PROGRAM FOR STATE OWNERSHIP of PARK and FOREST LAND IN

BOARD OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT STATE OF NEW JERSEY

}UI.Y 1, 1936 PROGRAM

STATE OWNERSHIP of PARK and FOREST LAND IN NEW JERSEY

BOARD OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT STATE OF NEW JERSEY

] lJI,Y 1, 1936 BOARD OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT

STAT:~£ HOUSE ANNEX, TRENTON, N. J.

HENRY L. MoELLER, President Weehawken ARTHUR J. CoLLINS, JR. . Moorestown WILLIAM C. CoPE . Glen Ridge W. STEWART Hor,LINGSHEAD Riverton JoHN L. KusER Bordentown HERBERT N. SMALLEY Bridgeton H. ARTHUR SMITH Lawrenceville OwEN WINSTON .Mendham (P. 0. Gladstone)

HENRY B. KOMMEL, Director and Chief of the Division of Geology and Topography.

CHARLES orester and Chief of the Division of Forests Parks. CONTENTS

PAGE Statement of Underlying Principles 5 Statement of General Situation 6

PART! NORTH JERSEY 10

Summary State Reservations ...... 13 Summary other Public Reservations ...... 15 Recommended Program ...... 15 Summary Recommended Program ...... 19

PART II SOUTH JERSEY ...... 20

Summary State Reservations ...... 22 Other Public Reservations • ...... 22 Recommended Program ...... 23 Summary Recommended Program ...... 25

PART III SEASHORE ...... 26

Recommended Program ...... • ...... 27 Summary Recommended Program ...... 28 General Summary Proposed Program ...... 29

MAP ...... 30

3 A Program

FOR State Ownership of Park and Forest Land in New Jersey

Prepared by C. P. WILBER, State Forester

STATEMENT OF UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES

Two general underlying principles are recognized in considering the matter of State owned park and forest lands. ( 1) The function of the State is to provide "open space" or recrea­ tion areas of a character or in locations which will serve the population of at least a considerable section of the State. Such areas will ordinarily only be of large wild land properties or of unusually high cost properties which, because of their primary value to the whole population are desirable but which are outside the scope or beyond the means of the local government unit. Exceptions to this general principle will occur when historic, scenic or similar factors of State­ wide interest justify State ownership and maintenance of smaller areas or of areas which from a purely recreation standpoint should not be made State projects. It is not the function of the State to provide small playground areas, the primary value of which and the major use of which will be for local populations immediately adjacent to them, nor to maintain breathing spaces in the centers of dense population, these being functions of the county ,and municipal governments. (2) There are two types of ownership involved in the program proposed; ( 1) State Parks ( 2) State Forests. Both types can and should serve the needs of the public for open spaces. Ih use no sharp line can be drawn between them. In cost there is this distinction: much higher prices are justifiable in purchases for park purposes and much greater expenditure may be made for their development. Also parks may or may not be fully self-supporting and, while many 5 such areas can and should be handled under scientific forest manage­ ment, such administration is a secondary consideration. Areas taken as State Forests, however, are expected to and will, under proper management, become self-supporting timber areas as time goes on. There is, therefore, a price limit for purchase cost and a maximum per acre limit for maintenance. However, in the New Jersey situa­ tion, with the State's dense population and limited area of available open spaces, there will certainly be park value and park use of any large forest holdings owned by the State. This will often justify a considerably higher price for such woodland areas than would be permissible for strictly forestry use both for purchase and mainte­ nance. The two programs are so closely related that they must run parallel and under close coordination to avoid duplication.

STATEMENT OF GENERAL SITUATION (a)-From the social starndpoint New Jersey, with a population of nearly 600 people per square mile, but with 80% of this population living in towns and cities presents a situation which calls for careful provision for open spaces. The unrestricted use of even the privately owned wilderness areas for out-of-doors recreation is rapidly passing. The time will soon be here when organized public reservations will offer the only opportunity for outdoor recreation to our citizens within their State. The following figures show our relation to the more progressive States in this respect, giving the acreage of organized public reser- vations per thousand of inhabitants: ·

Minnesota ...... ~ ... . 1,127 Michigan ...... 517 New Hampshire ...... 125 Wisconsin ...... 493 North Carolina ...... 68 New York ...... 220 Connecticut ...... 66 ...... 214 Massachusetts ...... 63 Vermont ...... 177 Maryland ...... 53 NEW JERSEY...... 37

