No Management is not Best Management

The New Jersey Audubon Society supports S1954/A4358 which establishes a much-needed forest harvest program on State-owned land. Science has shown that the health of NJ forests is declining. It is vital that we actively manage our forests in order to protect them and the species that reside within. If we are to appropriately manage all of our hundreds of thousands of acres of public forested land with declining Department of Environmental Protection staff and budgets, we need to look to new funding methods to support appropriate management while continuing to focus on restoration and stewardship that is protective of habitat and species. We believe this legislation is a step in the right direction to change the paradigm of the current "hands-off" approach to our forests.

NJ Audubon fully understands that the issue of forest management is a polarizing one and that there are, and always will be (as there is in every region of the world that performs forest management), obstacles to the best laid management/stewardship plans. Deer herbivory and invasive species are two of the challenges that will always be a concern in New Jersey but, recognized as such, can be addressed in a quality forest stewardship plan before practice implementation begins. As stated in the 2002 paper entitled "The Illusion of Preservation -A Global Environmental Argument for the Local Production of Natural Resources", prepared by Harvard University (Harvard Forest paper No. 26, Berlik, Kittredge and Foster), "the most crucial change is undoubtedly one of philosophy and practice. Mainstream environmentalist ideology must embrace multiple uses of the forest including harvesting-and local citizens must consider the use of resources in their own backyard while maintaining a keen awareness of the global environment."

Decline of Forests: Healthy forests provide numerous benefits including a variety of habitat for species, water protection, soil conservation, carbon sequestration, wood products, and much more. Today’s forests are faced with numerous human-induced impacts that our historical, pre-settlement forests never evolved to deal with. For example, climate change and the globalization of commerce have allowed for the introduction of exotic plants, insects, and diseases from other countries. If we do not take active measures to counter these stressors and make our forests more resilient, we will continue to see results similar to the devastating effects of the chestnut blight, Dutch elm disease, gypsy moth, and more. Additionally, studies from the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis at Rutgers University predict that the forests of northern New Jersey will cease to be a net carbon sink in approximately 20 years. Forests in the NJ Pinelands will cease to function as a net carbon sink 10-20 years thereafter.

 
Need for Management: Our forests do not comprise a stand-alone system but, rather, a human-ecological system under numerous other pressures. The suburbanization of New Jersey over the past few decades has had profound consequences on what would have otherwise been normal forest growth. Fire exclusion, fragmentation, and excessive deer populations have left most of New Jersey’s forested land in the mid-successional stage of development; a stage when forests tend to have the least biological diversity and their corresponding growth and vigor begin to slow down as well. This severely reduces the natural resilience that is essential to combat negative stressors that have become common ailments in our forests. Such a situation compels active and responsible management for a sustainable future. Many scientists agree that thinning and cutting are some of the proper management tools that can help restore the health of our forest ecosystems. For example, the technical report Southern Pine Beetle II (Coulson, R. N.; Klepzig, Kier, 2011) describes thinning treatments in dense forest stands as an effective means to control outbreaks of the southern pine beetle that would otherwise decimate entire forests. What science and research clearly show is that, in some instances, we need to cut trees in order to grow healthy, carbon-absorbing forests in New Jersey.

NJ Audubon’s experiences in Forest Management: NJ Audubon promotes sustainable forest management and actively manages tracts of forested land throughout the State. We also confront the challenges associated with paying for that management. For example, in an effort to offset the restoration costs of a 300-acre habitat project that would serve as a model for local and State management while managing for ecological benefits including for threatened and endangered species (e.g. northern pine snake, red-headed woodpecker, sickle-leaved golden aster), we offered the wood by-product generated during the project as a commodity to the contractor. Most contractors had no use for the wood and the bids to complete the project were in excess of $1,000 per acre. After two years of outreach, we connected with a company with a small out-of-state market for mulch that was able to complete our project for $300 per acre. Without the reduced costs made possible by selling forest products, these types of projects will neither be possible nor replicable on a larger scale as is needed across the State.

Protecting Natural Resources: For a forest harvest to be approved in NJ, a minimum set of requirements must be met to address threatened and endangered species, water quality, wetlands and riparian areas, soil erosion, wildlife, and forest resources. To ensure that management strategies fully meet these requirements, S1954/A4358 requires a Forest Stewardship Plan for every public forest before any management practices including cutting is performed. There are many different variables that go into deciding what course of action is appropriate for each forest because each is unique. A Forest Stewardship Plan is crucial to the bill because it ensures consideration of many key variables and that each forest is treated individually as an irreplaceable component of the environment worthy of conservation and stewardship, not as a commodity to be exploited.

