PALMYRA COVE DREDGE MATERIALS TO BE USED TO REDEVELOP
CAMDEN LANDFILL AS SALVATION ARMY COMMUNITY CENTER

(10/P84)TRENTON - The DEP has brokered an agreement that enables the Camden Redevelopment Agency to use dredged materials from a State-owned facility along the Delaware River in Palmyra to redevelop a Camden landfill as a multimillion-dollar Salvation Army community center, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

The work is made possible by agreements reached with National Amusements, the Burlington County Bridge Commission and the borough of Palmyra, and by the approval of the Burlington County Board of Freeholders.  National Amusements Inc. owns the land that once served as the Tacony-Palmyra Drive-In Theater, portions of which are subject to Burlington County Bridge Commission easements. 

“This access agreement is an important milestone in the redevelopment of the Harrison Avenue Landfill, a project that is energizing Camden and its community leaders,” Commissioner Martin said. “The DEP is committed to the Ray and Joan Kroc Center and to the people of Camden. When completed, it will serve educational, physical, cultural and social needs for city residents for many years to come.”

The estate of philanthropist Joan Kroc, wife of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, has provided the Camden Chapter of the Salvation Army with a $54 million grant to build and operate the 132,000-square-foot community center. Among its many services, the center will house a family service center, an arts center, a recreation center, aquatic center, library, health center, and child care center that will be augmented by outdoor athletic fields, tennis courts, basketball courts and concession stands.

The agreements with National Amusements and the bridge commission allow construction and use of a haul road connecting Route 73 to the Palmyra Cove Nature Park for access to the 22-acre dredge disposal area owned by the DEP.  A Camden Redevelopment Agency contractor will use the access road as it moves de-watered dredged materials to Camden.

The cooperation and assistance of the Burlington County Bridge Commission, Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Palmyra Cove Nature Center and Palmyra Borough, as well as funding from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, were crucial to making this project a reality.

The DEP plans to move about 200 trucks of dredged material from Palmyra Cove daily. The shipping of the materials is expected to begin by early October weeks and take three to four months to complete. By using fill material from the Palmyra Cove disposal facility, the DEP will save more than $3 million dollars because it will not have to buy fill on the open market.

More than 220,000 cubic yards of de-watered material - sand dredged during the maintenance of the Delaware River’s shipping channel - will be used to cover and grade some 35 acres of the Harrison Avenue Landfill. As a result of this project, the former municipal dump will be properly closed in accordance with DEP requirements and prepared for construction of the community center.

The balance of the landfill site is expected to be developed into a 60-acre city park, with a mile-long greenway along the river that will offer significant eagle habitat protection and enhancement.

The DEP’s Brownfield Development Area Program has worked closely with Camden officials, the Camden Redevelopment Agency, Salvation Army Camden, Cramer Hill Community Development Corporation, Coopers Ferry Development Association and Cramer Hill residents since 2006 to investigate the Harrison Avenue Landfill and prepare for the Kroc Center redevelopment.

Working with the Camden Redevelopment Agency, the DEP has already awarded more than $14 million in grants through its Hazardous Discharge and Site Remediation Fund to investigate and remediate the landfill. The constitutionally dedicated fund is supported by money from the state’s Corporate Business Tax.

In addition, the DEP has funded another $4 million in remediation activities to support future redevelopment of this site by removing 14,000 tons of industrial waste material from a different section of the old landfill.  Any waste found in the footprint of the building will be removed.

In the past, materials from the Palmyra Cove disposal facility have been used to redevelop the Camden Waterfront, including the site of the current Susquehanna Bank Center. 

  # # #

August St. Michael's bird report.  Because of the change in habitat across
Aunt Molly Road, the report is on three sections,  the walk out on the farm
paths bordering the fields,  the section across Aunt Molly road including
the oak savannah and the woods,  and the walk back on the farm paths
bordering the fields.  Only birds not recorded on the walk out are included
on the return walk list to keep from counting individual birds twice.