New Jersey, a. leader among the States in so many ways, is sadly laggard in this respect. Present conditions of population and land use, and especially the future prospects in these respects, make this situation one which the State should take up energetically and promptly. In the recreation field, particular note should be made of the part which a general wild land ownership program may play in fish and game matters. Every large wild land holding offers three contacts with this problem. (1) Such areas will provide public hunting 6 grounds. Under proper administration such use of the areas will in no way injure their usefulness for other recreation purposes or as timber areas, but cau. make provision for the sportsmen, on an ade­ quate scale in answer to the sportsmen's urgent dema.nds, as the present State Forests do to their limited capacity. (2) Such areas will provide public fishing streams and ponds, just as the present State Forests do altogether inadequately. (3) Such areas will permit of fish and game sanctuaries for the protection of wild life and for stocking the adjacent portions of the same areas. The program proposed will in large measure, if not entirely, provide for the first and third items above named. It will not include public ownership of much of the larger streams in North Jersey and it is probable that other provision for public use of these waters will be desirable from the sportsmen's standpoint. Also any necessary provision for public access to the salt water bird shooting will require special arrangement outside this park and forest program. (b)-From the economic standpoint there are almost two million acres of wild land in New Jersey. This is nearly one-half the total area of the State. This acreage is increasing, not sl!rinking. About one and a half million acres of it is unproductive, idle, waste land. If given only fire protection, parts of it will recuperate of itself, but this will take from 150 to 300 years. If also given proper care and help it can all be made useful, profitable and beautiful within 75 years and much of it within 25 to 30 years. Other parts of the country have their reclamation problems and projects in irrigation, in flood control, in drainage for all which great sums of public money are made available. New Jersey's waste land problem is in none of these categories. It is nevertheless propor­ tionately as acute and as important. The answer to our problem is the production and maintenance of forest on our wilderness. It is now as useless to this State as flood plain, swamp and desert are to the South, the Lake States and the West. It will repay this State for rehabilitation as those other lands have and are paying for their return to usefulness. If these areas had no prospective economic value, their value to the public under public ownership as public recreation areas both now and in the future would fully justify the acquisition and management of much of them by the public for this purpose alone. The rebuilding of our wilderness will not be done by private initia­ tive or at private expense to any appreciable amount. Its degradation has been permitted through public carelessness and indifference. Its reclamation is a public responsibility and duty. We are an old State in which land ownership long since all has passed from public to private hands. This reclamation therefore, involves public purchase 7 of the land, public restoration of its forested condition, public pro­ tection of its possibilities. No other agency or agencies will, no other agencies should be expected to, perhaps no other agency could undertake the matter. The public can and should and sometime will be compelled to do so. The State can do so at a money profit and with assurance of other rich benefits from many angles, both social and economic. When restored to full productivity and assured adequate protection, wise public policy in the future may dictate return of a large portion of the reclaimed land to private ownership with adequate recompense to the State for the public investment involved. Or the public in­ terest may be best served by its continued maintenance and adminis­ tration under public ownership, both as profitable ·crop-bearing land for timber supply and to serve the wild life, recreation, watershed protection and other public needs. We will suffer immeasurably in the future and continue to lose much now, unless the State faces its idle land situation fairly and makes provision now for its remedy by reclamation. The Board of Conservation and Development has laid down and has been working for a considerable period toward a comprehensive program of State Forest ownership involving a minimum ownership of 200,000 acres of wild li!Jld to be taken in sections where the primary value of the land is now and for years to come will be its maintenance as :woodland. In addition there are locations in which the more costly park land should be taken by the State. The following figures show our relation to our neighboring states in the ownership of such public reservations.

New Massachu- Connecti- New Pennsyl- Jersey setts cut York vania Maryland Total forest of State (acres) .... 2,000,000 2,241,000 1,451,000 12,100,000 13,000,000 2,228,000 . Present area State Forest (acres) ... 54,338 160,000 66,276 2,615,384 1,649,439 53,337 Cost State Forests to date •.. $293,104 $771,000 $416,076 $19,396,786 $4,025,600 $149,608 General source Bond Issue funds to date .... Appro. Appro. Appro. Gen. Appro. Appro. Bond Issue Announced pro- gram (acres) .... 200,000 500,000 200,000 4,500,000 4,729,221 200,000 Announced pro- gram funds ...... None $2,500,000 $19,000,000 $20,000,000 $875,000 ( 11 years) (ten years) Proposed source funds ...... Appro. Appro. Appro. Bond Issue and tax

8 (c) -Geogra.phica.l Dim~~·ions. In general the State is naturally divided into three principal region:;, (I) North Jersey: the region north of a line from Trenton to South Amboy-(II) South Jersey: the portion south of this line, (III) The Sea Coast. For park and forest planning this same general division must be made, not only because of the different topographic and other natural conditions, but because of the differing conditions of population and use. These factors control any program for State ownership of park and forest land in the regions. For this reason, in the report and recommenda­ tions which follow, the program is divided into three separate parts, one for North Jersey and one for South Jersey, and one for the Shore, with a general summary for .the combined areas. Land now owned by the State, counties or municipalities for institutional, military and other specific uses of simila.r sorts is not shown on the accompanying map or considered in this program. PART I NORTH JERSEY (North of a line from Trenton to South Amboy)

A-8T.A.TEMENT In North Jersey profitable agriculture is and perforce will always be confined to rather sharply defined bottom and lower slope areas. In addition, even outside the metropolitan section, suburban and resort development is already established in many parts of the area. These facts limit to a considerable degree the locations where public reservations are necessary or available. Also in the northeastern part of the area there is already a considerable acreage of land under county and municipal ownership as park or watershed reservations. In general therefore, a program of State land ownership should be planned in the less occupied sections of the region and outside of the metropolitan area. This general rule will avoid extravagant cost of acquisition and still provide open space areas within easy reach of the general public. (a) From the recreation standpoint in these l<>cations there are still available large areas of undeveloped wild land of real beauty, admirably suited to public ownership and use, readily accessible to the out-of-doors seeker, and available at reasonable cost. (b) From the economic standpoint the areas recommended with · the exception of a few smaller park holdings are woodland or aban­ doned farm areas capable of rehabilitation as productive forest. Their present condition is such that this reclamation to full productivity will involve a period too long to make the proposition attractive to private capital. The value which they offer for public recreation in the meantime is their outstanding immediate value and, aside from their future economic possibilities, recommends them for prompt acquisition. (c) The areas indicated for State ownership are designated on the accompanying map and specifically described in this report. It must be understood that the boundaries shown are not intended to be exact · but to designate the general area within which purchase is recom­ mended. It is also noted that these areas are essentially wild land the principal, if not the only, value of which in the future will be their use for recreation, timber production or watershed protection. 10 This is obviously not true of a few of the smaller areas associated with water bodies, where the recommended acquisition is for protecting existing State interest in and making present State property usable by the general public.