The Forest Stewardship program was started by the Federal Government in the 1990's - these are revised as of 2009. Each state forest service administers the federal program within their respective state. The state forest service reviews the content in reference to the standards. See http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/library/fsp_standards&guidelines.pdf#xml=http://www.fs.fed.us/cgi-bin/texis/searchallsites/search.allsites/xml.txt?query=forest+stewardship&db=allsites&id=4d8a91680 .  In New Jersey the guideline of a forest stewardship plan are modeled after the federal standards. See http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/stw_inc_prog.html.

While we anxiously await the forest stewardship rules required by the Forest Stewardship Act of 2009, we believe that current requirements in place are sufficiently protective of habitat, water, and forest resources. Many states throughout the country practice responsible forestry. In so doing, they are improving the overall health of forested ecosystems, diversifying the local economy, and creating quality job opportunities for thousands of citizens in the forest products industry. NJ Audubon recognizes that our forests contain value well beyond timber and, because of this, we support this type of program. This landmark legislation clearly recognizes the importance of nurturing New Jersey's forests through active management and acknowledges that forest lands are not being managed effectively in New Jersey.

This legislation starts the process we desperately need to properly manage our forest resources and we urge your support for S1954/A4358. The dire state of our forests compels active and responsible management for a sustainable future which comes at some significant financial cost. We believe this legislation forms a foundation for a means to offset the costs to manage our forests by harvesting the by-products and returning those proceeds to help offset the cost of much-needed stewardship.

New Jersey Audubon’s “Jersey Grown” S.A.V.E.TM Initiative Earns 2011 New Jersey Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Land Conservation

December 2011 – The New Jersey Audubon Society’s “Jersey Grown” S.A.V.E.^TM Support Agricultural Viability and the Environment) initiative promoting the production of agricultural products that are economically and ecologically sustainable, has earned a 2011 New Jersey Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.

The program was chosen from among numerous entries for the Land Conservation Award, which requires that the selected applicant demonstrate a commitment to and experience in the preservation of open space that protects land from future development.

“This initiative extended across all departments here at NJA and I’d like to personally acknowledge and thank everyone for their great work with S.A.V.E. ^TM Together with our partners and supporters, we’re investing in local economies, preserving agricultural landscapes, reducing the carbon footprint, and growing endangered species,” said Tom Gilmore, President of New Jersey Audubon.

“Jersey Grown” sunflower birdseed – the first product marketed under New Jersey Audubon’s S.A.V.E.^TM brand – is now in its fourth year, and has continually grown in scope during its tenure. 260 acres of sunflowers seeds were planted this season – almost double the 140 acres planted last year. The state Department of Agriculture has been instrumental in the growth of the S.A.V.E. ^TM project, approving the use of the “Jersey Grown” label on birdseed and designating a new label, ‘Made with Jersey Grown Wood,’ for related S.A.V.E. ^TM birdfeeder and bird house products.

Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher congratulated the NJA ,stating, “The Department of Agriculture is pleased to have participated at so many levels with this initiative and looks forward to continued partnering to further the interests of agriculture and the environment for all New Jersey residents.”

The sunflowers, from which the birdseed is being harvested, have been planted by New Jersey farmers who are cooperating with New Jersey Audubon to produce the certified “Jersey Grown” sunflower birdseed. The growth in sunflower acres planted for harvesting by 120 acres illustrates the seed’s significance to the farmers’ revenue stream, as it provides direct access to a local niche market for a crop that offers them a greater price per acre than traditional grain crops, most notably corn and soybeans. However, it is equally, if not more, significant to the birds and New Jersey Audubon’s conservation mission. For every 5 acres planted for birdseed, New Jersey Audubon manages and maintains 1-acre of grassland habitat for threatened and endangered birds.

New Jersey Audubon has seen strong benefits to grasslands it is managing as part of the project at the South Branch Wildlife Management Area in Raritan and Hillsborough Townships. State-listed species such as Eastern Meadowlark, American Kestrel, Bobolinks and Grasshopper Sparrows have all been recorded onsite using the restoration fields.