Sharyn

Location:     St.Michael's            
Observation date:     8/13/10            
Notes:     Empidonax species 1            
Number of species:     23            

Great Blue Heron	1
Turkey Vulture	1
Mourning Dove	43
Downy Woodpecker	1
Willow Flycatcher	1
Eastern Phoebe	4
Blue Jay	10
American Crow	13
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	1
Tree Swallow	31
Barn Swallow	14
Carolina Wren	8
House Wren	2
Eastern Bluebird	1
American Robin	16
Gray Catbird	29
Northern Mockingbird	1
European Starling	2
Common Yellowthroat	1
Eastern Towhee	4
Song Sparrow	9
Northern Cardinal	1
American Goldfinch	16

            
            
            
Location:     Aunt Molly Woods St. Michael's            
Observation date:     8/13/10            
Number of species:     12            

Wild Turkey	5
Turkey Vulture	1
Cooper's Hawk	1
Mourning Dove	1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)	1
Eastern Phoebe	1
Blue Jay	20
American Crow	1
Carolina/Black-capped Chickadee	3
Carolina Wren	4
Gray Catbird	6
Eastern Towhee	3
American Goldfinch	1

            
            
            
Location:     St.Michael's            
Observation date:     8/13/10            
Notes:     Only birds not counted on the 6:30 AM walk out counted on the            
walk back.            
Number of species:     10            

Canada Goose	2
Great Blue Heron	1
Turkey Vulture	2
Red-tailed Hawk	1
American Kestrel	1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)	1
Willow Flycatcher	2
Junevile feed by adult.  2nd adult nearby       but counted earlier in the morning.
American Robin	3
Northern Mockingbird	1
European Starling	25

Horseshoe Crab Board Approves Addendum VI
Provisions of Addendum V Extended While Development of ARM Framework Continues

Alexandria, VA - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Horseshoe Crab Management Board approved Addendum VI to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Horseshoe Crab. The Addendum extends the provisions of Addendum V through April 30, 2013, while the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework is further developed and long-term funding is secured to support the horseshoe crab monitoring program that the ARM Framework is dependent upon.

Addendum VI's measures include a delayed, male-only harvest in New Jersey and Delaware, prohibiting the harvest and landing of male and female horseshoe crabs from January 1 through June 7 in the Delaware Bay, and restricting the annual harvest to 100,000 males per state from June 8 through December 31. As with all Commission plans, states can implement more conservative management measures. In the case of New Jersey, it currently maintains a moratorium on the harvest and landing of horseshoe crab.

The Addendum also requires a delayed harvest in Maryland, prohibiting horseshoe crab harvest and landings from January 1 through June 7 and prohibits landing of horseshoe crabs in Virginia from waters outside the Bay from January 1 through June 7. No more than forty percent of Virginia's quota may be landed from ocean waters and those landings must be comprised of a minimum male to female ratio of 2:1.  Like New Jersey, Maryland has also implemented more conservative measures in 2009 to include a minimum male to female ratio of 2:1.

"I am pleased with the action taken by the Board," stated Tom O'Connell, Board Chair and Maryland DNR Fisheries Service Director. "We chose to adopt provisions that are closely aligned with the optimal harvest package produced by the ARM models. The ARM framework has the potential to be a valuable tool for the Board once it is further refined, funding is secured to support a biological survey to provide needed abundance estimates for the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab population, and a methodology is developed to allocate the sustainable harvest among the effected states (NJ, DE, MD, and VA).  The Board also agreed today to pursue strategies to secure this needed funding."

Starting November 1, 2010, the provisions of Addendum VI will come into effect and run through April 2013, unless they are replaced with provisions of another addendum before that time. The Board remains committed to development of the ARM Framework and will seek input from its advisors and the public before it is fully adopted as a management tool.

The Addendum will be available on the Commission website ( www.asmfc.org ) under Breaking News by August 13. For more information, please contact Braddock Spear, Senior Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator for Policy, at (202) 289-6400 or bspear@asmfc.org .
************************
Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202)289-6400
FAX: (202)289-6051
Email: tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org

Snake Response Team Fights Fears With Facts, Understanding
NJDEP - Endangered and Nongame Species Program

Kris Schantz understands the power of fear. It’s what drives many of us to scream or run at the mere sight of a snake in the yard.

