Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership Exceeds Benchmarks of Start-up Grant

     As reported in Issue #10, Spring 2006, of “The Basin Bulletin” the Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership (RPWHP) is a coalition of public and private organizations focused on implementing the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) in the Central Piedmont Plains of New Jersey.  Historically, the rolling hillsides and agricultural landscapes of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties have provided excellent habitat for rare grassland birds.  The region contained the most significant grasslands in New Jersey with nesting sites found for all the grassland species that are now considered declining, threatened and endangered.   Accordingly, the RPWHP’s initial project has been the development of a Grassland Restoration Plan and the hiring of a part-time coordinator to oversee the implementation of the Plan.  The Partnership was launched with a $50,000 grant secured by Conservation Resources Inc. from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

     In order to build capacity to insure the continued effective operations of the Partnership, and to coordinate the implementation of the Grasslands Conservation Plan, RPWHP hired a Consulting Coordinator in March of this year.  Ms. Anne Heasly comes to the Partnership with an extensive background in conservation in New Jersey with experience in all aspects of land acquisition and management for rare species.  From 1992 to 2005 she worked for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey and in that role developed the Conservancy’s first Conservation Area Plan for the Pine Barrens, and was Director of the Pine Barrens Field Office.  Previously, Anne served as a consultant to several non-profits as a member of the Delta Group.   

    Currently, the Partnership is putting the finishing touches on a collaborative conservation plan for the restoration of grassland bird habitat.  Written and lead by Troy Ettel of New Jersey Audubon Society, several key partner organizations worked together to complete the Grassland Conservation Plan.  Scientists from the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Program worked with New Jersey Audubon to establish the scientific basis for the Plan and identify critical habitat.  Further geographic information systems analysis of landownership and parcel data was provided by New Jersey Conservation Foundation.  

    While the Grassland Restoration Plan was being prepared, the Delaware and Raritan Greenway Land Trust (DRG) worked to expand its landowner outreach with private landowners to further grassland habitat conservation in the Central Piedmont Plains.  Although the Grasslands Restoration Plan is just being completed, DRG was able to build on past preservation activities and its network of private landowners to jump-start implementation of the plan.   Other partner organizations have also moved forward with on-the-ground grassland restoration and monitoring projects, such as Duke Farms Foundation, Franklin Township, Hillsborough Township, and Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association.  And additional partners will be key to implementing the Plan such as the Sourlands Planning Council, Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance and local and County governments. 

   RPWHP has identified three priority strategies to help accelerate the conservation of wildlife habitat in the Central Piedmont Plains in accordance with the provisions of the SWAP.  These strategies include:

1.  The acquisition of fee simple interests or conservation easements in key parcels;

2.  the restoration of grassland areas on priority parcels of land which have already been permanently protected and which are now managed by a public agency or a non-profit conservation organization;

3.  The enhancement of key grasslands parcels in private ownership through means of a proactive private lands stewardship and outreach program; and maximization of participation in the existing federal and state landowner incentive programs. 

This science-based Plan will direct RPWHP as it undertakes an unprecedented effort to restore grassland bird habitat using biologically derived goals for land acquisition and land management in the Central Piedmont Plains in New Jersey.  Through continued quarterly Partnership meetings and numerous other meetings devoted to the preparation of the Grasslands Conservation Plan, this nascent group has made great strides in translating the goals and strategies included in the SWAP for the Central Piedmont Plains region of New Jersey into specific, on-the-ground conservation projects which will now be undertaken by one or more RPWHP partners.