B--PBESENT SITUATION In the North Jersey region the State now owns the following prop­ erties, all administered by the Board of Conservation and Develop­ ment, except as otherwise noted, their locations being shown on the accompanying map. (1) Hi,gh Point Parle (administered by the Park Com­ mission) located in the extreme northwestern corner of Sussex County, having an area of approximately 12,000 acres located on the ridge and slopes of the Kittatinny (or Blue Ridge) Mountain, given to the State by Col. Anthony R. Kuser and maintained as a wild land public park. ( 2) Palisades Interstate Parle (administered by the Palisades In­ terstate Park Oommission) located in Bergen County with an area of 1, 700 acres in New Jersey along the Palisades of the Hudson River, used as a parkway and recreation area. ( 3) Stolees State Forest located in the northwestern section of Sussex County, adjoining the southern boundary of High Point Park and extending seven miles down the Kittatinny Mountain with an area of 12,428 acres of ridge and slope hardwood forest, and an abundance of streams including the headwaters of Fla.tbrook, main­ tained as a forest with a large recreation use involved. · (4) a new purchase area located in War­ ren County just west of Hackettstown in which the State has pur­ chased 1,107 acres, including an ownership in Mountain Lake and in which there is available for acquisition approximately 7,000 acres more of mountain woodland, well watered, with a number of other potential lake sites. ( 5) Swartswood State Parle located in Sussex County, the State's ownership being Swartswood Lake with an area of 519 acres and 17 acres of land in eight approaches, the largest single area being a grove of 12 acres maintained as a picnic grove adjoining the lake. ( 6) HaclelebOJrney State Parle located in Morris County, southwest of Chester, with an area of .286 · acres the gift of Mr. Adolph E. Borie with slight additions by State purchase. The area lies in the gorge of the Black River, one of the main tributaries of the North 11 Branch of the Raritan River and is maintained as a public pleasure park. (7) located in Hunterdon County just north of High Bridge, with an area of 323 acres, the bequest of ex-Governor Foster M. Voorhees to the State for forestry purposes. The property is being developed as a combination demonstration forest and public pleasure park. (8) Washington Crossing State Park located in Mercer County at Washington's Crossing, with an area of 292 acres maintained as an historical memorial park with provision for use as a public picnic ground. (9) Hopatcong Park located in Morris County containing (a) five acres of the lower end of Hopatcong Inlet a.t Landing, taken by purchase under special appropriation for this purpose in order to free the inlet from toll charged by the previous owner for the use of this main water entrance to , and (b) 100 acres o.f land acquired in connection with the abandonment of the and held as the dam site and spillway for Lake Hopatcong and for development of the woodland and lake front for public use as a pa.rk. (10) Musconetcong Lake located on the county line between Morris and Sussex counties containing the water body of 339 acres and ap­ proximately 12 acres of land, mostly in a narrow strip around the water line of the lake, the property having been acquired in connec­ tion with the abandonment of the Morris Canal. (11) Cranberry Lake located in Sussex County containing a water body of 265 acres and 35 acres of land, the property having been acquired in connection with the abandonment of the Morris Canal. (12) Greenwood Lake located in Passaic County in New Jersey and extending into New York State. A large part of the water body in New Jersey was acquired in connection with the abandonment o.f the Morris Canal. A very small area of lake shore is State property through the same source.

12 SUMMARY OF PRESENT STATE PARK AND FOREST AREAS IN NORTH JERSEY Area *(Acres) Property Land Water Total Cost High Point Park ...... 11,958 42 12,000 Gift Palisades Interstate Park. 1,700 1,700 Stokes Forest ...... 12,387 41 12,428 $93,559 Jenny Jump Forest 1,047 60 1,107 10,136 (land) 1,000 (water- front) Swartswood Park ...... 17 519 536 30,000 Hacklebarney Park ...... 286t' 286 1,803 Voorhees Park ...... 323 323 Gift Washington Crossing Pk. . 292 292 138,740 Hopatcong Park ...... 100 5t 105 20,000 Musconetcong Park ..... 12 339 351 Morris Canal Cranberry Lake ...... 35 265 300 Morris Canal Greenwood Lake ...... 2 785 787 Morris Canal

28,159 2,056 30,215

*Figures July 1, 1936. t 5 Acres Inlet purchased $20,000-Balance Morris Canal. t 273 Acres gift-13 acres purchased.

In addition there are in this region the following principal publicly ()Wned areas of wild land or large park holdings : (1) Ess'ex County Parks with a present acreage of 3,820 acres, purchased at a cost of $6,481,840 with some of the area in city parks and in parkways, but with a large acreage in two wild-land reserva­ tions on South Mountain and Eagle Rock, provide splendid open space facilities for this portion of the densely populated metropolitan section except for such uses as camping, hunting, etc. For these forms ()I recreation and to avoid local overcrowding the wild land areas proposed in the State program will be necessary. (2) Union Ooq1:nty Parks-The Union County Park system, with a present area of 3,954 acres, purchased at a cost of $2,046,227 and with a program that will probably build the area up eventually to 'between 5,000 and 6,000 acres, comprises a considerable acreage of city and suburban parks and parkways but has a large wild land reservation on the Watchung Mountain providing splendid facilities for the Union County and nearby suburban areas as breathing spaces. As is the case in the Essex County situation, to avoid ultimate over­ -crowding certain forms of outdoor recreation such as camping, gun­ ning, etc., will still have to be taken care of on larger areas such as .are provided in the State park program.