But the principal zoologist with the Department of Environmental Protection’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program has made it her mission to dispel the myths and misconceptions at the heart of this fear.

She does this through a statewide network of volunteers that helps people when venomous snakes get a little too close for comfort, at the same time explaining the vital role snakes play in maintaining balance in New Jersey’s ecosystems.

It’s a mission that not only protects people, but snakes as well.

“By showing compassion and understanding why they are afraid, I can help the public appreciate why snakes are important and what to do if they encounter one,” said Schantz, who runs the DEP’s Venomous Snake Response Team.

The Response Team is made up of more than 80 volunteers spread across the state that includes DEP employees, local police, local animal control officers and members of the public. This highly trained team uses a combination of tact, science and understanding to protect snakes and the people who encounter them.

West Milford Animal Control Officer Beverly Lujbli has been a member of the Response Team for years. Each summer, she relocates about a dozen venomous snakes from yards, mostly rattlesnakes and a few copperheads.

“People hate snakes. They’re skeeved by them; they don’t even want to see them,” she said. “But I just can’t see people killing them. They’re very docile animals - the venomous ones especially. They’re beautiful, beautiful animals.”

Of 22 species found in New Jersey, only the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead are venomous - and each of these species is generally shy.

You’re much more likely to encounter one of the non-venomous species - which run the spectrum from the tiny and slender northern redbelly to the northern pine snake, a hefty denizen of the Pine Barrens that can grow to more than eight feet in length - than you are to ever run into a rattlesnake or copperhead.

But when encounters do occur, they are likely to happen where houses and buildings have been built along the migratory paths snakes have used for millennia between dens and foraging areas.

Schantz advises common sense whenever walking into the woods or working around the yard, especially if you live in snake habitat.

“You just have to pay attention,” she said. “You should always be aware of your surroundings in general. If you see a snake, it’s just a matter of taking a couple steps back, giving it some room.”

Under the state’s Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act, it is illegal to kill, harm, harass or collect any native, non-game wildlife. All relocations must be handled by professionals to ensure the snake’s survival.

The Response Team will not relocate a non-venomous snake. Relocation disrupts the snake’s foraging-nesting cycles, and research shows that moving a snake too far from its natural habitat will kill it.

In relocating a venomous snake, the Response Team will look for suitable habitat in the same general area that won’t harm the snake or create a conflict with another property owner.

Whether it’s embedded somewhere in the recesses of our genetic code or triggered by a lifetime of negative portrayals in books, movies and TV, Schantz says the repulsion many have for snakes is real. The key is getting people to shed their fears and, to some extent, getting them to view the world from the snake’s eyes, she explains.

 “Snakes see us as the predator,” she said. “Their first choice is to try to lay still and blend in with their surroundings or, if feeling threatened, to try to get away.”

Snakes fill an important ecological role, controlling rodents and insects and serving as a food source for raccoons, bobcats, hawks, owls and other animals. In short, snakes are indicators of a healthy, vibrant ecosystem.

Yet each year many are intentionally killed by people who don’t understand them. While many killings occur out of fear, few people have ever been bitten by venomous snakes in New Jersey - and there is no record of anyone dying of being bitten by a venomous snake in the wild in New Jersey.

Misidentification is a big factor in snake killings. Distinguishing the two venomous snakes from the non-venomous varieties can take an expert eye, so it’s simply a good idea to always keep a respectable distance from all snakes, Schantz said.

The timber rattlesnake inhabits three distinct areas - the Kittatinny Ridge and the northernmost portion of the Highlands as well as the sprawling Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. The copperhead is limited to hilly, forested regions in portions of northern New Jersey and a few isolated, hilly areas of Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

While the rattlesnake has its rattle to distinguish it from other snakes, many other snakes mimic the rattlesnake by shaking their tails on leaves, twigs and other objects. A rattlesnake has jagged and dark bands extending from side to side around the center and back end of the snake.

