deforestation and the logging industry have destroyed many tropical rain forests around the world.  This has destroyed many natural habitats, and the plants and animals native to the areas.

Environmentalists are working hard to combat environmental degradation.  There are countless organizations located all over the world that are dedicated to preventing the global destruction of the environment.

AFRICA

After Asia, Africa is the world’s second largest continent.  From the Sahara Desert to the Nile River, Africa contains many unique environmental features.

Africa – Biodiversity Issues
Africa is home to one of the most diverse group of ecosystems in the world.  Its plant and animals life is often found nowhere else, and the number of different living organisms is amazing.

Africa – Economic Aspects
Africa is the poorest region in the world.  The lack of development both creates problems and prevents them.

Africa – Environmental Aspects
Environmental destruction is not solely due to human activities; Africa’s natural qualities have also contributed to these unfortunate problems.

Africa – Major Forest Problems
Africa has many miles of tropical rain forests.  For many years though, deforestation has been claiming the trees.

Africa – Major Land Problems
Africa has massive land resources.  Unfortunately, much of the land is very low quality for human activities such as agriculture.

Africa – Major Water Problems
Africa’s water resources are scattered throughout the continent.  While some areas receive more than enough water, others experience constant drought.

Africa – Marine Environments
The African coast extends for thousands of miles, and Africa’s marine environments are home to many species.

Africa – National Projects
Almost every African country has recently begun to plan for the future by developing strategies that will shape the future economy and environment of the nation.

Africa – Political Aspects
In recent years, many African countries have become democratic and liberalized politically.

Africa – Regional Projects
Several major projects have developed recently to promote collaboration among African countries seeking to protect their environments.

Africa – Social Aspects
Africa’s population is booming.  Problems from overpopulation, an increasingly dense population, war, famine, and other issues are all hurting the environment.

EASTERN ASIA

 
Eastern Asia and the Pacific areas are some of the most highly populated parts of the world and a variety of environmental problems are especially threatening there.

Eastern Asia – Biodiversity Issues
Eastern Asia is home to some of the world’s most amazing biodiversity.  It includes a wide array of plant and animal life, and contains many features unique to the region.

Eastern Asia – Economic Aspects
In the early years of the 1990s, Asian development boomed, with major consequences for the environment.

Eastern Asia – Environmental Aspects
Eastern Asia receives much more than its share of natural disasters.  In fact, 50% of the world’s major emergencies have come in this area of the world.

Eastern Asia – Major Forest Problems
Eastern Asia contains 17% of the forest area in the world, a total of 655 million hectares.  Unfortunately, deforestation is becoming a very large threat to the forests in the region.

Eastern Asia – Major Land Problems
The land resources of Eastern Asia vary immensely between parts of the region.  For the most part, the land is relatively poor in quality and quantity.

Eastern Asia – Major Water Problems
There are regions of Eastern Asia that are very arid, and others that are very tropical.  Overall, water supplies in the area are abundant.

Eastern Asia – Marine Environments
Marine environments in Eastern Asia are coming under pressure as populations nearby grow and industry develops in the area.

Eastern Asia – National Projects
Many Eastern Asian nations have begun in recent years to improve their environmental regulation policies.

Eastern Asia – Political Aspects
Most governments in Eastern Asia have created a government ministry, agency, or a department, to deal with environmental issues.

Eastern Asia – Regional Projects

 Since the Earth Summit in 1992 many regional projects have started up and have been successfully implemented.

Eastern Asia – Social Aspects

One of the biggest problems Eastern Asia is currently facing is the exploding population in the region, which is devastating the environment.

EUROPE

 
Europe is home to 15% of the world’s population.  The area includes Eastern and Western Europe, as well as European Russia.

Europe – Biodiversity Issues
Over 215,000 different species live in Europe, far fewer than in many areas of the world.

Europe – Economic Aspects
The economics of Eastern and Western Europe remain quite different.  Both areas pollute, and the levels of their emissions are both high.

Europe – Major Forest Problems
Europe contains a total of 900 million hectares of forestlands, but has lost over 10% of its forestlands since the beginning of the 1960s.

Europe – Major Land Problems
The process of land degradation is reaching high levels and becoming very dangerous in Europe.

Europe – Major Water Problems
The distribution of water resources in Europe is far from equal, and is beginning to be the source of some significant problems.

Europe – Marine Environments
European marine environments and coastal areas are threatened by a variety of environmental problems.

Europe – National Projects
There are countless environmental projects going on now in Europe, and many people are becoming active about environmental issues.

Europe – Regional Projects
The Environmental Action Program and other acts of international collaboration are aimed at working together to solve Europe’s environmental problems.