13 (3) Passaic County Parks-The Passaic County Park Commission, with a present area of 1,1 'I 5 acres and a total of 1,500 acres under prospect for immediate acquisition is looking forward to a program of ownership of approximately 5,000 acres. Although a considerable portion of the present park areas are in the urban and suburban territory, the completed county plan will also provide outlying wild land areas, giving facilities to the population of the county, except for those forms of recreation which can only be had in an extensive wild land area., for which the proposed State areas only will provide. ( 4) Jockey Hollow Park-Partly by gift from the town. of Morris­ town and partly through the generosity of private persons interested an area of '150 acres has been taken over by the National Park Service as Jockey Hollow National Park. This property is primarily an historic shrine, though it will provide limited facilities for some forms of recreations, its major purpose as well as its character will make it largely unavailable for those forms of recreation to be had in large wild land areas. (5) Newark Watershed-The city of Newark owns between 35,000 and 36,000 acres of land in Morris, Passaic and Sussex Counties as a watershed. Inevitably there are large areas of this property between the streams and reservoirs which are woodland and will be maintained as such indefinitely, primarily for the protection of the watershed. Portions of this property are already made available to the transient recreation seeker as picnic sites, etc. It is possible that without injury to the primary water-bearing purpose of this area, it will be possible to develop facilities on a larger scale for use of portions of the property for many forms of recreation. (6) Jersey Oity Watershed-The city of Jersey City owns three large properties as potable water areas in Morris County-Approxi­ mately 1,300 acres near Boonton, the majority of which acreage is in the intake reservoir, approximately 1,200 acres around and including Split Rock Pond and 500 acres in the Longwood Valley between Berkshire and Petersburg-The first of these properties wil1 have little, if any, value for public recreation. It is possible that, as time goes on, some development of recreation uses at the Split Rock and · Longwood Valley areas may be possible. (7) East Oran.ge Watershed-The City of East Orange owns a property of 2,300 acres northeast of Chatham held as a potable water reservation. This area is closed to recreation because of wild life and valuable plantations.

14 (8) Morristown and Mendham Watershed areas-These two com­ munities own a watershed, the ultimate area of which will apparently be in excess of 1,350 acres. Some part of it will be water storage basins from which the general public will undoubtedly always be excluded but a considerable part of it is mountain woodland which may be usable for outdoor recreation. (9) Wanaque Reservoir-This area, a large part of which is in the Wanaque Reservoir water body, will offer little, if any opportunity for public recreation. (10) Pica1tinny Arsenal-The two properties of the Federal gov­ ernment owned in this vicinity with an area of 2,050 acres, being munitions depot and explosive manufacturing plants, in no way will serve recreation in the future.

SUMMARY .FEDERAL, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL RESERVATIONS-NORTH JERSEY Area (Acres) Cost lantl Property Present Proposed to date Essex County Parks ...... 3,820 4,000 $6,481,840 Union County Parks ...... 3.954 6,000 2,046,227 Passaic County Parks ...... 1,175 5,000 1,456,559 Jockey Hollow Park ...... 750 Newark Watershed ...... 35,000 Jersey City Watershed ...... 3,000 East Orange Watershed ...... 2,300 Morristown and Mendham Watershed .. . 1,350 Wanaque Reservoir (land) ...... 3,390 Water surface ...... 2,310 Picat:nny Arsenal ...... 2,050

