USFS – Partnerships for Strategic Invasive Plant Control

Photo: Ramin Nakisa

United States Forest Service has funded the New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team to assist with developing plans to control invasive species on public and private lands. The Strike Team will be creating 10-year strategic plans within New Jersey’s priority forest areas selected during our previous USFS grant.

The plans will contain effective and efficient strategies that prioritize invasive species control efforts, with assignments to Strike Team land stewards and interns who will be working to complete the first year of treatment recommendations. Over the next three years, Strike Team Land Stewards and Seasonal Interns will provide 6,000 hours towards invasive plant control on six public preserves and 50 private lands. Private landowners carry special importance toward preservation of forest lands. Twenty of the forest areas will lie within the Sourlands and 30 will lie throughout other priority forest areas. Sourland Conservancy will help with recruiting landowners throughout the Sourland forests and NRCS, Ridge and Valley Conservancy and other partners will be critical in assisting with recruiting for other priority forest lands.

This project intends to provide measurable outcomes allowing for the preparation of 56 10-year Invasive Plant Management Plans. These plans will lead to the protection of 17,875 acres of forest lands in addition to wildlife protection and climate resiliency. We anticipate to eradicate 1,500 populations of emerging invasive species while controlling and restoring 55 acres of heavily infested lands. In addition to mitigating impending threats and improving ecological health of forest lands, we will be providing training sessions that will reach over 150 professionals and recruiting volunteers to assist with the project (430-person hours of volunteer stewardship). As always, numerous project partners (see below) are providing significant project implementation support to meet these very ambitious goals!

We are actively recruiting private landowners! Please check out the map of project areas and our one-page project description and contact Mike Van Clef with any questions (609-730-1560, mvanclef@fohvos.org).

Project Type: Grant

Project Period: 2018-2021

Project Locations:

  • Apshawa Preserve
  • Candice Aushmun Preserve at Forked River Mountain
  • Cape May Point State Park
  • Franklin Parker Preserve
  • Hartshorne Woods
  • Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain
  • 50 Private Lands throughout New Jersey

Project Funding: United States Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Northeastern Area, Landscape Scale Restoration Project

Project Partners: Mercer County Park Commission, Monmouth County Park System, New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Private Landowners (50), Sourland Conservancy, United States Department of Agriculture – New Jersey Natural Resource Conservation Service, United States Forest Service