Europe – Social Aspects
Unlike in many developing regions of the world, Europe is not experiencing major population growth.  Despite this, Europe is very densely populated and this puts pressure on the environment.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

 
This region includes the island nations of the Caribbean Sea, Central America, and South America.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Biodiversity Issues
Latin America and the Caribbean have an extremely impressive level of ecological biodiversity.  Many species and many different ecosystems can be found in the area.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Economic Aspects
Industry is taking off, and high rates of economic growth are still being experienced in many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Major Forest Problems
Latin America and the Caribbean have some of the largest forest areas in the world.  While many of these forests remain in an amazingly natural state, many others have been destroyed on a greater scale than anywhere else in the world.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Major Land Problems
Latin America and the Caribbean contain 12% of the cropland currently being used in the world and 17% of the world’s pastures.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Major Water Problems
Latin America and the Caribbean have 13% of all the world’s water supplies.  But, like in many other parts of the world, water resources are distributed on a highly inequitable basis.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Marine Environments
Almost everyone in the Caribbean lives near the coast, a total of about 60 million people.  This has had a highly negative impact on coastal and marine environments.

Latin America and the Caribbean – National Projects
Many nations in Latin America and the Caribbean are developing a variety of environmental initiatives.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Political Aspects
Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have developed official government agencies or ministries to deal with environmental problems.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Regional Projects
Nations in Latin America and the Caribbean have established a variety of agreements in recent years, many related to social and economic issues.  Very often though, these treaties contain environmental agreements as well.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Social Aspects
The population of Latin America and the Caribbean has exploded over the last decades.  This and urbanization are exerting great pressure on the environment.

Latin America and the Caribbean – Urban Centers and Industry
Latin America is urbanizing at a faster rate than just about anywhere else in the world.  Now, about 78% of the population lives in urban areas.

NORTH AMERICA

 
North America includes the United States and Canada, two of the world’s most modern and wealthiest countries.

North America – Biodiversity Issues
Canada and the United States are home to a tremendous number of diverse species.  However, many species have been lost to extinction over the years.

North America – Causes
North America is perhaps the most developed area in the entire world.  The United States and Canada both produce and consume vast quantities of goods, which has led to a variety of environmental problems.

North America – Major Forest Problems
One-half of Canada and one-third of the United States are covered in forests.  The region has long had tremendous forest resources, which have served it well in a variety of ways.

North America – Major Land Problems
A variety of land problems have come about in North America from poor land usage and other forms of land degradation.

North America – Major Water Problems
Overall, North America is well endowed in its water supplies.  But, though a general abundance of water exists in the region, some areas commonly experience water shortages.

North America – Marine Environments
By the year 2000, about one in four Canadians and three in four Americans will live near a coastal area.  This will have a profound impact on the quality of North America’s marine environments.

North America – National Projects
In addition to a large amount of cooperation with each other, the United States and Canada have also developed extensive policy programs domestically.

North America – Regional Projects
Because the US and Canada are very interested in environmental issues, a large amount of collaboration on saving the environment is to be expected.

WESTERN ASIA

 
The area of West Asia, or the Middle East, includes many countries in the Arab world.  Included among these are Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen.

Western Asia – Biodiversity Issues
Many of the native species in Western Asia could be killed off by modern development.  This could mean a major loss of biodiversity for the region.

Western Asia – Economic Aspects
Industrialization and mechanization are proceeding quickly and transforming not just the region’s economy, but its environment as well.

Western Asia – Major Land Problems
Much of Western Asia’s land is becoming degraded.  A variety of factors, some human and some natural, are responsible for this problem.

Western Asia – Major Water Problems
Because so much of West Asia is desert, water is frequently very scare.  However, some regions of the area do have abundant and dependable supplies of water.

Western Asia – Marine Environments
Many people in West Asia live along the coast, often because major industries are located in that area.  Fishing, oil production, and tourism all damage coastal ecosystems.

Western Asia – National Projects
Over the last 20 years, many Western Asian countries have begun to make progress and establish environmental laws and enforcement agencies.

Western Asia – Regional Projects
A variety of regional and sub-regional environmental groups and agreements have been made in West Asia.

Western Asia – Social Aspects
The population of West Asia is growing at an amazing rate.  This has led to environmental problems such as desertification.

Western Asia – Urban and Industrial Problems
Cities in Western Asia have been growing at an amazing rate.  They are quickly becoming some of the largest in the world, and some of the most environmentally harmful.

The Delaware Bay is home to the largest concentration of horseshoe crabs worldwide. As a result, each year the Bay is also host to the second largest population of migrating shorebirds in North America, and eco-tourists from around the globe flock to Delaware Bay’s shores  to witness this ancient phenomenon.  But scientific studies indicate horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are in trouble with some species of birds, like the Red knot (Calidris canutus rufa), steadily declining from over 100,000 in the 1980s to less than 15,000 in 2007. Declines have been linked to the number of horseshoe crab eggs on our beaches.

