Project: Cooks Creek Watershed
Location: Pennsylvania
Acreage: 567
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request:$2.5 million
Project Sponsor:State of Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requests Highlands Conservation Act funds to assist in the acquisition of properties that will protect the Cooks Creek Watershed of northern Bucks County and a small part of Northampton County. Cooks Creek originates in the diabase and quartzite hills of Springfield Township and flows through the limestone valley at Springtown to empty into the Delaware River. The area’s steep forested hills, unique to Bucks County, are due to this geology.
Cooks Creek Watershed has a long colonial history, dating to 1698, when British settlers sought the area’s iron deposits. Pioneer families settled by the 1730’s and many of their historic structures along Cooks Creek, including mills, bridges, homes, churches and schools, still stand. Durham Mine, now abandoned, is the state’s second largest bat hibernaculum, an Important Mammal Area home to six bat species. The surrounding forest is important bat and rare bird habitat.
Project: South Mountain
Location: Pennsylvania
Acreage: 282
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request:$2.5 million
Project Sponsor:State of Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requests Highlands Conservation Act funds to assist in the acquisition of 282 acres to add to and further protect Lehigh County’s 655-acre South Mountain-Robert Rodale Reserve. Wildlands Conservancy, the City of Allentown, the County of Lehigh, Salisbury Township and Emmaus established the reserve, comprised mostly of Allentown’s South Mountain Park and Wildland Conservancy’s South Mountain Preserve, to protect the Lehigh Valley’s scenic viewshed and important wildlife habitat, and to provide residents with nearby recreational opportunities.
The reserve contains maturing second-growth forest, rare and threatened species, including two plant species of special concern, and nesting habitat for more than 59 bird species. Vernal pools here are thought to be the state’s most active for salamanders, and are surrounded by intact forest, which is critical for amphibians.
Project: Wyanokia Highlands & Farny Highlands
Location: New Jersey
Acreage: 855
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request:$2.5 million
Project Sponsor:New Jersey Conservation Foundation
New Jersey’s Wyanokie & Farny Highlands, Phase II in Passaic County contains critical watersheds that protect NJ’s most significant and threatened water supply–the Wanaque Reservoir, which serves nearly two million people. Burnt Meadow and West Brooks originate here and both flow directly into the Wanaque Reservoir. Acquisition will protect unfragmented forests and threatened and endangered species such as barred owl, bobcat, northern goshawk, red shouldered hawk, timber rattlesnake and wood turtle.
Project:Ramapo Mountains
Location: New Jersey
Acreage: 209
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request:$2.5 million
Project Sponsor:New Jersey Conservation Foundation
New Jersey’s Ramapo Mountains in Bergen and Passaic counties contain important watersheds and unfragmented forest that is home to threatened and endangered species such as barred owl, Cooper’s hawk, northern goshawk, red-shouldered hawk, timber rattlesnake and wood turtle. Acquisition of the Camp Yaw Paw property will finally close a critical gap in existing protected lands and assure the preservation of significant contiguous forest. Ramapo Mtn. parklands protect the easternmost ridge of the Highlands, with its breathtaking views of Manhattan, for significant public recreational use.
Project: Greater Sterling Forest
Location: New York
Acreage: 1630
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request :$2.5 million
Project Sponsor:State of New York
New York State requests Highlands Conservation Act funds to assist in the acquisition of additions to Sterling Forest State Park. The Sterling Forest Fairgrounds, the Sterling Forest Ski Center, the Torsoe property, Arrow Park, the former Kings College property, Tuxedo Reserve and the Shirazi property are inholdings and adjacent to Sterling Forest. These lands buffer the park, which citizens have worked tirelessly to preserve. In close proximity to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, these 1630 acres contain scenic lakes, woodlands, and wetlands, as well as frontage on Orange Turnpike.