59,099

C-RECOMMENDED PROGRAM (1) Kitta.tin.ny State Forest to be located in Sussex and Warren Counties embracing the entire wild-land area on the Kittatinny (or Blue Ridge) Mountain from the State line above High Point to the Delaware Water Gap with a total area of approximately 60,000 acres. Within this area the State now owns High Point Park, 12,000 acres, and , 12,428 acres. It is recommended that the State's ownership be expanded as rapidly as possible to include the remaining 40,000 acres required to complete the property. (2) Jenny Jump Sta:te Forest to be located on Jenny Jump Moun­ tain in Warren County. This area is well suited to forestry manage­ ment and is selected primarily for that purpose. Its natural beauty, 15 its available surface water and its general character also qualify it admirably for recreation development and use. The State now owns 1,107 acres. It is recommended that this area be expanded to a minimum of 8,000 acres. ( 3) Halcihokake State Forest to be located in the general area be­ tween West Portal and the Delaware River on Musconetcong Mountain in Hunterdon County. This is a section largely woodland or poor farm land with a large acreage of abandoned farms. The area is recommended primarily as a forest for which it is well suited. How­ ever, its general character and its plentiful surface water in small streams recommend it as a wild land recreation area. It includes the sheer bluff commonly known as the Palisades of the Delaware for a distance of approximately two miles along the river, one of the most beautiful and unusual physical landscape features in the State. It borders the lower Musconetcong River for a distance of five miles or more, with ample possibility for frequent, if not nearly continuous, ownership of the river frontage. The area therefore combines natural gcenic features, natural beauty and recreation possibilities with use­ fulness as a forest property to an unusual degree. It is recommended that the State acquire a minimum area. of 10,000 acres. ( 4) to be located at Swartswood Lake, Susstox County. The State now owns the water body 519 acres, but practically no land, altogether too little shore front. The attendance during 1935 was 48,188, often far overtaxing the capacity, and because of this rapidly deteriorating the only available picnic grove. It is re.commended that not less than 200 acres be added to the present State. holdings on the shore of this lake to guarantee adequate facili­ ties for public use and enjoyment of the lake in the future. ( 5) Cranberry State Park to be located at Cranberry Lake, Sussex County. Although there is already a large colony of summer resi­ dents around the lake, it is felt that the State's ownership of the water body and a small land acreage justifies State maintenance and development of this land to guarantee public access to and use of the water body for the future. This proposition will require no purchase of land of any consequence. ( 6) Musconetcong State Park to be located at Musconetcong Lake, Morris and Sussex Counties. Public use of the lake under present conditions is practically restricted to residents of Stanhope, Netcong and the summer residents around the lake. It is felt that the State's ownership of the water body justifies provision by the State for the enjoyment and use of the property by transients. It is recommended that parking areas, bathing, picnic and boating fa.cilities be provided by the State for convenient use of the lake by the general public. 16 ( 7) to be located at the lower end of Lake Hopatcong, Morris County. It is felt that the present land area and especially the present shore frontage is not adequate for future public need on this largest lake in the State with its outstanding popularity as a summer resort and its already crowded shores. It is believed that the certain rise in value of s~ch property justifies present ac­ quisition of some undeveloped woodland area, with the lake shore or inlet frontage. An area of 1,000 acres, one of the few large tracts under single ownership with lake frontage which recently became available for purchase should be acquired. It is recommended that the State's land holdings be increased by purchase of approximately 1,000 acres at this location. ( 8) Ramapo Mountain Park to be located within the general sec­ tion in Bergen and Passaic Counties between the New York State line, the Ramapo River, the Wanaque River and Greenwood Lake. There are in this location large areas of mountain woodland, much of it in better than average forest condition, with abundant surface water. It is located near the more populous centers, it is accessible from the Greenwood Lake resort section, it has unusual natural beauty and splendid possibilities for woodland and recreation de­ velopment. The presence in the area of the old Ryerson Mansion, now Ringwood Manor, of deep historic interest and significance, and the historic associations of the surrounding section also lend a strong added justification for public ownership in the region to include these features. · It is felt that a considerable acreage under State ownership in this area is justified. It is recognized that the land values involved will put the area in the park class. It. is believed that expenditure for such a park will meet a coming need. It is pointed out that land values in this section will certainly increase greatly in the not distant future. It is recommended that the Sta.te acquire within this gen­ eral area not less than 5,000 acres as a wild land public park, to in­ clude the Ringwood Manor, unless this is reserved by Federal action. (9) HacHebarney Sta.te Park to be located at Hacklebarney, · Morris County. The gorge of the Bla.ck River is unusual in its general formation and beauty. The present Hacklebarney Park occu­ pies the slope on the west side of the stream only and extends from Hacklebarney approximately % mile down stream. The unusual beauty and unspoiled naturalness of the area attracted more than 52,563 visitors during 1935. Under present conditions the existing park is unprotected from undesirable development on the hillside across the stream. The same is true of the natural beauty for ap­ proximately another mile down stream from the present park. As an unusual natural feature, and because of its striking beauty as well as its usability for park purposes it is felt that the remainder of the gorge should be put under public ownership. It is recommended that the State's holdings in this area be increased to not less than 1,200 acres for use as a public pa.rk and picnic ground. (10) Vo()IThees State Park to be located near High Bridge, in Hunterdon County. This property now comprises two separate tracts separated by approximately 200 acres of privately owned land. It is woodland and old fields with considerable frontage on a brook. It is felt that the intervening land should be acquired, and the own­ ership extended on the west to include Willoughby Brook for its recreation value. It is recommended that this area be enlarged to not less than 750 acres by State purchase. ( 11) Oushetunk State Park to be located just west of White House in Hunterdon County. The area is a unique horseshoe-shaped ridge heavily wooded, with real natural beauty and an unusually attractive outlook not only over the enclosed Round Valley but over the sur­ rounding country. It presents good possibilities for moderate de­ velopment of water features for recreation use. Because of these features and its accessibility as well as its unsuitability for anything but woodland cover it is felt that it is admirably suited to and will be extremely useful for park purposes. It is recommended that t~e State acquire, primarily for park purposes, a wooded area of 2,500 acres. (1e) Rocky Hill Park-Available sites of a suitable character, at reasonable cost and easily accessible for public recreation and of any considerable area in the central portion of the ~tate are not many. In Middlesex and Somerset Counties, in the general territory between Rocky Hill and Monmouth Junction, there is an a.rea, still largely unspoiled by development, with nearly continuous woodland cover~ with considerable surface water available for recreation use and with real natural beauty. The area is also one of rich historical associa­ tions. It is within easy reach of a great population and would be accessible to an unusual degree, being crossed by the main super-. highway route No. 26; the old Lincoln Highway route No. 27, and several subsidiary permanent highways. It would embrace approxi­ mately one mile of the main stream-bottom of the Millstone River and be crossed for an equal distance by the Delaware and Raritan Canal. It is believed that the area is. the best suited to a major park project of any in this part of the State, available at anything but. extravagant cost. It is recommended that the State acquire as a wild land park 5,000 acres in this general section.

18 (13) Washi.ngton Crossing Park-This park area, because of its: primary memorial purpose is not intended for further expansion, except for the acquisition of a small area adjoining the present property, public ownership of which is essential to protect the beauty and values of the present park. It is recommended that funds for the purchase of approximately 20 acres of such land be provided.

SUMMARY PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR STATE PARKS AND FORESTS IN NORTH JERSEY Estimated Total Purchase Cost $2,7'87,000 Present Proposed Proposed Property Total Total Additionai

(1) Kittatinny Forest • 0 ••••• 0. 0 •• •• 24,428 60,000 35,572 (2) Jenny Jump Forest ...... 1,107 8,000 6,893

(3) Hakihokake Forest ••••• 0 •••••• 10,000 10,000

(4) Swartswood Park •••••••• 0 •••• 536 736 200 (5) Cranberry Park ...... 300 300 (6) Musconetcong Park ...... 351 351 (7) Hopatcong Park ...... 105 205 100 (8) Ramapo Mt. Park ...... 5,000 5,000

(9) Hacklebarney Park •• 0 ••••••••• 286 1,200 914 (10) Voorhees Park ...... 323 750 427

( 11) Cushetunk Park ••••• 0 •• 0 •••••• 2,500 2,500 (12) Rocky Hill Park ...... 5,000 5,000 (13) Washington Crossing Park ..... 292 312 20

27,728* 94,354 66,626 * Greenwood Lake and Palisades Interstate Park are not included in the recommended program.