Both the horseshoe crab census and shorebird studies of the Delaware Bay are innovative programs that team up scientists with grass-roots citizens to help track the populations and health of these species.  These scientists recognize that environmental stewardship through monitoring with engaged citizens is a key ingredient to ensure that data collected is actively used by an engaged citizenry to call for strong management strategies.  Recruiting private citizens to be a part of these efforts builds stewardship and grass-roots compassion in a natural setting.

This project will engage citizens to work with scientists, the University of Delaware, and Delaware Riverkeeper Network to conduct horseshoe crab spawning surveys in May and June of 2010 and to team up with shorebird experts from New Jersey Fish and Wildlife to count, weigh, and measure the shorebirds arriving on the bay to feed on crab eggs.  The monitoring is done annually.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Habitat- monitoring of state threatened/endangered species

Outreach and Education: volunteer training

Total Project Cost: $30.000

Status: This project received a $3500 Franklin Parker Small Grant Award from CRI in 2009. The DRN is looking for further sources of funding.

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

The 10 acre Red Hill section of the Ash Brook Swamp Reservation is the last undisturbed area of the terminal moraine where the Wisconsin Glacier met the Atlantic Ocean. This microhabitat possesses a suite of sun loving grasses, wildflowers and low shrubs that is disjunct from any other similar habitat type for great distances. A number of rare flowers and grasses such as Eupatorium hyssopifolium, Eragrostis spectabilis and Leptoloma cognatum are species that are more common on the New Jersey Coastal Plain.

Surrounded by suburbia, the native White Pine and the ornamental Scotch Pine have migrated to the Red Hill section. Mature trees have created an overstory, shading the suite of rare species. Furthermore, Scotch Pine and White Pine saplings have spread throughout the microhabitat and are growing rapidly; increasing the likelihood that the successional habitat may conclude in a coniferous forest.

A habitat restoration plan is being devised by Joseph R. Arsenault that envisions the removal of the invasive conifers and other undesirable plants that are poised to colonize the Red Hill section. Once the report is ready, the Rahway River Association (RRA) will partner with Union County to implement the habitat restoration plan.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration-  ecosystem-level management; Habitat- federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection

Total Project Cost:  not finalized

Status of Project: Consultant modifying final report to reflect RRA Board of Trustees input

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

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Nature and Animal Conservation

 

     Preserving species and their habitats is important for ecosystems to self-sustain themselves. Yet, the pressures to destroy habitat for logging, illegal hunting, and other challenges are making conservation a struggle.

Visit : http://www.globalissues.org/article/1…

 What is Biodiversity ?

 

    The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.

   

    Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

Does it really matter if there arent so many species?

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.

For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Who Cares?

  Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions

It is feared that human activity is causing massive extinctions. From various animal species, forests and the ecosystems that forests support, marine life. The costs associated with deteriorating or vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and consumption would help avert ecological problems.

 

  

The Chippy Pepper property has been a target for land preservation for several years.  This property forms a critical connection between two large sections of the Franklin Parker Preserve, a 9,500 acre nature preserve in the Heart of the Pinelands.  Two of the parcels that make up the property provide excellent groundwater recharge.   Both the upland and wetland forests provide critical habitat for several state-listed threatened and endangered species.

According to NJDEP, approximately 18 acres have the second highest groundwater recharge capacity of 11 to 15 inches per year. The remaining acreage mostly consists of wetlands and hydric soils and therefore groundwater recharge was not calculated.  The NJDEP Landscape Project identifies this property as providing habitat to state endangered and threatened species including the Northern pine snake, barred owl, corn snake, and timber rattlesnake.  It also provides a buffer to a bald eagle nest.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

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

Biological Diversity: Habitat- federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection

Total Project Cost: $350,000

Status:  The New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF)  hopes to have a signed contract and close on the property by the 4th quarter of 2010.

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

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Preservation of this 96-acre property will protect significant grassland bird habitat as well as a wetland area and a heron rookery near the Route 31/202 corridor and a Hunterdon County golf course. The land will be managed for grassland bird habitat and is located in the Amwell Grasslands, a critical habitat area for state listed endangered and threatened grassland birds species and associated wildlife. It will provide an area for passive recreation as well as a scenic view for the public. Preservation of this property will contribute to the protection of critical watershed lands along a Category 2 stream, the Neshanic River. The site has also been identified by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Non-game Species Program Landscape Project Area as a priority for grassland habitat.

This project is part of the Raritan Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership plan (RPWHP) and is a Priority Parcel within the East Amwell Grassland Region focus area. This area is particularly valuable from the perspectives of preserving and/or protecting wildlife habitats, protecting significant environmental resources and preventing the degradation of water quality.

Ecosystem Services Provided:

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

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

Biological Diversity: Habitat- Endangered and Non-game Species Program Landscape Project Area

Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails, access to waterfront

Total Project Cost:  $2,239,350

Status: The Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance has secured a purchase contract for the property and is pursuing funding for both land and technical costs to get to closing.  The project will be funded through Raritan Township and Hunterdon County with an anticipated closing date of August 1, 2010.

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

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