The S.A.VE. ^TM program’s innovative partnerships are evident in the work with the agricultural community and commercial seed retailers, as well as in other key supporters of the program. The project benefitted from the early support and vision of Gurdon and Kathy Wattles, as well as won a competitive Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“NRCS is proud to have provided support to this initiative through the CIG program,” said State Conservationist Donald J. Pettit of NRCS. “The SAVE initiative combines conservation objectives with agricultural viability and clearly meets the goal of our grant program to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches.”

The program benefits consumers due to the growth in the availability of the green, sustainable sunflower birdseed that further benefits New Jersey’s agricultural community and the environment. Because it is grown locally, S.A.V.E. ^TM birdseed eliminates the need for extensive use of fossil fuels in transit, thus reducing its carbon footprint.

Jean Lynch, Southern Stewardship Project Director for New Jersey Audubon and coordinator of the S.A.V.E. ^TM program, stated,. “This recognition is a tribute to everyone who has worked on the S.A.V.E. ^TM program and to our many supporters. It will help us build momentum as we continue to strengthen and expand the program.”

“I cannot thank the farmers that participated in S.A.V.E. ^TM  enough for their help, guidance, insight, and most of all, their commitment and participation in the project for making it a great model for finding common ground with agricultural producers and the conservation community!” said John Parke, Northern Stewardship Project Director for New Jersey Audubon and recent graduate of the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program.  “It is this type of innovative, progressive  open-mindedness that these farmers demonstrate that will keep farming and natural resource protection sustainable in the New Jersey landscape.” Parke added.  “Working with the farmers, in particular, current S.A.V.E. ^TM farmers Mark Kirby, Jim Laine, Tom Zeng, Brant Gibbs, Raj Sinha, Jeff Angel, Buddy Shimp, as well as previous S.A.V.E. ^TM farmers Rodger Woolf and Phil Brodhecker, on this project that has really helped us have a greater understanding on how certain conservation initiatives can impact NJ agriculture and we now have a better focus on how we can better recognize the connections between all types of farming while still preserving the integrity of natural ecosystems in New Jersey.”

New Jersey Audubon would like to additionally thank the following people and entities (not named above) for their help, guidance, participation and support in the S.A.V.E. ^TM initiative: The fine staff at NRCS, especially Tim Dunne and Janice Reid, the NJ Jersey Department of Agriculture, especially Sec. Douglas Fisher and the excellent staff at the Jersey Fresh/Jersey Grown Program, the MBA Team Consulting Program at the Rutgers School of Business, New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hunterdon County Parks Department, Conservation Resources Inc. and Duke Farms, the King/Wesley Family Charitable Trust, Suasion Communications Group, all those who attended the 2011 S.A.V.E. Event at Restaurant Daniel NYC, Union Green, Ms. Judith Bland, the Citizen Science Program and it's wonderful volunteers, the membership of NJ Audubon and the retailers and general public that supported the initiative by purchasing this locally grown product to benefit NJ agriculture and wildlife; and the Staff of New Jersey Audubon, especially Troy Ettel!

New Jersey Audubon’s award-winning Jersey Grown S.A.V.E. ^TM sunflower birdseed is readily available and being sold in 10- and 20-pound bags this season for easy transport from store to home. For pricing, please check with the NJ Audubon Center or S.A.V.E. ^TM birdseed retailer nearest you.

For more information about participating NJ Audubon Centers, retailers and farmers or to place an online order for S.A.V.E. ^TM Birdseed, please visit www.njaudubon.org. 

Replacing the Corporate Lawn Look of the 20th Century, One Corporate Campus at a Time

NJ Audubon Corporate Stewardship Council Member Verizon takes on Second Major Project

to Benefit Wildlife

With the success of their habitat restoration efforts on their Basking Ridge, NJ campus that earned Verizon the Governor's Environmental Excellence award in 2007 and their involvement with NJ Audubon's Corporate Stewardship Council, Verizon has once again partnered with New Jersey Audubon and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to transform another one of its corporate campuses into an area beneficial to wildlife and to the community at large.