19 PABT II SOUTH JERSEY (South of a line from Trenton to South Amboy and exclusive of the ocean beaches. )

.A-STATEMENT This area in general is now very clearly divided into three zones ( 1) of industrial and residential, ( 2) of agricultural, and ( 3) of wilderness areas. In the first two zones the development of the "open spaces" seems to be a function of the local county and mu­ nicipal governments. In the wilderness areas, both the possibility and desirability of large State land ownership stand out. The sub­ urban and resort development is restricted to well defined areas or belts. In the rural areas, farming has developed uniformly over nearly all of certain areas and virtually left other areas to remain almost unbroken wilderness. (a) From the recreation standpoint these wildland areas are easJly accessible to the centers of population even in Northern Jersey. They offer unlimited possibilities for public lake, stream and woodland development at low cost for all out-of-door uses, including boating, bathing, picnicking, camping, wild life sanctuary, fishing and hunt­ ing grounds. (b) From the economic standpoint the areas are now idle waste land, degraded by two centuries of neglect and abuse, to a point where most of the land now pa.ys little tax and considerable of it none at all. The areas are capable of rehabilitaticm as productive woodland, but present too unattractive a proposition in this respect to attract private initiative. Under public ownership they can and should be restored to usefulness. There are more than three quarters of a. millioll acres of such land in the region, the general boundaries of which are indicated on the accompanying map. It must be understood that considerable addi­ tional areas of such waste land exist outside the boundaries shown and that there are areas of residential, agricultural and even indus­ trial occupation inside the boundaries shown. Within these general boundaries, there are comparatively limited areas of swamp bottom to which cranberry culture possibly may be extended. There is a considerable part of the whole suitable for agricultural use, but 20 there is no need for any general increase in cleared land in these locations and it is extremely doubtful, from the general agricultural viewpoint, whether such development would be wise. It is believed that public ownership of a half million acres of these lands would be good public policy. (c) The a.reas recommended for State ownership are indicated on . the accompanying map. It must be understood that the boundaries shown are not intended to be exact, but to designate the general area within which purchase is recommended, except for four· areas spe­ cifically set out on the map otherwise. It is also noted that all of the South Jersey purchase areas are essentially wild land, the principal, if not the only value of which for years to come will be their use for recreation and timber production. In South Jersey, outside of the present State Forests, a very small proportion of the land is now under any public ownership. It is believed that the initiative in re­ claiming this idle wilderness must come from the State, that the economic benefits from the reclamation will accrue to the State, that the advantages from recreation use will be reaped by the State and that, therefore, the development of the project by the State is de­ sirable and justifiable. Thrl program for this region combines recreation or park pro­ vision with waste land reclamation. Because of this it involves a far greater land area than a simple park program would call for. It could provide for New Jersey an area with much the same general value to this State, which the great Adirondack Preserve has to New York.

B-PRESENT SITUATION Within the South Jersey territory the State now owns the follow­ ing forest and park holdings, all administered by the Board of Conservation and Development, the locations of which are shown on the accompanying map. (1) Jackson State Forest located in Ocean County between Cass­ ville and VanHiseville, containing 43 acres of pine and hardwood forest maintained as a research laboratory area. (2) Leba.non State Forest located in Burlington County between New Lisbon and Chatsworth, containing 21,555 acres of pine and hardwood upland and cedar swamp, with two of the main tributaries of the Rancocas Creek within the area. ( 3) located in Burlington County between Chatsworth and Tuckerton containing 2,958 acres of pine upland and cedar swamp, on the East Branch of the Wading River. 21 ( 4) located in Burlington and Ocean Counties just north of New Gretna, containing 8,849 acres of pine and hardwood upland and cedar swamp, embracing a considerable part of Bass River watershed. ( 5) Green Bank State Forest located in Burlington County at Green Bank containing 1,833 acres of pine and hardwood upland and {)edar swamp, on the main Mullica River. ( 6) Belle Plain State Forest located in Cape May and Cumberland Counties containing 5,565 acres of pine and hardwood upland and cedar swamp. (7) Mount Laurel Sta.te Parle located in Burlington County be­ tween Moorestown and Medford, containing 21 acres, taken by the previous Forest Park Reservation Commission in 1908, upon the initiative of the local residents, to preserve the timber cover on Mt. Laurel Hill from cutting and maintained since as a grove and picnic site used to a very limited extent by the public. ( 8) Parvin State Parle located in Salem County between Vineland and Elmer, with an area of 971 acres was acquired under specific appropriation for that purpose in 1931. It includes two lakes of 115 acres and 15 acres and two miles of stream. The balance is woodland available for intensive recreation use.

SUMMARY OF PRESENT STATE PARK AND FOREST AREAS IN SOUTH JERSEY Area* (Acres) Property Land Water Total Cost Jackson Forest ...... 43 43 $860

Lebanon Forest • 0 •••••••••••• 21,540 15 21,555 67,850 Penn Forest ...... 2,868 90 2,958 14,850 Bass River Forest ...... 8,849 8,849 39,492 Green Bank Forest ...... 1,833 1,833 18,577 Belleplain Forest ...... 5,525 40 5,565 46,780 Mt. Laurel Park ...... 21 21 500 Parvin Park ...... 841 130 971 71,765

41,520 275 41,795 $260,674 *Figures July 1, 1936.

In addition there are in this region the following principal publicly owned areas of wild land or large park holdings specifically listed, with the note that there are several smaller watershed areas which, either because of their small size or the character of the land, probably will not at any time ever figure as recreation areas. 22 (1) Camden County Parks-The Camden County Park system, the development of which is in its initial stage only at present, com­ prises 908 acres with an additional 250 acres in process of acquisition .and a possible total acreage of 5,000 acres, when the entire system is .complete. The park plans are primarily of a parkway nature rather than broadcast ownership of large areas in park ownership, but ;should offer adequate facilities for many forms of recreation to the area which they serve. (2) Atlantic City Wa.tershect-The city of Atlantic City holds as .a watershed approximately 5,500 acres of land between Pleasantville and Pomona. A considerable portion of this area may be usable for .a good many forms of recreation as time goes on, although the recreation use will be somewhat restricted because of the primary watershed purpose of the ownership. ( 3) Ca.mp Dix-The Federal reservation, set aside as Camp Dix for war use and still retained under Federal administration as a military base and training camp, probably offers little, if any, possi­ bility as a recreation area because of the character of the area and the purposes for which the property is maintained. ( 4) Lakehurst Air Station-This Federal holding, like the F'ederal Qwnership a.t Camp Dix, offers little, if any, promise of general public recreation development.

