The Oak Leaf Preserve
During the spring of 2002, the Forked River Mountain Coalition acquired a 34-acre parcel of land in Lacey Township, NJ. The property, named for the adjoining neighborhood and forested area, comprises our Oak Leaf Preserve. The preserve 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 was 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 and developed into a major subdivision. Luckily these plans never did materialize. The Coalition used part of its Green Acres matching grant to acquire the parcel. Additional grant funds from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation's local assistance program were also utilized to help cover acquisition costs. The land will be managed in its natural state.