835 Acres Preserved in Jefferson Twp, Morris County

This is AWESOME news.

Originally appeared on Jefferson Patch

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will announce the protection of 835 acres in the New Jersey Highlands in Morris County, creating a link to 3,000 acres of existing public land.

The Baker residential property has been a high priority for preservation for more 20 years due to its varied habitat, water resources and adjacency to over 3,000 acres of preserved lands, accourding to the DEP. The property contains environmentally sensitive wetland areas, steep slopes and habitat for a number of important state and federally listed species including bobcat, golden-winged warbler, timber rattlesnake, red-shouldered hawk, Indiana bat, Cooper’s hawk and barred owl.

The agreement calls for ownership to be split between Jefferson Township and the DEP as an addition to the Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area. The project is being funded by federal Highlands Conservation Act funds, the state Green Acres Program and the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund.

And some more info from a NJDEP press release:

A pristine 835-acre tract located in the heart of the North Jersey Highlands in Jefferson Township, and once slated for residential development, will be permanently preserved through a $4.6 million agreement announced today by project partners, the Department of Environmental Protection, the federal government, the Trust for Public Land, Morris County, and Jefferson Township.

The newly preserved land, long known as the Baker Firestone or Baker Residential property, will greatly expand the DEP’s Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area and provide land for local parks, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

The property, long sought by conservation groups, had recently been bought by the Trust for Public Land as an interim conservation purchaser for $4.6 million. Title to the land is being formally conveyed to the State of New Jersey and Jefferson Township, which will take ownership of 647 acres and 188 acres respectively.

West Milford to preserve Random Woods through grant (07/16/10)

West Milford is the northern-most township in Passaic County. At just over 80-square-miles, it's also the largest. Its population, as of 2007, was 27,839, not very large considering the township's size, but consider this: according to census data from 1930, its population was 1,901. West Milford is located in the Highlands Preservation Area, meaning there are additional restrictions to what can be developed and where.

Story originally appeared here.

West Milford to preserve Random Woods through grant

Friday, July 16, 2010

AIM WEST MILFORD

WEST MILFORD—With the assistance of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, a 98-acre parcel of land known as "Random Woods" was recently preserved by West Milford.

Situated in the hills of the New Jersey Highlands, Random Woods is located on Ridge Road and in close proximity to municipal complexes and the central downtown area.

It was previously the subject of a development application and prior to the implementation of the Highlands Act in 2004, it had preliminary approval for 103 single family homes.

The $2.1 million project was funded with Passaic County and Green Acres grants. The preservation of this land represents an addition to the municipality where there is a need for additional athletic fields and recreational facilities.

While more than 90-percent of the parcel will remain undisturbed and available to the public for recreation, a small portion will be used to establish new athletic fields.

The acquisition of Random Woods also furthers an existing and expanding greenway and supports conservation goals identified in the Highlands Water Protection & Planning Act of 2004, which seeks to preserve extensive and contiguous areas of land in its natural state (forests, wetlands, stream corridors, and critical wildlife habitat) and protect New Jersey’s drinking water resources.

"We are very excited about the recent acquisition of the Random Woods property, which will preserve an additional 100 acres within the township while also providing for a multi-purpose ball field at no cost to our residents," Mayor Bettina Bieri said. "This acquisition adheres to the township's philosophy, which prioritizes open space acquisitions not solely based on its environmental sensitivity but also based on its potential to directly benefit the community via active recreational opportunities."