Distinguishing a copperhead from other look-alike species can be even trickier. The copperhead, one of New Jersey’s least common snakes, is frequently confused with the northern water snake and the eastern milk snake, among the most common species.
 
Copperheads have a dark-colored pattern that forms hourglass-shaped bands from side to side, but coloration is highly variable among individuals and changes according to seasonal shedding periods.

Both the copperhead and rattlesnake are reclusive, but each will defend itself if threatened. In reality, though, you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than of ever being bitten by one of these snakes.

Ironically, Schantz sometimes has to help volunteers get over their fear of snakes as one of the first steps in training.

“Some come in kind of terrified,” she said. “But they learn how to handle the snakes - and their fears. They are doing this because they want to do what’s best for the snakes and what’s best for the landowner.”

If you suspect a snake on your property is a rattlesnake or a copperhead and is in need of relocation, call the DEP Endangered and Nongame Species Program’s northern region office at (908) 638-4381 or (908) 638-4127, or the southern region office at (609) 628-2103. After hours and on weekends call (877) WARN-DEP.

Photos are available at: http://www.nj.gov/dep/daw/snakes/


###

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2010

Contact:  Lawrence Ragonese (609) 292-2994
                Lawrence Hajna       (609) 984-1795

COMMISSIONER MARTIN APPROVES NEW BEAR MANAGEMENT POLICY THAT CALLS FOR BEAR HUNT

(10/P72)TRENTON- Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today approved a Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, a common sense mix of bear management tools that would include the state’s first black bear hunt since 2005 to deal with an overpopulation of bears and problems they are causing, especially in northern parts of the State.

The policy also includes public education, research, bear habitat analysis and protection, non-lethal bear management techniques and enhanced efforts to keep human food sources, especially household trash, away from bears to limit troubling bear-human encounters.

“It is clear that a historical rise in public complaints regarding black bears is correlated with the growing bear population. This public safety issue cannot be ignored,’’ said Commissioner Martin, who approved the new policy after it was reviewed and unanimously recommended by the State Fish and Game Council.

“This science- and fact-based policy recognizes that hunting is an important bear management tool in combination with non-lethal controls of problem bears, public education on coexisting with bears and enforcement of laws to reduce conflicts between bears and people. Although I respect that some New Jersey residents are opposed to hunting bears, hunting is the only proven and most cost-effective method of wildlife population control and it is utilized successfully by other states with viable bear populations,’’ said Commissioner Martin.

The bear population in northwestern New Jersey has grown from 500 bears in 1992 to more than 3,400 bears today, and bears have now been encountered in all 21 New Jersey counties. Although bear-related complaints vary from year to year due to environmental factors, serious bear incidents have increased commensurate with the black bear population, up by 96 percent from 2006 through 2009, according to DEP wildlife officials. There have been several encounters with aggressive black bears in recent weeks, they noted.

Despite response to problem bears by DEP personnel and trained local police officers, bear complaints continue to rise. There were 1,261 black bear incidents, including 76 Category One aggressive incidents, reported to the DEP between Jan.1 and June 20. So far this year, 13 aggressive black bears have been euthanized, compared to 8 bears during the same period in 2009, according to the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Many other aggressive bears have not been caught.

A black bear hunt would take place in December, concurrent with the six-day firearm deer hunting season, with specific rules to be set up by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife in coming months. It would be held in portions of a 1,000 square-mile area north of Route 80 in Morris, Sussex, Warren and Passaic counties.

While more than 9,000 comments were received by the state Fish and Game Council regarding the new policy, including many that opposed hunting, no scientifically proven alternative was presented, said Commissioner Martin.

“This is a truly comprehensive new black bear policy that takes advantage of the most current management tools available to us and will properly guide us in managing this most valued wildlife resource,’’ said Commissioner Martin.

Since the 1980s, New Jersey’s black bear population has been increasing and expanding southward and eastward from forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. There have been increased sightings of bears this year in many suburban towns and urban areas, where black bears have not been previously been encountered.