Early successional habitat restoration was the main focus on Verizon’s 22-acre central utility plant in Freehold, with NJ Audubon and USFWS assisting in invasive non-native vegetation removals, installation of nesting boxes and more than 1,000 native trees and shrubs planted in riparian areas. The project also included the conversion of the 'corporate lawn' into a wildflower and native grassland meadow to benefit bird and pollinator species. By encouraging the growth of native vegetation, the property draws pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, which in turn helps local agriculture so this habitat is benefitting neighboring farms. In addition the plantings help to improve water quality by providing a buffer between the roads and the waterways on site to help filter run-off.

Early successional habitat (grasslands and shrublands) is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and they also contain higher proportions of state-listed butterflies and moths than other natural community types. It is important that landowners take an active role in managing these habitats for the variety of plants and animals that inhabit them. The vegetative make up of early successional habitat is variable and dynamic depending on the length of time since abandonment, management history, and other factors that can affect the long-term stability and composition of plants that occupy the site. The management of the restoration areas at Verizon will be the use of management mowing techniques to increase the longevity of the habitat patch so to increase the length of time that early-successional wildlife species will occupy the area.

“Corporate giants like Verizon don’t have to leave enormous footprints on our environment,” said Samuel Delgado, vice president of external affairs for Verizon New Jersey. “In fact, Verizon’s goal is to make the least possible environmental impact and to thoughtfully recreate a natural habitat at our facilities for native vegetation and animal species.”

“The New Jersey Audubon Society applauds Verizon as a national leader showcasing real, meaningful wildlife conservation on private lands,” said Eric Stiles, President Elect of New Jersey Audubon. “Native grasslands and monarchs are replacing the industrial chemical cocktail lawns of the 20th century. We hope other companies take notice and follow suit on their corporate campuses. It would be good for the environment and healthier for their communities. It also lowers their operation costs and its fun for their employees,” Stiles said.

Nature Doesn’t Recognize Ownership Boundaries

On October 1, 2011, NJ Audubon and our wonderful volunteers completed the final steps in a multi-year habitat restoration project on 110 acres of private land in Elsinboro Township, Salem County.

Through this exciting project we were able to work with three neighboring large landowners to restore 110 acres of brackish marsh that had been taken over with invasive Phragmites australis, a very common, tall invasive grass. The Phragmites had converted a diverse native brackish marsh into a monoculture of dense, non-native vegetation with reduced wildlife habitat quality. We spent several years working on getting control of the Phragmites, monitoring regrowth of native plants, and planting thousands of native wetland plants to reestablish diversity within the marsh.

New Jersey Audubon developed and organized the project, which was completed in two phases. Sixty acres were restored in the first phase and 50 in the second. Funding and on-the-ground help were provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildife Service’s Coastal Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) provided further funding and technical assistance for improving water quality by taking some of the wetland buffer out of crops and planting it in native vegetation. The William Penn Foundation provided essential financial support.

Nature doesn’t recognize ownership boundaries, and that is one reason why NJ Audubon, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S.D.A. all support and encourage private landowners who wish to be great stewards of their land. We appreciate the landowners who work with us and the many volunteers who have helped us with restoration work on private land. When a private landowner improves habitat for fish and wildlife, we all benefit, whether from stronger fish and wildlife populations, cleaner water, increased biological diversity, or other benefits.

Written by: Jean Lynch, Stewardship Project Director, South Region

NJ Audubon Helps School and Farmer Take Action to Provide Important Habitat for Bird and Pollinator Species

Allamuchy, NJ – A unique collaboration between the Allamuchy Elementary School, a neighboring farmer, the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), NJ Audubon Society (NJAS) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has formed to established critical habitat for native wildlife species on the school's ground that also retains agriculture, provides the community with ecological resource benefits, as well as an "outdoor" class room for students.

The Allamuchy Township Elementary School property is located within an ecological and agricultural area of significance in the Highlands region of Warren county. Working with NJ Audubon, the school and the neighboring farmer, Larry Freeborn of Tranquility Farms, enrolled a portion of an agricultural field on the school's property that according to Mr. Freeborn was a "wet" field that had marginal production, into the USDA-Farm Service Agency's State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (S.A.F.E.) Program. SAFE is a voluntary sign-up program through USDA that provide cost share funding for specific conservation practices on land to improve, connect or create higher-quality habitat to promote healthier ecosystems in areas identified as essential to effective management of high-priority species. With the enrollment into the SAFE program, the school then entered into an agreement with the USFWS under their Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to obtain, for no cost, all native warm-season grass and wildflower seed for the project, as well as several bird nest boxes and native trees and shrubs for installation on the grounds.

