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New State Wildlife Management Area
Created in the Highlands
DEP, TPL, Local Partners Protect
433-acre Buckhorn Springs Tract
July 29, 2004…White Township, NJ…
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the preservation
of the 433-acre Buckhorn Springs property in White Township,
Warren County. The property, which was purchased with state,
federal, county, local, and nonprofit funds, contains pristine
wetlands, slopes, forested ridges, and a native trout production
stream called Buckhorn Creek. The DEP Division of Fish &
Wildlife will manage the land as a new wildlife management
area that will be open to public use for hunting and passive
recreation such as fishing, hiking, and bird watching.
“The protection of these 433 acres in the New Jersey
Highlands will protect wildlife habitat, ensure public recreation
opportunities, and preserve the drinking water supply for
millions of New Jersey residents,” said Terrence Nolan,
project manager for the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit
land conservation organization, which negotiated the purchase
of the property from a private landowner. “TPL is
grateful to all of our partners for their willingness to
come together when it mattered most to protect this critical
parcel.”
“The preservation of Buckhorn Springs reflects Governor
James E. McGreevey’s leadership in the protection
of water resources and the expansion of fishing access,”
said DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell. “Trout
fishing is among the most popular recreational activities
enjoyed by the 14 million people who visit the Highlands
each year. Buckhorn Springs offers opportunities for hunting,
fishing, and hiking that make the property an excellent
addition to the State of New Jersey’s impressive collection
of wildlife management areas.”
State, county, federal, and local sources provided funding
for the $3,253,950.00 purchase. The DEP Green Acres Program
provided $2,003,950 in State Acquisition funds and a $500,000
Nonprofit Grant to the Phillipsburg Riverview Organization.
The Warren County Open Space Trust Fund $500,000 in matching
funds for the Green Acres Nonprofit Grant, and the White
Township Open Space Trust Fund contributed $250,000 toward
the purchase of Buckhorn Springs. The US Forest Service’s
Forest Legacy Program will provide $1.64 million to reimburse
the DEP Green Acres Program.
The federal funds were secured through a congressional
appropriation with the strong support of the New Jersey
Delegation, especially Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen,
a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee; Senators
Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg; and Representative Scott
Garrett.
“Preserving open space and protecting vital water
supplies is a major priority for all of us in New Jersey,’’
said Senator Corzine. “I am proud that Senator Lautenberg,
Congressman Frelinghuysen, Congressman Garrett, and I were
able to gain federal funds to help secure the preservation
of Buckhorn Springs for generations to come.”
“New Jersey is the most congested state in the country
and as a result more and more of our prized open space is
being used up everyday,” said Rep. Garrett. “This
vital funding will address this serious threat immediately
and will continue to ensure that our natural resources are
better protected and remain viable for our future generations.”
“Buckhorn Springs and the entire Highlands region
sit at the center of the most densely populated area of
the country,” said Rep. Frelinghuysen. “This
funding we have secured for the preservation of Buckhorn
Springs reaffirms our continued commitment to protecting
the watershed, pristine land and natural beauty of the entire
Highlands region.”
“Areas like Buckhorn Springs are the gems of our
state,” said Senator Lautenberg. “They deserve
special protections and we will continue to fight for federal
funding to preserve them.”
The preservation of Buckhorn Springs will protect significant
water resources. The tract contains a pristine trout production
stream, which feeds a reservoir on the property that formerly
served as the direct water supply for the town of Belvedere,
New Jersey. The property also includes views of the Delaware
Water Gap.
“The Warren County freeholders are unanimous and
genuinely pleased to support this accomplishment for land
acquisition in an environmentally sensitive region of the
county,” said Warren County Freeholder Director Rick
Gardner. “In addition, saving 400 plus acres in perpetuity
will be a great a benefit for not only the taxpayers of
White Township, but for use by the general public of Warren
County.”
“It’s a home run, a very good investment. By
putting in what is a relatively small amount of money, we
have leveraged county, state, and federal funds to protect
an important piece of property,” said Mayor of White
Township Jim Hausman. “This is a great way to protect
land that costs the citizens of our town a very small amount
of money. I give the Trust for Public Land a lot of credit
for their hard work pulling everything together.”
“Scott’s Mountainnow has over 400 preserved
acres for all toenjoy its beauty and resources. This wouldn’t
be the case were it not fora few local volunteercitizens
and, of course, the open-minded landowners who have now
sold for preservation purposes, versus development,and haveleft
this wonderful legacy of Buckhorn Springs,” said Andrea
Hayde, vice-chairperson of the Phillipsburg Riverview Organization.
Preserving open space in the Highlands is one of the State
of New Jersey’s top priorities. During Governor James
E. McGreevey’s first term in office, the state has
preserved an estimated 7,879 acres of farmland in the Highlands,
protected approximately 23,000 acres of open space in and
around the Highlands, and protected many of the region’s
waterbodies through Category One designation. In November
2002, voters approved Public Question No. 1, which will
provide $150 million toward the purchase of open space and
farms in the Highlands region and throughout the state.
The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit land
conservation organization that conserves land for people
to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring
livable communities for generations to come. With a state
office in Morristown, TPL has been active in the protection
of the Highlands for more than a decade. To date, TPL has
helped protect approximately 27,500 acres in the New York-New
Jersey Highlands.
The DEP Green Acres Program purchases land to protect environmentally
sensitive open space, water resources and other significant
natural and historical open space. Land acquired becomes
part of the statewide system of parks and forest, wildlife
management areas and natural areas.
Since Governor McGreevey took office, the Green Acres Program
has acquired 65,164 acres of open space—43,668 acres
for state projects, 10,703 acres for local projects and
10,793 acres for nonprofit groups. To date, the Green Acres
Program has protected more than 547,557 acres of open space
and provided funding to develop hundreds of parks statewide.
The statewide system of preserved open space and farmland
totals more than 1.26 million acres.
Earlier this year, TPL and the DEP Green Acres Program
also partnered to protect the 1,200-acre Gerard Woods property
in Sussex County and added 600 acres to Allamuchy Mountain
State Park in Mount Olive Township, Morris County.
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