In bid to protect Barnegat Bay, state buys 385 acres of Pinelands

Always good to see more acreage preserved along the Barnegat Bay!

Originally appeared on New Jersey Newsroom.

249 acres in Eagleswood and 136 acres in Stafford

The state Green Acres Program has purchased 385 acres of forests in the Barnegat Bay watershed, and Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said Monday the agency is on pace to preserve some 3,000 acres in the watershed by the end of the year.

The Green Acres State Land Acquisition Program purchased the land, encompassing two separate properties, for $607,052 from International Recycling Systems. The acquisitions are intended to preserve high-quality Pinelands habitat that will help protect water quality in the headwaters of Cedar Run, Westecunk Creek and Mill Creek, all tributaries of Barnegat Bay.

The properties - 249 acres in Eagleswood and 136 acres in Stafford - will be added to the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, managed by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Both properties consist of pine and oak forests that provide suitable habitat for species such as the state-endangered Pine Barrens tree frog, the state-threatened northern pine snake and the pine warbler.

At more than 11,500 acres, Stafford Forge is one of New Jersey's largest wildlife management areas. The area is popular with hikers, canoeists, bird watchers, hunters and nature lovers.

Since launching an effort to restore the ecologically stressed bay in December 2010, the state Department of Environmental Protection has set its sights on preserving 50,000 acres in the watershed. Martin said protected land helps filter and control stormwater that can carry harmful nutrients into the bay.

“The Christie administration remains steadfast in its commitment to improving water quality in Barnegat Bay, an ecologically and economically vital asset to the state," Martin said. "The preservation of land is a critical component of Governor Christie's 10-point comprehensive restoration plan for the bay."

The Christie administration has committed nearly $3 million to the preservation of more than 2,000 acres in the watershed so far, including projects that have added 180 acres to the DEP's Forestry Resource Education Center in Jackson, expanded Double Trouble State Park by 306 acres, and assisted Ocean County in preserving 836 acres of Pinelands in Ocean Township.

In addition, the Green Acres Program has reached agreement on a project that will permanently protect a 436-acre Boy Scout camp in Ocean County.

NJ.com: West Windsor sets a summer opening for restored farmstead

It's not an announcement on preserving a new piece of land. But, having lived in that area for several years, I am familiar with the writer's comments on West Windsor's (way too many) shopping centers, highways and modern subdivisions. There are still some very, very nice parcels there, however, including here.

Originally appeared on NJ.com.

WEST WINDSOR — This township of shopping centers, highways and modern subdivisions can still lay claim to a piece of its past — a big piece, in fact.

Officials say they are very close to finishing a 15-year project to restore a farmhouse property from the 1750s that will offer a step back in time for legions of school children, tourists and history buffs.

The historic Schenck Farmstead on Southfield Road has had a makeover that includes a renovated carriage house, the installation of a one-room schoolhouse moved from another location in the township and rebuilt, and, now, the creation of an education center inside a big barn on the property.

Outside the idyllic homestead that brings to mind thoughts of lemonade and porch swings on warm summer afternoons, the grounds are filled with antique farm machinery, on display for young and old inquiring minds alike.

The barn, once its contents are reorganized, will offer a wealth of other historical items. 
“When we talk about sense of communities, I want people to not only understand the history of West Windsor, but understand the environment, the natural resources we have in West Windsor,” Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said. “It’s not just demographic or human side. It’s also the environment we live in.”

The work to improve exhibits and offerings at the Schenck house was the fruit of hard-working volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars, township officials said.
Steeped in the township’s agricultural history, the farmstead will also be available for weddings and other gatherings.

The gravel entrance gives way to a small sea of farm equipment from the Civil War up to the 1930s. The rusted remains are a reminder of a self-sustaining time when plows were pulled by horses and the barn’s oak beams were masterfully sawed by hand.

The environmental education center is currently being designed inside a portion of the renovated 3,700 square foot red barn by Redmond-Jones and Associates, a Swarthmore, Pa., firm that provides services for museums and other organizations.

Last week, town council approved a resolution to pay Redmond-Jones and Associates $7,500 to develop the concept and design phase of the environmental project at the Schenck barn. The funds come out of the township’s capital improvement fund, business administrator Robert Hary said.

