Forked River
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SAVE THE
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COALITION SET TO ACQUIRE MORE LAND
Finally some good news. The year will either end, or the new year will begin, on a positive note as the Forked River Mountain Coalition is set to acquire a 34-acre parcel of land in Lacey Township. The property is in the Cedar Creek watershed west of the Garden State Parkway and north of Lacey Road. The tract is completely forested. The majority of the property contains an upland oak forest. A small one-acre portion, however, contains wetlands where suitable habitat exists for Pine Barren treefrogs.
The parcel will be purchased from the Christian Herald Association who operates the Bowery Mission in New York City. Maps show that the property was once utilized as part of a vineyard back in the 1800's. More recently, the property was slated to be sold to be developed into a major subdivision. Luckily these plans never materialized.
The Coalition will use part of its Green Acres matching grant to acquire the parcel. Additional grant funds from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation's local assistance program are also being utilized to help cover costs associated with the project. The land will be managed in its natural state. If you would like to make a special tax deductible contribution to assist the Coalition with the acquisition or management of this parcel, please use the registration form.
The Coalition’s bluebird nest box trail continued to produce results during it's third year. Our nest boxes fledged a total of nine bluebirds. We are again in need of a few dedicated individuals to help monitor the nest boxes during the fourth year of the project from March until August. If you would like to volunteer as a bluebird nest box monitor, please call the Coalition at 609-971-1635 no later than March 1, 2002.
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For the past year, the Forked River Mountain Coalition has been busy working to permanently protect this vast wilderness. Below are just some of our accomplishments for 2001 and some of our future goals for 2002, and beyond . Accomplishments
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But we can only realize our goals with your help. If you are not currently a member of the Coalition and would like to join, or if you are a member and have not yet renewed your membership, simply complete the membership form. Be sure to mark the appropriate box and return the form along with your $15 membership dues for 2002. Please help support the grass-roots initiative to permanently protect the Forked River Mountains and the vast wilderness that surrounds them.
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Editor's note: The following news release was issued by TNC on August 6, 2001. The Nature Conservancy has received a land gift that safeguards 1,213 acres in the pine barrens of Lacey Township, Ocean County[, NJ]. The donation is the second installment in a series of three planned land donations totaling almost 4,000 acres from the Leone Family to create Forked River Mountain Preserve, established in 1997. "The generosity of the Leone Family has enable the Conservancy to establish and enlarge a very important nature sanctuary in the heart of the pine barrens," says Michael Catania, executive director of the Nature Conservancy of New Jersey. 'Their longstanding commitment to this area is part of a wonderful partnership to save the pine barrens' natural treasures from disappearing." "We have been very satisfied with the Conservancy's stewardship of our first donation of 531 acres," says Stephan R. Leone on behalf of his children, his brother Aldo Leone and family, and his sister Maria Incremona and family. "The Conservancy has been diligent in planning the preservation of the land as well as the public enjoyment of it," he adds. Leone says he has a special place in his heart for the Lacey Township property, which his family has owned since the 1950's. "We plan to make a final donation of 1,300 acres in the future and continue to make annual contributions toward the stewardship of land," he says. Located in the heart of the Forked River Mountain area, the new addition to the preserve contains uplands blanketed by pitch pines. |
Atlantic cedar swamps - another signature natural community of the pine barrens - also are found at the site. Forked River Mountain Preserve helps form an impressive greenway by linking two state wildlife management areas. A variety of species have been recorded on the property, including pine-barren gentian, a globally endangered wildflower. State rare curly grass fern also has been found on the preserve. The Conservancy's presence at Forked River Mountain helps save this precious wilderness area from numerous threats, including development, sand mining, dumping, logging and off-road vehicle traffic.
The Nature Conservancy,
established in 1951, is an
international, nonprofit organization dedicated to
preserving the plants, animals and |
natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by
protecting the lands and waters
they need to survive. Active in the Garden State since 1955, the
Conservancy established
the New Jersey Chapter in 1988. Within the state, the Conservancy has
protected more than 52,000 acres and has completed 338 conservation
transactions with the help of corporate sponsors, foundations and more than
33,000 members.