Water, a Forest Product

Forests and water are interconnected. We take the following steps to ensure the water that flows through the forest is protected:


1. Follow Best Management Practices

The activities are conducted in accordance with the NJ Wetlands Best Management Practices Manual, the state-wide guide which standardizes the methods, measures, and practices used to protect, maintain, and preserve water quality.

2. Keep wetlands activities small-scale

The activities are small in scale and they do not obstruct the water flow.


3. No clear-cuts in the wetlands

The work does not consist of clear-cuts in a wetland, exempt under certain circumstances deemed necessary by the New Jersey Forest Service to regenerate the stand.

4. Address any impact to sensitive wetlands wildlife or plants

We address any potential impacts to wetlands-dependent threatened or endangered species.


5. Proceed after New Jersey Forest Service approval

The Forest Management or Stewardship Plan's prescribed activities, including wetlands activities, are reviewed and approved by the New Jersey Forest Service. DEP proceeds with the activities only after this approval.


DEP consults with the USDA Forest Service's Natural Resources Conservation Service to ensure our methods have no negative effects on soil erosion or water quality. In addition, we have expanded buffers near concerned communities and to protect water quality.

 

Rare and Endangered Plants

Calla palustris DEP's policy is that activities on state lands be consistent with the protection and preservation of rare biodiversity, forest resources, and cultural resources.

Division of Fish and Wildlife performed preliminary field surveys for endangered and rare plants in 2013 and 2014. These surveys revealed a highly diverse forest flora in the Sparta Mountain WMA.

Before any activities are performed at Sparta Mountain, DEP will perform additional surveys of forest tracks targeted for management to determine if and how to proceed. The forest stewardship plan and any stand practice plans will incorporate rare plant occurrence data to ensure that management activities will not impact the plants or their habitats.

DEP's policy is that activities on state lands be consistent with the protection and preservation of rare biodiversity, forest resources, and cultural resources.

Sparta Mountain WMA Rare, Threatened, & Endangered Plants

Scientific Name

Common Name

State Status

Anemone cylindrica

Long-head Anemone

Endangered

Aplectrum hyemale

Puttyroot

Endangered

Asclepias quadrifolia

Four-leaf Milkweed

 

Aster urophyllus

Arrow-leaf Aster

 

Bromus ciliatus var. ciliatus

Fringed Brome

 

Calla palustris

Wild Calla

 

Carex aggregata

Glomerate Sedge

 

Ceratophyllum echinatum

Spiny Coontail

Endangered

Chenopodium simplex

Maple-leaf Goosefoot

 

Desmodium cuspidatum var. cuspidatum

Toothed Tick-trefoil

 

Dicentra canadensis

Squirrel-corn

Endangered

Doellingeria infirma

Cornel-leaf Aster

 

Elymus trachycaulus

Slender Wheatgrass

Endangered

Epilobium leptophyllum

Bog Willowherb

 

Equisetum sylvaticum

Woodland Horsetail

 

Eragrostis frankii

Frank's Love Grass

 

Galium trifidum var. trifidum

Small Bedstraw

 

Glyceria grandis var. grandis

American Manna Grass

Endangered

Juncus articulatus

Jointed Rush

 

Juniperus communis var. depressa

Dwarf Juniper

 

Kalmia polifolia

Pale-laurel

Endangered

Lactuca hirsuta var. sanguinea

Red-stem Hairy Lettuce

 

Lechea intermedia var. intermedia

Large-pod Pinweed

 

Lilium philadelphicum var. philadelphicum

Wood Lily

 

Lycopodium hickeyi

Hickey's Ground-pine

 

Lysimachia thyrsiflora

Tufted Loosestrife

 

Milium effusum

Tall Millet Grass

Endangered

Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum

Scribner's Panic Grass

 

Phegopteris connectilis

Northern Beech Fern

 

Platanthera psycodes

Purple Fringed Orchid

 

Poa languida

Drooping Spear Grass

 

Potamogeton obtusifolius

Blunt-leaf Pondweed

Endangered

Potamogeton robbinsii

Robbin's Pondweed

 

Salix lucida ssp. lucida

Shining Willow

 

Selaginella rupestris

Rock Spike-moss

 

Sphagnum angustifolium

Sphagnum

Endangered

Sphagnum fuscum

Sphagnum

 

Sphagnum subsecundum

Sphagnum

Endangered

Sphagnum teres

Sphagnum

 

Spiranthes ochroleuca

Yellowish Nodding Ladies'-tresses

 

Utricularia intermedia

Flat-leaf Bladderwort

 

Utricularia minor

Lesser Bladderwort

Endangered

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Small Cranberry

 

 

 

After management, we keep an eye out for:

Deer browse

Deer browse refers to what deer eat—the leaves,twigs, and buds of a variety of plants. To help regeneration of the young plants on the management sites, we work to keep deer browse to a minimum. Data will be collected during annual site visits, and evidence of deer browse will be recorded and tracked.

Browse will be carefully analyzed on a parcel by parcel basis in order to alter management strategies when necessary.

 

Invasive Plant Species

As invasive exotic species pose a threat to native plants and wildlife, we will monitor for invasive species populations during the project. Fortunately, we have found low occurrences of Invasive plant species in management areas, if present at all. If needed, herbicide application will be done by licensed applicators following strict protocols. We use treatment methods which directly target individual plants. These techniques use minimal herbicide with little to no residual herbicide migrating into the soil.