West Windsor land use manager Sam Surtees has been in charge of the renovations to Schenck since it began. And while commercial projects in West Windsor tend to take years, that wasn’t supposed to happen with the Schenck Farmstead.

“I didn’t think it would take this long,” he said.

Surtees gives credit to Hsueh and council for their “slow patience to get it done right,” he said.

The center will display artifacts that date back to a time when farming was a part of everybody’s life, Surtees said. The West Windsor Historical Society and Environmental Commission have been in charge of tagging each item for display.

The environmental center will share space with the artifacts room, where a replica of a general store with historical items like an old cash register, a sales ledger dated July 1900, and a glass case with other treasures will be open to the public.

Additional improvements to the Schenck Farmstead include work done on the 528 square foot carriage house, which is adjacent to the barn, and improvements to the 704 square foot first schoolhouse of West Windsor.

The schoolhouse was originally located on Clarksville Road, opposite the current Maurice Hawk Elementary School, before it was moved to the Schenck Farmstead in the mid 1990s, Surtees said. Much of the original wood had deteriorated, and 80 percent has been restored. Inside, old-fashioned school desks with ink wells are lined in a row, facing a chalkboard and American flag.

Much of the original framework dates back to 1880-1890, Surtees said.
West Windsor Environmental Commission liaison and landscape architect Dan Dobromilsky, said the barn was reconstructed a few years ago, to include electric and a heating and cooling system. Bathrooms and the environmental center are expected to be added by this summer, he said.

Tours of the Schenck Farmstead to be offered on Sundays from 1-4 p.m. are expected to begin this summer.

Stillwater, Sussex County, Preserves 113 Forested Acres

It's been a rough couple weeks here at the fulltime job. So, this is as much for me as it is for you. Enjoy!

Originally appearing on NJHerald.com

By LYNDSAY CAYETANA BOUCHAL

lbouchal@njherald.com

STILLWATER -- Some 113 acres in the heart of the township have been preserved, helping to close the gap between patchy parcels of the state's Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area in Stillwater.

The township Environ-mental Commission in partnership with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey had been striving toward preserving the 113 acres off Stillwater Road since the middle of 2010, said Barbara Davis, the Land Conservancy's vice president of programs.

The scenic, forested property was purchased through the New Jersey Green Acres program from the Goldschmidt family, who reside elsewhere in the county. The acres have now been added to the state's Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area that is managed for wildlife habitat and public recreational access, and offers programs for hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Davis said the Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area "jumps and skips a bit" throughout Stillwater. The acquisition of the 113 acres helps "close in the borders" of the area and is "a nice addition to it."

The acquisition of the property, located near Camp Lou Henry Hoover, creates a contiguous parcel of 200 wildlife management acres, Environmental Commission Vice Chairman Paul Klimek said. He said other pieces of the Trout Brook area are separated by a few hundred feet.

The Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area is now more than 1,700 acres in Stillwater, 785 of which were acquired through the help of The Land Conservancy.

Further, the newest addition contains existing trails and stunning specimen trees, said Sandy Urgo, land preservation director at The Land Conservancy. It helps protect habitat for common wildlife such as bears, turkey, owls, deer, bobcats and coyotes, Klimek said.

"It feels great (to bridge a gap)," Klimek said. "It probably couldn't be done without The Land Conservancy."

This is the fifth addition to the Trout Brook area in Stillwater through the Green Acres program and the assistance of The Land Conservancy since 2007. Davis said Stillwater began working with The Land Conservancy in 2005 to create an Open Space and Recreation Plan for the township, which was completed in 2006.

Founded in 1981, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member-supported nonprofit land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting vital natural lands and water resources. The conservancy has preserved more than 20,000 acres of land and helped towns secure $220 million in county, state and federal grants for their land conservation projects.

"The landscape of Stillwater Township has been permanently improved, forest fragmentation has been reduced, wildlife habitat has been protected, and space for resource-based recreation and hunting has been provided," Urgo said. "The results of the township's commitment to this conservation program will be enjoyed by residents of Stillwater and future generations, in perpetuity."