The Fish and Game Council, in its July 13 decision in favor of the new policy, cited increasing damage to personal property and threats to public safety as key reasons for its vote. Home entries and attempted home entries by black bears have increased significantly since the late 1990s and remain unacceptably high despite intensive efforts to eliminate problem bears and despite intensive education efforts, the Council stated.

“The Council is not willing to continually subject the citizens of New Jersey to this level of risk to public safety and property damage from black bears, and so must take the responsible action of reducing the bear population,’’ the Council stated in its recommendation to Commissioner Martin.

To review the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/bearpolicy10.htm

For tips on proper garbage management and coexisting with bears, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearfacts_avoid.htm

 ####

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2010

SMOKY ODORS OVER CENTRAL NEW JERSEY BEING CAUSED
 BY REMNANTS OF FORT DIX WILDFIRES

(10/P64) TRENTON - Hazy, acrid smoke from wildfires that continue to smolder at Fort Dix in Burlington County may continue to drift over a large swath of central New Jersey and may continue to cause odors over large areas of the state until the next significant rainfall, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said today.

The Department of Environmental Protection advises people, especially the elderly or anyone with respiratory conditions such as asthma, to stay indoors if they smell the smoke from the fires. The smoke may be nearly invisible and appear only as a haze, not necessarily as drifting clouds. Odors have been reported as far away as Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Pollutant levels from the smoke are dropping today, but the smoky conditions could return tonight and tomorrow. The smoky haze is caused by relatively cooler and moist air keeping smoke from the fires closer to ground level.

Light winds sent the hazy smoke over the Trenton area this morning. Shifting winds could send the smoke more north of Fort Dix tomorrow, possibly into Monmouth and Middlesex counties.

“The Fort Dix fires are burning into organic materials in swampy areas that have dried out as a result of our lack of rainfall; these areas are burning slowly, a lot like charcoal in a grill,” said New Jersey State Forest Fire Service Chief Maris Gabliks. “At the same time, we are continuing to see flare-ups of fires of previously unburned stands of trees within the wildfire-containment area.”

Recent wildfires have burned approximately 3,000 acres at Fort Dix. Base fire crews have contained the fires with assistance from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, but the organic material will keep burning until the next significant rainfall. Heavy rainfall is predicted for
Saturday.

NEW JERSEY’S STATE PARKS GET EVEN GREENER THROUGH ENERGY CONSERVATION
                                 
(10/P59) TRENTON - Some of the DEP's greenest places _ its state parks _ will become even greener when it comes to energy efficiency, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

A host of long-term, energy saving improvements that were identified in an audit of select high energy use buildings in 14 state parks will be implemented beginning this year, with a potential savings of hundreds of thousands of tax dollars annually, a cut in fuel use and reduction in polluting emissions.

"Our state parks are showcases of New Jersey's natural beauty and historical significance," Commissioner Martin said. "This further greening of our parks is an important step toward ensuring that they also are models of energy efficiency in the future. We aim to set an example for the entire state."

The audit recommends such measures as replacing inefficient windows and heating and cooling systems; upgrading thermostats; installing renewable energy power sources and solar photovoltaic systems; and retrofitting lighting.

These energy-saving improvements should lower the park system’s energy bill by $257,000 each year. Also, they should greatly lower energy consumption, including a reduction of 661,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 83,000 gallons of fuel oil annually, while reducing CO2 emissions by 367 metric tons each year.

DEP has allocated $2 million to implement these recommendations, with construction planned to begin later this year. The long-term savings will far exceed construction costs, while improving the environment.

In a separate project, an already planned energy system upgrade at the Pequest and Hackettstown Fish Hatcheries in Warren County is expected to save more than $300,000 a year in energy costs.

"One of my priorities is to ensure that New Jersey’s state parks remain open and accessible to our residents," said Commissioner Martin. "Energy efficiency is one way to achieve operational cost savings while providing an environmental benefit."