0-RECOMMENDED PROGRAM ( 1) Cheese quake State Park to be located on Raritan Bay between Morgan and Keyport in Middlesex County. This area includes the bottom-land and lower reaches of Cheesequake Creek, an unusually .attractive and surprisingly unspoiled bottom-land area surrounded by wooded highlands. The area will permit development of salt water bathing on the bay shore,. with stream development in the bottom-land :and recreation areas on the surrounding upland. Its proximity to the la.rge popula.tion of the lower metropolitan section of North Jersey and its ready accessibility recommend it as a desirable and logical item in a general State open-space program. It is recom­ mended that an area of 2,000 acres be acquired in this location for park and recreation use. (2) Wharton Sfa,te Forest to be located in Atlantic, Burlington and Camden counties. The Wharton Tract has an area of approxi­ mately 95,000 acres, nearly all wild land. It contains a considerable remnant of good pine and cedar timber and a number of valuable improved properties. It embraces a large part of the Mullica River 23 and Wa.ding River Watersheds, including three large lakes and a number of other potential pond sites. It has been recommended for State purchase for its water resource possibilities. Entirely aside from this possibility the area has value enough as a wild land reser­ vation to justify State ownership at wild land prices for its timber, recreation and wild life possibilities. For this reason, It is recom­ mended that the property be purchased for its forest and park values. ( 3) Lebanon S'tate Forest to be located in Burlington and Ocean counties. Adjoining the present State Forest, to the north for six miles or more, to the east for approximately 14 miles, to the south until the boundaries of the Wharton Tract are met six miles or more distant, the territory is wilderness with but a few scattered de­ velopments. It is recommended that the present property be ex­ panded to a minimum of 100,000 acres by addition of not less than 80,000 acres primarily for forest, but recognizing its recreation value including considerable portions of the headwaters of Rancocas Creek, Cedar Creek and other smaller coastwise streams. ( 4) Bass River State Forest to be located in Burlington and Ocean counties. Adjoining the present State Forest to the north, northeast and northwest, including the present Penn State Forest and over to the eastern boundary of the Wharton Tract, is wilderness area with but here and there scattered cranberry properties as interruptions. It is recommended that this property be increased to a minimum of 60,000 acres by addition of 48,000 acres, prima.rily for forest pur­ poses, but recognizing its recreation value including the entire Bass River watershed and the greater part of the Wading River watershed not within the Wharton tract. ( 5) Green Ba,nlc State Forest to be located in Burlington County. This area already includes a considerable acreage of valuable stream frontage on the lower Mullica River. The area offers in its river bank facilities possibilities for unusually attractive and usable recrea­ tion development, including direct power-boat access to salt water in Great Bay. In its old-growth timber and thickets of laurel, holly, etc., it has exceptionally beautiful and usable picnic possibilities. In its pine land and cedar swamp there is a better than average timber property. It is recommended that it be increased to approximately 2,500 acres by addition of approximately 700 acres, consolidating the present areas and extending ownership to the north to adjoin the Wharton holdings. ( 6) Belle Plarin State Forest to be located in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland Counties. Northward from the present property, an area principally wilderness extends for approximately 15 miles,

24 embracing the watersheds of West Creek and East Creek, the head­ waters of the Tuckahoe River and the main stream and eastern tributaries of Manumuskin River. It is recommended that this property be increased to 30,000 acres by addition of approximately 25,000 acres for combined forest and recreation purposes. ( 7) to be located in Salem County. This area except·for a few small exceptions is a complete unit as it is. Its lakes and stream, its unusual profusion of forest and other plant life and its accessibility make it one of the outstanding recreation areas in this part of the State. It can well be considered the first of a series of such areas along the Muddy Run stream as time goes on. It is recommended that small minor exceptions be purchased, but that no large expansion be planned until later.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR STATE PARKS AND FORESTS IN SOUTH JERSEY Estimated Total Purchase Cost $4,896,000 Area (Acres) Present Proposed Proposed Property Total Total Additional (1) Cheesequake Park ········· ... 2,000 2,000 (2) Wharton Forest ...... 95,000 95,000 (3) Lebanon Forest ...... 21,555} 100,000 78,445 (4) Penn Forest ...... 2,958 (5) Bass River Forest ...... 8,849 60,000 48,193 (6) Green Bank Forest ...... 1,~3 2,500 667 (7) Belleplain Forest ...... 5,565 30,000 24,435 (8) Parvin Park ...... 971 5,000 4,029 (9), Jackson Forest ...... 43 43 (10) Mt. Laurel Park ...... 21 21

41,795 294,564 252,769

25 PARTW SEASHORE PARKS

A-STATE11:ENT The New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook to Bay Head is alreadyci so completely occupied by resort development that both the cost in-; volved and the present intensive use seem to indicate the inadvisability! of public purchase for park use in this area. ,, Between Bay Head and Atlantic City there is still a large scope of: shore either sparsely occupied or undeveloped entirely. This section~ of the coast is near enough to the North Jersey metropolitan area to) be accessible and is within easy reach of the most of South J ersey.i For this reason it is recommended that the immediate program ofi State Parks for the seacoast be restricted to this section. Two\ specific locations are recommended below, with the notation that_j eventually there may develop justification for additional locations] between Atlantic City and Cape May. There is no question but tha~ seashore properties must be taken soon if they are to be secured1 before development encroaches on them, making their acquisition,; extravagantly costly and extremely difficult. The areas recommendeq.; are not the only sites available but are selected from a very limited.' number still undeveloped as those best located and best suited to th&) purposes indicated. Two distinct types of public ownership are indicated : (a) pnblic1 playgrounds; (b) an area reserved primarily to preserve the dunes; formation and the beach flora. On t4e coast there are but two publicly owned areas of unde-i veloped beach, the Federal Military Reservation at Sandy Hook and. the State National Guard Reservation at Sea Girt. It should be' noted in this connection also that there is a considerable mileage of beach owned by the various municipalities, public access to which i!f'i free to visitors to the municipality. (1) Sa.ndy Hook-The Sandy Hook Reservation, with a consider~; able acreage, offers splendid opportunities for development as a sea-:; shore park if a sufficient acreage can be released for free public access~ without interference with its primary military value. The possibility; of its being made accessible for such use to the general public has, already been under consideration by the State and Federal authori-' ties. It seems doubtful whether a sufficient !!-rea suitably located can: 2fi be released from military use to create an adequate park. If any part of the area is opened to the public as a seashore park it is doubtful whether it would alter very greatly the need for other seashore areas. (2) The Sea Girt Reservation has so small an area and so little beach front and so little possibility of expansion that if used as a park, it would influence the need for other areas but little.

