123 Acres Near Wildcat Ridge Preserved

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has preserved 123 acres of land in Rockaway Township that is adjacent to the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, a premier Morris County destination for outdoor enthusiasts, biologists, and people who enjoy an array of resource-based recreation. 

This is a big conservation win for New Jersey. The property consists of rolling hills and mature upland deciduous forest, with a two-acre pond that drains to Burnt Meadow Brook. It also contains freshwater wetlands and a number of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals such as bats, hawks, owls, and bobcats. The New Jersey Highlands Council identifies the entire property as critical wildlife habitat, with over 64 acres of prime groundwater recharge area. Preservation of this tract is critical to maintain connectivity of previously preserved land, protect the intact forest canopy, avoid excessive intrusion of invasive species, and buffer the county’s adjoining West Morris Greenway.

“This is a wonderful property to explore in late spring when the orioles are zooming around the pond,” according to Sandy Urgo, Vice President of Land Preservation for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. “It is gratifying to be able to prevent in-fill development here, protect this forest from fragmentation, and benefit the ecology of the adjoining WMA. We are especially grateful for our partners at Morris County and The Nature Conservancy who provided significant funding to secure this important property.”

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has been at work in this area for over 30 years. They first lobbied for the state to establish Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area in 1994, and since then have acquired and transferred 10 parcels totaling 1,171 acres to expand this remarkable spot.

“Preserving land in the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area is one of The Land Conservancy’s longest running priorities,” said TLCNJ President David Epstein. “We are very appreciative of the support of wonderful partners and delighted to permanently protect another key property that contains the triple crown of land conservation: preserving important water resources, wildlife habitat and that also has tremendous public recreational opportunities.”

The new acquisition will expand an existing network of protected lands, provide additional wildlife habitat, and reinforce long-term conservation efforts in the region’s mountainous terrain. The purchase of these 123 acres was made possible in large part due to the Morris County commissioners appropriating $1.04M in Open Space funding to the project.

“This continues a preservation effort that reflects Morris County’s long-standing commitment to protecting the character and natural beauty of our communities,” said Commissioner Thomas Mastrangelo, liaison to the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation.  “Open space enhances quality of life, and our trust fund provides municipalities and nonprofits partners the opportunity to secure funding for meaningful land preservation projects.”

Wildcat Ridge WMA covers 6,318 pristine acres of forested mountain tops, streams, lakes, and ponds. It hosts a viewing platform at the entrance to the Hibernia Mine, which contains New Jersey’s largest bat hibernaculum, and a hawk watch where volunteers monitor the hawk migration every year. It is a fishing destination and part of a Brook Trout Conservation Zone. It contains streams stocked with rainbow trout, and lakes for bass fishing. This WMA represents major past investments of conservation funding and effort on the part of the New Jersey Green Acres program, the County of Morris, Rockaway Township, TLCNJ, and countless volunteers and supporters who contributed to the effort to protect this vital area in the heart of the Highlands.

Funding for the project was also made available by The Nature Conservancy's New Jersey Chapter and Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program.

“We were happy to support the protection of this acreage that provides vital habitat for plants and wildlife,” said Eliot Nagle, New Jersey Director of Lands at The Nature Conservancy. “The parcel connects significant climate resilient forests across the New Jersey Highlands region as well as migratory routes on the 2,000-mile Appalachian Mountain range, one of the most species-rich landscapes in the world.”