The properties may be developed if not protected. Sterling Forest State Park is a great accomplishment of public-private land conservation between the federal government, the states of New York and New Jersey, and private organizations. Preservation of private inholdings and adjacent properties, such as these, will safeguard this $78-million investment while protecting drinking water, wildlife habitat, and recreational, historic, cultural, and scenic resources. This project is a New York State Open Space Conservation Plan (2006) priority site.
Project: Great Swamp
Location: New York
Acreage: 647
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request :$2.5 million
Project Sponsor:State of New York
New York State requests Highlands Conservation Act funds to assist in the acquisition of land to further protect the Great Swamp, one of NY’s most important wetland complexes and one of NY’s largest and highest quality red maple hardwood swamps. This project consists of a 647-acre parcel in Putnam County’s Harlem Valley, in the East Branch Reservoir Watershed of the NYC Croton Reservoir System. An Audubon Society-designated “Important Birding Area,” the Great Swamp constitutes a 63,000-acre watershed and is breeding habitat for more than 90 bird species and migratory habitat for more than 180 species of waterfowl and other birds. Great blue heron, red-shouldered hawk, marsh wren, osprey, wood duck, thrushes, vireos, warblers, and scarlet tanager make their home here. Located less than 70 miles from New York City, this vast and fragile wetland provides numerous benefits to residents of New York and Connecticut, including drinking water, flood control, recreation, open space, and wildlife habitat. The Great Swamp contains a south-flowing section of the East Branch Croton River, a critical part of New York City’s water supply system, and a north-flowing section of the Swamp River which flows into the Housatonic and, ultimately, to Long Island Sound. This project is a New York State Open Space Conservation Plan (2006) priority site.
Project: Ethel Walker
Location: Connecticut
Acreage: 91
FY09 Highlands Conservation Act Request:$1 million
Project Sponsor:State of Connecticut
The State of Connecticut requests Highlands Conservation Act funds to protect Phase II of the Ethel Walker Property–91 acres of ecologically rich forest, streams, meadows and floodplains. The Town of Simsbury, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land and The Ethel Walker School, permanently protected 336 acres in the first phase of this effort in July 2007. At closing, the Town made a $1 million non-refundable deposit on an option to purchase the remaining 91 acres.
The Ethel Walker land contains class I watershed land and is the primary recharge area for the Stratton Brook Aquifer. This aquifer supplies numerous private wells and provides drinking water to more than 10,000 residents.
Project: Tree Farm #1
Location: Pennsylvania
Acreage: 2,500
FY09 Forest Legacy Request:$3.4 million
Project Sponsor: Highlands Conservancy
The 2,500-acre Tree Farm #1 project is located adjacent to the Michaux State Forest and near the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Adams County. This project is located in the “South Mountain Conservation Landscape Initiative (CLI),” which are landscapes that the State focuses dollars, programs, and additional staff time. The Tree Farm #1 property is currently the last remaining large block of private forest land of its size within this CLI and features high value habitat for a number of state listed plants and animals. The property contains the headwaters for Middle Creek, a high quality cold water fishery. This property has traditionally been used to provide pulpwood for the paper industry, helping to feed a local mill in the neighboring county. Because of its close proximity to Gettysburg, Ski Liberty resort, Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland) and the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area (less than an hour drive), the property faces strong development pressure.
Project: Passaic Ramapo Watershed II
Location: New Jersey
Acreage: 1,428
FY09 Forest Legacy Request:$7 million
Project Sponsor: Highlands Conservancy
New Jersey requests funds for these projects of tremendous Conservation Value. Preserving these parcels will protect potable water resources, facilitate biodiversity, and allow for public recreation. These proposed acquisition lands contain blocks of unfragmented forest hundreds of acres wide. Due to their proximity to adjacent public, protected forestland, the preservation of these parcels will further expand and connect the protected, contiguous acreage to preserve an even denser forest. In addition to supporting a nesting site of the American Bald Eagle, according to the New Jersey Landscape data coverage, these areas are categorized as Critical Wetland Forest with Core Habitat supporting various state threatened and endangered species. The acquisition of these parcels will help complete critical greenways, and protect a critical missing link needed to connecting already protected lands.