The energy audit specifically targeted energy consumption of park structures, including offices, maintenance facilities and interpretive buildings. It is the latest in a series of steps by the DEP to improve energy conservation at State Park Service facilities, which have faced utility price increases of about 20 percent in recent years.
Adhering to green design principles is a Department priority to create energy-efficient facilities and buildings, whether new or existing.  Any new facilities, such as cabins, will be designed to use recycled water for toilets and solar panels will be installed for hot water.

Monmouth Battlefield State Park was one of the first to receive a geothermal heating and air-conditioning system, and other sites have followed suit, including historic Rockingham in Kingston and the Batsto Mansion and Visitors Center in Wharton State Forest.

Also, the Batsto Visitors Center was renovated using the Green Building Council's LEEDs principles, featuring the use of recycled materials in the construction of the expanded space; energy-saving controlled lighting; and reduced water consumption, energy efficient appliances.

At Island Beach State Park, restrooms at the southern end of the park are completely self-sustaining through the combined power of a windmill and solar energy, and solar panels are used at the main swimming pavilion to heat the water for the showers and sinks.

Energy conservation measures also are moving forward at the Pequest and Hackettstown Fish Hatcheries. A recent energy audit there recommended upgrades to heating, cooling and power systems, plus lighting and insulation improvements, which could save 745,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 16,000 gallons fuel oil each year.

State parks and forests included in the recent energy audit are Allaire State Park, Belleplain State Forest, Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Cheesequake State Park, Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park, Fort Mott State Park, High Point State Park, Island Beach State Park, Parvin State Park, Liberty State Park, Ringwood State Park, Washington Crossing State Park, Wharton State Forest and Worthington State Forest.

Future audits will be conducted on additional state parks and forests as the first phase of improvements are implemented.

 ######

OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY STUDY PUTS NEW JERSEY IN LEAD NATIONALLY IN CREATING ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFER ENERGY SOURCE
                               
(10/P58) TRENTON - A groundbreaking, two-year research project led by the DEP shows  minimal environmental impact would occur at sites proposed for several wind energy projects off the coast of New Jersey, which is a national leader in an effort to develop off-shore wind-to-energy power, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

Designed by scientists from the DEP, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the study will help identify optimum sites off the Jersey coast for wind energy projects that would have the least impact on the environment.

The draft final report unveiled today shows there would be negligible impacts to bird, fish and marine mammal life caused “green energy’’ turbines which could be located from 3 to 20 miles out to sea, from Barnegat Bay to Hereford Inlet off the coast of Atlantic, Ocean and Cape May counties.

“We now have the science and data needed to take the first steps towards making wind energy projects a reality for New Jersey,’’ said Commissioner Martin. “It puts us in the forefront environmentally, while also providing New Jersey with a great economic boost from jobs that will be created by this new green industry.’’

“These types of projects will have a long-term effect on climate change and help us end our reliance on fossil fuels,’’ added Commissioner Martin. “We would much rather have wind turbines than oil rigs off the coast of New Jersey.’’

The preliminary findings of the $7 million study, performed by DEP contractor Geo-Marine Inc., were released today at a meeting at DEP headquarters in Trenton with key stakeholders on the wind energy issue, including environmentalists, industry representatives and public officials.

The study area included 75 miles of coastal area from Seaside Park to North Wildwood, and explored approximately 1,360 square nautical miles. It looked at the abundance, distribution and migratory patterns of avian species, fish, marine mammals and sea turtles. It factored in shipping lanes, pipelines, tug and barge transit routes and undersea utility lines, while mapping artificial reefs, commercial and recreational fishing areas, and marine protected areas.   
 
The information generated can be used to support evaluation of a pilot turbine project proposed by Fisherman’s Energy that would be located some three miles off the coast, as well as three lease areas approved by the federal government for future meteorological studies to be done by three private companies at sites 8 miles, 16 to 18 miles, and 20 miles off the coast.

“Having the data from this study puts us far ahead of everyone else on a technology that is better for the environment and will help the state’s economy,’’ Commissioner Martin said. 