B-RECOJ\IMENDED PROGRAM The accompanying map shows the general location but does not attempt to give the actual boundaries of the areas. (1) Island Beach Park-South of Seaside Park there is a stretch of 9 miles of undeveloped beach, practically all in one ownership. Because of its accessibility, location and its present undeveloped condition this area would make one of the finest ocean front proper­ ties on the North Atlantic Coast. The tract is large enough to permit of intensive recreational development of large capacity and at the same time permit an area of sufficient size to be maintained in virgin condition. It offers ocean front and bay frontage and is a unique area for a location so accessible. It is recommended that 1,666 acres extending from the sea beach to the bay be acquired as a park. (2) Barnegat Point and Long Beach Park-Just south of Barne­ gat Inlet the State now owns an acre or two of land on which historic Barnegat Light now stands, to protect which the State has spent a large sum in jetty construction. Adjoining and surrounding this area, and including the waterfront both on the inlet and sea sides, is a tract of undeveloped beach with a background of unusually impres­ sive sand dunes and an interesting remnant of beach vegetation such as cedar, holly, plum, bay, etc. Not far below this area there is avail­ able an undeveloped acreage of 1,000 acres of bar extending from the ocean front to the bay, large enough to make an admirable play­ ground both for those who desire the beach and those who prefer the bay. These locations are almost contiguous and would permit of development, maintaining the historic lighthouse, the untouched dunes and vegetation and at the same time providing adequate play­ ground facilities. The location is accessible now by a good road from the Manahawkin Bridge to the lighthouse. It is recommended that 500 to 700 acres of the larger tract and the Barnegat Point extending from the sea beach to the bay be acquired as a park.

27 SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR SEASHORE PARKS Estimated Total Purchase Cost $3,250,000 Area (Acres) Present Proposed Proposed Property Total ·Total Additional 1. Island Beach ...... 1,666 1,666 2. Barnegat Point and Long Beach Park ...... •. 700 700

2,366 2,366

28 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Purchase Costs-The purchase costs on which estimates are based are either (1) those derived from experience in State Par~ and State Forest acquisition, (2) quotations on specific areas, (3) prevailing prices in the localities as shown by acreage sales. The figures used are conservative estimates. For areas recommended as forest prop­ erties the land value used in estimating purchase costs for forestry use has not been more than can be ~ortized eventually by the timber revenue under systematic forest management. In some instances involving features of value for recreation use, but not necessary for forestry purposes, allowance for this factor has been included. Where park use is primarily indicated, values impossible for commercial forest operations are permissible and have been accepted. Tax Lieu-It is pointed out that, under existing legislation, the State Forest lands taken by the Board of Conservation and Develop­ ment are exempt from taxation, but return an annual tax lieu of 10 cents per acre from the State to the municipality. This tax lieu so far has been found to approximate closely to the tax return which the mu­ nicipality itself gets from similar privately owned wild land. State Parks, under existing legislation, are assessed for taxation by the local municipalities concerned. It is a recognized fact that park development of itself increases adjoining values sufficiently to justify local expenditure for park creation and the withdrawal of such areas from the tax lists. It has been found that State Forest ownership has enhanced general land values in their localities, aside from the natural speculative inflation to be anticipated. It is, therefore, entirely fair to expect that adjustment in the lieu status of such State holdings will be justified as time goes on. SUMMARY OF TOTAL STATE PROGRAM

(Area-Acres) Proposed Present Proposed Proposed Estimated Properties Number Total Total Additional Cost I. North Jersey Parks ...... 10 2,193 16,354 14,161 Forests 3 25,535 78,000 52,465 Total ...... 13 27,728 94,354 66,626 $2,787,000 II. South Jersey Parks ...... 3 992 7,021 6,029 Forests 7 40,803 287,543 246,740 Total ...... 10 41,795 294,564 252,769 $4,896,000 III. Seashore Parks 2 0 2,366 2,366 3,250,000 2 State Totals Parks ...... 15 3,185 26,741 22,566 Forests 10 66,338 365,543 299,205 Total ...... 25 69,523 391,284 321,761 $10,933,000

Schedule--Such a program obviously is not to be worked out com­ pletely at once and it is recommended that a ten-year program be provided for its completion. It is believed, however, that acquisition should be more rapid in its earlier stages with slower progress as it approaches completion. This will (1) result in ultimate economy in purchase costs, (2) prevent mutilation, fire damage, diversion to other uses and similar injuries, ( 3) begin at once rehabilitation of the idle land for forestry use and systematic development of recrea­ tion facilities, ( 4) permit the use of present available Federal co­ operation in labor and materials, notably through the C. C. C., and ( 5) make available an out-of-doors to the public of the present as well as provide for the future. It should be noted that in numerous instances large areas under single ownerships are available, permitting and making desirable a more rapid initial progress. It is inevitable that changing conditions will involve some modifica­ tion of such a program as it progresses. The program is proposed, therefore, as subject to possible modification in details, but as sound in its general outline and recommendations and as an urgently needed project initiation of which should not be postponed.

BoARD OF CoNSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, By HENRY L. MOELLER, President. " .July 1, 1936. 30 'DliJJJftii ' 0 ~ 0' : 0 ~

9825PD LBC 653 ('J 06-02-04 32275 HS f'