Project: Fishkill Ridge – Hudson Highlands State Park
Location: New York
Acreage: 1,000
FY09 Forest Legacy Request:$2.5 million
Project Sponsor: State of New York
Located in the Northwest Corner of Putnam County, this area contains large blocks of near contiguous upland forest. Included are reservoirs for several municipalities and the watershed of the Clove/Fishkill Creek, which is a principal aquifer. Hudson Highland State Park encompasses 5,500 acres including Bull Hill and parts of Breakneck Ridge. There are significant undeveloped, upland forest tracts adjacent to the park that would enhance and protect the natural resource protection and establish linkages with the upland parcels along Breakneck, Scofield and Fishkill ridges.
Project: Lake Waubeeka
Location: Connecticut
Acreage: 604
FY09 Forest Legacy Request:$4.5 million
Project Sponsor: Highlands Conservancy
Connecticut's #1 ranked project is the largest remaining privately held block of forestland in southwestern Connecticut. This property was originally purchased as a summer retreat for New York City Firemen, but only one 94-year-old fireman remains. This 604 acre property is located between Connecticut Route 7 on the west and Long Ridge Road to the east, and lies to the south of Moses Mountain in Danbury. The Conservation Easement area is located on the slopes away from Lake Waubeeka, and is a part of a 2,000+ acre block of roadless area. The parcel connects two large contiguous protected blocks of land, and if protected would create a protected block of over 3,500 acres in Fairfield County, the most densely populated County in the state. The property lies wholly within the watershed of the Saugatuck Reservoir that serves as a primary drinking water source for over 350,000 customers in Southwestern Connecticut. The property is primarily forested, with an oak hardwood/hemlock hardwood cover type, and contains a 24-acre beaver pond.
Project: Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge
Location: New Jersey
Acreage: 86
FY09 LWCF Request:$2 million
Project Sponsor: Highlands Conservancy
The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1990 to preserve and enhance wildlife habitat in one of the most fertile valleys and natural areas in all of New Jersey. Located within a one-hour drive of New York City, the Wallkill River valley is a resource-rich part of the New Jersey-New York Highlands area. The extent of its forested wetlands and undisturbed grasslands makes the Wallkill River one of the largest high-quality inland waterfowl habitats in the mid-Atlantic region. The refuge provides critical habitat for migratory waterfowl on both the Atlantic Flyway and the Hudson-Delaware corridor, and is a major black duck focus area of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Large populations of nesting black ducks, wood ducks, blue- and green-winged teal, mergansers, mallards and pintails frequent the refuge’s wetland areas. In addition, the Wallkill River and its tributaries are home to 19 state-listed threatened and endangered species.
Project: Delaware Water Gap
Location: New Jersey
Acreage: 96
FY09 LWCF Request:$1.4 million
Project Sponsor: Highlands Conservancy
The Delaware River flows from its source in Schoharie County, New York, 360 miles to the Delaware Bay, and along the way forming at least part of the borders between Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. South of Port Jervis, New York, the Delaware River bumps into the long ridge of Kittatinny Mountain. For 40 miles the river, runs southwest in a valley confined by Kittatinny Mountain in New Jersey and the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. Just east of Stroudsburg, the river breaks through Kittatinny Mountain creating a dramatic “water gap” in the ridge. The forested and craggy mountains on both sides of the Delaware tower over it by more than 1,200 feet.
Geologists believe the water gap was created by separate rivers on both sides of Kittatinny Mountain. For thousands of years the two rivers, assisted by wind and rain, continued to erode the mountain. Several million years ago, the rivers linked at a particularly weak spot in the mountain’s geology, and the increased erosion by the more powerful single river led to the dramatic chasm that is today referred to as the Delaware Water Gap.
