Preserving forested lands, open spaces and wetlands is critical to protecting the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer. These natural lands act like a sponge, absorbing rain water and replenishing underground water supplies. In addition, forests and wetlands provide critical habitat to the unique plant and animal species found in our region.
What happens when protected natural areas need a little help to continue doing their important job?
In 2018, NJ Conservation Foundation and partners permanently preserved a 442-acre former cranberry farm owned by the same family since the Civil War. The property includes 5.5 miles of streams, including a pristine tributary of the Rancocas Creek, and is now part of a larger complex of preserved lands. Located in the Pinelands in Burlington County, cranberry production on the property stopped in 2004 and, while the property has been slowly reverting to forested wetlands, it presents another important conservation opportunity. This fall, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a grant through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund to help ensure that the existing open wetlands remain healthy, and the diversity of native plant and animal species that moved in after cranberry farming ceased can continue to flourish. Learn more about this important preservation/restoration partnership in the USFWS blog post found here!
by Stephanie Monahan, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Assistant Director for South Jersey