The main portion of the project consists of planting a 2-acre native meadow consisting of native wildflowers and warm-season grasses, adjacent to Farmer Freeborn's production fields on the school grounds. With the addition of native wildflowers into the meadow planting, the constructed meadow area becomes an important refuge for native pollinators which provide immeasurable value to agriculture, as well as, keeping local plant communities healthy and productive.

According to the National Academy of Sciences, close to 75% of the flowering plants on earth rely to some degree on pollinators in order to set seed or fruit. From these plants comes one-third of humankind's food and even greater proportion of the food for much of our wildlife. Yet now pollinators are in risk due to loss of habitat. Types of habitat that they need, such as early successional grasslands, also are habitats for many other species that are in decline -like the Bobolink.

“This project is a wonderful compliment to our educational philosophy in Allamuchy – to get students involved in authentic, experiential learning projects that they will remember for the rest of their lives. These projects combine all the best principles of environmental education and stewardship and help our students understand and appreciate the very special environment in which we live. Special thanks go to the Larry Freeborn, USDA, the USFWS, and especially to the NJ Audubon Society for working together to make this happen.” said Timothy Frederiks, Superintendent of Allamuchy School District.

"The Allamuchy School District and Larry Freeborn of Tranquility Farms are demonstrating an exceptional commitment to protecting natural resources in the region." said John Parke, Stewardship Project Director for New Jersey Audubon. "I am fully confident that this project will help the students, and the community, better realize how important both habitat and agriculture are to the region. The fates of farming and habitat in New Jersey are inseparable. So if they are to survive here, the farming and conservation community must work together to develop innovative strategies to promote economically viable farm communities and conservation goals. This project is a outstanding example of this concept".

Photos by John Parke

Volunteers Help Remove Invasive Plants at the Cape Island Important Bird Area

Two volunteer workdays took place last week at the Cape Island Important Bird Area (IBA) - both aimed at reducing invasive plants that are overtaking habitat. Located at the very tip of NJ, the Cape Island IBA is about 15,000 acres in size and includes a variety of habitat types. This IBA serves as a major migratory stopover site- millions of birds utilize Cape Island during spring and fall migration. Controlling invasive plants to increase and enhance suitable habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife on Cape Island is a stewardship priority for NJ Audubon.

On Thursday, volunteers removed invasive vines like porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), sweet-autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora) and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) from young, native trees at a maritime forest restoration site at Cape May Point State Park. This restoration project is a cooperative effort led by NJ Audubon and NJ DEP Division of Parks and Forestry to control invasive plants and support the growth and regeneration of native vegetation.

The focus for Friday: purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata) at the Nature Conservancy’s South Cape May Meadows. Volunteers carefully snipped and bagged the flower heads of purple loosestrife plants before they develop seeds and spread further, while folks with thicker gloves snipped and pulled mile-a-minute, which has a prickly, thorny stem. Mile-a-minute is an emerging invasive plant in Cape Island, which means it is not yet established and widespread, and is found in small patches in the area. In addition to mile-a-minute, kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is another emerging invasive plant found on Cape Island. We employ an Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) strategy to eliminate the emerging plants immediately to lessen the likelihood that they will become widespread and established.

Cape Island has its fair share of both emerging and widespread invasive plants, and Cape May County has the highest number of reported invasive species in the state- 365 total. To address this growing threat to migratory bird habitat, NJ Audubon organized the Cape Island Habitat Restoration Task Force (CIHRTF). CIHRTF is a newly formed Coordinated Weed Management Area (CWMA), and our partners include NJ state chapter of the Nature Conservancy (TNC), NJ DEP Bureau of Land Management, the NJ DEP Division of Parks and Forestry, and the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team (NJISST). The mission of CIHRTF is to identify, control and monitor invasive plants, restore and improve wildlife habitat, and provide outreach and education to the community of Cape Island. CIHRTF will be hosting more volunteer events and educational workshops throughout the year- please check our webpage for the latest information!

These projects are made possible through the support from: the William Penn Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Atlantic City Electric.

S.A.V.E. Sunflower Update: Eagerly awaiting those fields of gold! Stay tuned for upcoming field trip announcements!