The report, presented today by Dr. Gary Buchanan, Manager of the DEP’s Office of Science, included several key findings:

●   Bird density was found to significantly decrease as you move further offshore.

●   Of all birds visually recorded, only a small percent were observed flying in the potential turbine rotor swept zone. Geese, herons, dabbling ducks, Osprey and common loons were the predominant species found in those zones.

●   Dolphins are the predominant species and most frequently observed in the study area. The densities of other marine mammals, including whales and seals, are low throughout the study area.

●   There were low sightings of sea turtles with just two species found and only during summer months.

●   Mitigation procedures could be used to limit negative impacts on birds and marine mammals, including brief turbine shut downs during peak avian migration seasons and noise reduction techniques during construction to ease the strain on hearing-sensitive dolphins.


“This is a groundbreaking study,” Dr. Buchanan said. “New Jersey is the first state to take such a detailed scientific look at its offshore ecological resources in the context of wind energy. We can now move into the next phases of wind energy development armed with lots of great information about the many important natural resources along our coast.”

The final report is expected to be completed and released in July. You can read about the project and see previous work done on this issue at www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/ocean-wind.


                                                             ####

Location:     Pole Farm
Observer:    Sharyn Magee
Observation date:     6/5/10
Number of species:     44

Great Blue Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 2 Bald Eagle 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Kestrel 1 Mourning Dove 2 Chimney Swift 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Willow Flycatcher 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Tree Swallow 5 Carolina/Black-capped Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 3 House Wren 3 Eastern Bluebird 3

American Robin 3 Gray Catbird 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Cedar Waxwing 4 Blue-winged Warbler 1 Yellow Warbler 6 Prairie Warbler 2 Ovenbird 4 Common Yellowthroat 15 Eastern Towhee 7 Field Sparrow 7 Song Sparrow 2 Scarlet Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 Indigo Bunting 1 Bobolink 3 Red-winged Blackbird 11 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Baltimore Oriole 1 American Goldfinch 1

WCAS Delaware Water Gap Field Trip -05/29/10

The following lists were compiled and submitted by Sharyn Magee

Thanks.

Location: Van Ness Road Observation date: 5/29/10 Notes: BWWA X GWWA hybrid heard, not seen Number of species: 26 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Alder Flycatcher 2 Willow Flycatcher 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Red-eyed Vireo 6 Blue Jay 1 Black-capped Chickadee 1 Veery 6 Gray Catbird 2 Cedar Waxwing 1 Blue-winged Warbler 3 Yellow Warbler 12 Chestnut-sided Warbler 5 Prairie Warbler 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 American Redstart 3 Ovenbird 6 Common Yellowthroat 3 Hooded Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Eastern Towhee 5 Scarlet Tanager 5 Northern Cardinal 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3 Indigo Bunting 2 Baltimore Oriole 4		Location: Mettler Road Observation date: 5/29/10 Number of species: 17 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Veery 2 Northern Parula 2 Yellow Warbler 4 Chestnut-sided Warbler 4 Magnolia Warbler 1 Blackburnian Warbler 1 American Redstart 3 Ovenbird 3 Common Yellowthroat 3 Field Sparrow 1 Scarlet Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 1		Location: Off Old Mine Road Observation date: 5/29/10 Number of species: 20 Turkey Vulture 1 Least Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 American Crow 1 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Gray Catbird 2 Blue-winged Warbler 1 Northern Parula 1 Yellow Warbler 3 American Redstart 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 1 Scarlet Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 1
Location: Stokes CEWA Area Observation date: 5/29/10 Number of species: 13 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 2 Red-eyed Vireo 2 Veery 3 American Robin 1 Gray Catbird 1 Yellow Warbler 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 Cerulean Warbler 3 American Redstart 5 Ovenbird 5 Chipping Sparrow 1		Location: Sawmill Road High Point SP Observation date: 5/29/10 Number of species: 8 Great Crested Flycatcher 3 Common Raven 1 Veery 4 Yellow Warbler 3 American Redstart 7 Ovenbird 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Scarlet Tanager 1