The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey Marks a Year of
Conservation Accomplishments
Nonprofit Completes Conservation Projects Throughout State
Chester, New Jersey—December 31, 2004—In the face of rampant development and other threats to our state’s natural legacy, The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey continued to protect New Jersey’s disappearing waters, lands, and wildlife this year. Throughout three project areas—the Delaware Bayshores, the Pine Barrens, and the Skylands—the Conservancy used a variety of science-based innovative tools to preserve the Garden State’s natural areas.
“We are proud of our conservation results this year,” said Barbara Brummer, Ph.D., executive director of The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. “We worked to protect and restore New Jersey’s fast disappearing natural areas by finding common ground with communities and partners. Working together, we helped to preserve our state’s natural legacy and enrich our state’s quality of life for future generations to enjoy.”
Land Preservation and Partnerships
The Conservancy continued to use its hallmark conservation tool—land protection, to safeguard our state’s lands, waters, and disappearing wildlife. In the Delaware Bayshores, a 15-year debate on the fate of a critical natural corridor along the federally designated Wild and Scenic Maurice River came to a positive conclusion when the Conservancy worked to protect more than 350 acres at Maurice River Bluffs Preserve. The Conservancy also preserved almost 275 acres in the Pine Barrens at Swan Bay Wildlife Management Area along the western side of the Wading River. With the creation of Blair Creek Preserve in the Skylands, the Conservancy partnered to safeguard 480 acres of relatively intact interior matrix forest. In the Sourlands region, the Conservancy received a $1.5 million grant from the 3M Foundation to be used for conservation projects in one of central New Jersey’s few remaining intact forests.
Community Outreach
The Conservancy recognizes the importance of forging ties to local communities where we work in order to balance human and ecological needs and raise awareness of our work. In the Pine Barrens, completion of the Forked River Mountain Interpretive Trail now offers preserve visitors a chance to enjoy a self-guided tour of this natural treasure. A new location for the Skylands
Program Office lends greater opportunities for community involvement with our work in this
part of the state. In the Delaware Bayshores, a vigorous volunteer program and field trip schedule invites hands-on participation in conservation. The Children’s Habitat Bird and Butterfly Garden at Dennis Township Middle School encourages future generations of conservationists.
Securing New Leadership
This year, Barbara Brummer, Ph.D., was appointed executive director, while Tom Wells was named assistant state director, director of the Skylands program. Dr. Brummer’s background, corporate experience coupled with a dedication to conservation, is a welcome addition to the chapter. As former head of the state’s Green Acres Program, Mr. Wells brings impressive conservation credentials to the Conservancy.
Refining Our Science
Science guides our work in making critical conservation decisions. Using science, the Conservancy continued to refine its planning process and collaborate with a range of partners. In the Delaware Bayshores, the New Jersey and Delaware chapters launched a joint Baywide Conservation Area Plan that encompasses conservation targets and strategies on both sides of the Bay. In the Skylands, we continued to partner with public and private agencies to protect priority targets and combat invasive species. Conservancy staff in the Pine Barrens worked on cross-border fire restoration projects in other states honing their skills in this critical restoration strategy.
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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 117 million acres in 28 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Active in the Garden State since 1955, the Conservancy established the New Jersey Chapter in 1988. Within the state, the Conservancy has protected over 56,000 acres and has completed over 300 conservation transactions with the help of 26,000 individual members, as well as corporate sponsors and foundations. Visit us on the Web at nature.org/newjersey.
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