It is now July and the sunflower plants are on the rise! Fueled by excellent spring and summer rains, the young plants are growing beautifully – and quite quickly - across the state and expectations are high for a great harvest.  Nine farmers are participating in the program across the state this year, with over 200 acres planted in Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, and Cumberland Counties.

Checking in with the farmers this week, Buddy Shimp from Shiloh in Cumberland County tells me that his plants are nearing bloom with heads “the size of mason jars.” Recent rains have allowed the crop planted by Brant Gibbs, from Allamuchy in Warren County, to grow over a foot in the past 10 days. The heads of his sunflowers are “the size of softballs” and should be in full bloom in the next two weeks. Jim Laine and Mark Kirby in Hillsborough are coming along. Tom Zeng’s fields off along Amwell Road in East Amwell are just starting to show their color.  Elsewhere, at Duke Farms and at Liberty Farm in Sandyston, plants are nearing a foot in height and will provide a reliable late crop – and extend the viewing season well into late summer.

The bright yellow heads aren’t quite out yet but keep an eye out as you drive around because they should be out soon. This year we have nine farmers participating across Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset and Cumberland County. With 200 acres planted, it is sure to be a beautiful sight!

Interested in seeing some of these farms for yourself? Well, you’re in luck! NJ Audubon will be organizing field trips to participating farms starting in late July and going through August and September.  Keep an eye on our Blog for dates and registration information.

For those interested in partaking of this wonderful, Jersey Grown product that Supports Agricultural Viability and the Environment (the name of our brand, S.A.V.E.), it is now conveniently available at over 40 locations throughout the state.  To find one near you and learn more about participating farmers please visit us at www.njaudubon.org. 

The long awaited forest thinning project at our Hovnanian Sanctuary is finally underway.

Sunny skies and warm temperatures provided a near perfect day on Wednesday June 22^nd, for NJ Audubon staff members to guide a tour of the forest restoration project that is now underway at the Hovnanian Sanctuary. Attending the tour were representatives from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, local residents and reporters. The activity is clearly obvious right from the roadside of Davenport Road in Berkeley Township, so we didn’t need to walk very far before the discussion began.

This stewardship project aims to restore approximately 300 acres of pineland forest to a more typical, fire-adapted savannah type ecosystem. The pinelands forest evolved as an ecosystem that was historically subject to frequent forest fires. As such, the plants and animals native to this area are specialized at surviving in this unique environment, and in fact, their numbers begin to decline when fire is excluded from the region. Our restoration project will provide better habitat for a variety of threatened and endangered species known to exist in the area, but whose populations have declined as a result of the changing environment.

The Hovnanian Sanctuary hasn’t seen forest fires or any other type of active management in at least 30 years. Fire has been excluded from the property due to its proximity to nearby homes. Simply reintroducing fire at this point is not an option due to the excessively high levels of fuel (vegetation) within the forest, and if a fire were to break out now, it might be uncontrollable and catastrophic to the local residents. Therefore, the first step in the process is to mechanically reduce the amount vegetation by selectively removing the less vigorous trees. This is similar to weeding a garden. The process improves spacing among the residual trees and allows sunlight to reach the forest floor. The increased light will stimulate a more diverse herbaceous and shrub layer. Once the fuel load is reduced to a safe level, prescribed burning can be employed to really restore the site to a pinelands fire-adapted ecosystem. The photo at the right shows treatment area on the left vs. untreated on the right.  Note how dense the vegetation has become in the absence of fire or other management.  Overall, the project will take several years to fully implement.

Thinning contractor John deRouville uses a large feller to cut and bundle low quality trees. The trees are chipped onsite and trucked to a facility to be converted into mulch. A recent study was conducted at the University of Chicago using mulch produced from a NJ pinelands thinning project similar to ours. The results indicated that the pine mulch was comparable to peat moss as a soil amendment or growing medium. We think that this is exciting news since the pine mulch is a much more environmentally friendly option than peat moss, which is mined from bogs and considered a non-renewable resource. While it is exciting that we are producing a renewable resource as a byproduct of achieving our restoration goals, it certainly does not generate anywhere near enough revenue to offset the costs associated with completing the project. In fact, without the generous support of our partners, this project would not be feasible. Our partners include; Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, New Jersey Forest Fire Service, and USDA Forest Service.

We’ll have more updates as the project progresses.

Photos taken by Don Donnelly at the Hovnanian Sanctuary.

Salem River Wildlife Management Area

Suzanne and I left Cape May County well before sunrise for our bird surveys at Salem River Wildlife Management Area. We’re working at three sites with funding from a number of sources, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Corporate Wetland Restoration Program, and the Wildlife Management Institute, and DuPont. Of course, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife is our main partner on these projects.

Stop 1 (or stop 2, if you count Wawa) was the former dairy site right beside the Salem River in Pilesgrove Township. Shortly after we arrived, we flushed a female turkey and her young—one of whom flew up and landed, looking confused, in a tree. There’s a big kingbird hangout up the hill, near the entrance to the large open field, and we see lots of Fowler’s toads and plenty of mammal scat, too.

We’ve seen a lot of the major grassland birds in the large field—kestrels, grasshopper sparrows, meadowlarks, and more. This site already has a nice grassland component, but we’re working with NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife to expand the size of the grassland. Many grassland species require very large grassland areas to nest, and here we have an opportunity to manage more than 80 acres for grassland-dependent wildlife. Bobwhite quail should benefit from this project as well.

Stop 2 was a former commercial tree nursery that is now part of the WMA. I love this spot because it’s so strange—creeping junipers, ornamental cherries, arborvitae, and a whole mishmash of native landscaping trees or their cultivars keep company with species they wouldn’t normally hang out with. This is one natural area where the normal plant associations do not apply, and as long as the plants in question are not invasive, that can make a site visit different and fun.

Of course, some of them are highly invasive, and for those ones we’re working on reining them in. We just did an enormous job removing about 15 acres of autumn olive from the fields, and now we’re following up to keep the autumn olive and honeysuckle from taking the fields right back. My favorite part of this stop this week was watching six monarch caterpillars do a number on a cluster of 14 milkweed plants. Some of the plants had been completely stripped of leaves and some leaves were just half-eaten. These were very hungry caterpillars.

We made a couple more stops that day—to another WMA site that we are converting to native grassland, and to a large riparian buffer project on private property. All the sites look good, all will have more work done to them, and their habitat value will just keep getting better and better.

All photos taken at the Salem River Wildlife Management Area by Jean Lynch.

Posted by Jean Lynch, Stewardship Project Director, South Region

Things Are “Hopp’n” At The Wattles Stewardship Center

American toads by the thousands are emerging from the newly constructed vernal pool at the Wattles Stewardship Center in Port Murray, NJ!  The young toads are the first of many amphibians species emerging from the newly constructed habitat feature, which is also supporting other amphibians (adults and young) such as green frog, wood frog, spring peeper, Northern gray tree frog, and spotted salamander.

In 2010, NJ Audubon implemented the construction of this vernal pool utilizing funding from USFWS Coastal Program, USFWS Partners in Fish & Wildlife, Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, PSE&G and a donation of plant materials from Pinelands Nursery of Columbus, NJ.  NJ Audubon was able to take an existing (but dilapidated) defunct in-ground swimming pool that was left on site when Audubon took title of the property and convert it into a functional vernal pool. This converted pool is serving not only as prime suitable breeding habitat for amphibian species, but it also is used for educational purposes to promote the importance and ecological significance of vernal pools.

NJ Audubon believes it essential to bring public awareness to vernal pools because, even though the NJ Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act has been in place since 1989, it has done little to protect vernal pools because wetlands smaller than 1 acre (most vernal pools in NJ are less than 0.25 acre) were exempt from the regulatory protection and many were filled. Fortunately, we can re-establish vernal ponds that look and function like their natural counterparts, thus, restoring an important component of the landscape. Incentives to restore or establish seasonal wetlands are plentiful - to prevent flooding by holding rainwater; to have a place for specific species to utilize as part of their lifecycle. Not only do vernal pools provide suitable breeding habitat to various species but they also provide foraging grounds for various wading birds and reptiles. Replacing this vanishing part of our landscape is as rewarding to us as it is essential to the health of the environment.

Also confirmed utilizing the pool are many mico-invertebrates such as dragonfly larvae, water-boatman, water strider, and diving beetles. Additionally great blue heron, mallard duck and snapping turtle have been noted foraging in pool, not to mention several dragonfly, butterfly and songbird species also utilizing the area.

All photos taken at Wattles Stewardship Center by John Parke