TOWNSHIP of EAST Amwell HUNTERDON COUNTY
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,-============= Municipal Offices 1070 Route 202/31 Ringoes, NJ 08551-1051 (908) 782-8536 Fax (908) 782-1967 GREENWA YS AND OPEN SPACE ELEMENT of the EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN December 29, 1999 Funding for the Greenways and Open Space comes from a matching grant by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection/Office of Environmental Services and East Amwell Township. Prepared by: EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION 1070 US Route 202 Ringoes, NJ 08551-1051 In Association With: AMY S. GREENE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS, INC. 18 Commerce Street Plaza Flemington, NJ 08822-1743 ASGECI Project #1601 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments I. Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 II. Methods .......................................................................................................... 2 III. Existing Resources ......................................................................................... 3 Existing Preserved Areas ................................................................... 3 Farmland ............................................................................................ 5 Water Resources ................................................................................ 6 Forests ................................................................................................ 8 Steep Slopes ....................................................................................... 9 Endangered and Threatened Species .................................................. 9 Unique Natural Sites .......................................................................... 12 Scenic Vistas and Roadways ...... :...................................................... 12 Recreational Facilities ........................................................................ 13 Historic Resources ............................................................................. 14 IV. Adjacent Greenways ...................................................................................... 14 V. Proposed/Recommended Greenways and Open Space Preservation Plan ..... 15 VI. Summary ........................................................................................................ 19 VII. References ...................................................................................................... 20 FIGURES (All figures located in back pocket of this document) Figure 1 - Township Roads Figure 2- Farmland Assessed Areas Figure 3 - Preserved Open Space and Greenways Figure 4 - Water Resources Figure 5 -Forested Land Figure 6 -Steep Slopes Figure 7- Endangered, Threatened, and Rare Species Figure 8 - Proposed/Recommended Greenways and Open Space Preservation Plan APPENDIX A Digital Data Sharing Agreement with County of Hunterdon Management Information Systems, Division of Geographic Information Systems APPENDIXB Point Ranking System; Top Ranked Parcels; and Lists of Parcels Recommended or Noted by Township Committees APPENDIXC Information obtained from East Amwell Township Historic Committee regarding Historic Sites. APPENDIXD Section 616 of the Land Management Ordinance APPENDIXE Excerpts from 1990 East Amwell Greenways Plan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Amy S. Greene Environmental Consultants, Inc. gratefully acknowledges the active participation of the various committees and boards of East Amwell Township, and the cooperation of the Hunterdon County Management Information Systems - Division of Geographic Information Systems in the preparation of this document. We wish to thank the Hunterdon County Division of Geographic Information Systems and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Geographic Information and Analysis for sharing digital data. The sharing agreement with the Hunterdon County Division of Geographic Information Systems is included in Appendix A. In accordance with the agreement, we provide the following statement: "The maps and reports contained herein were developed using Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Geographic Information System digital data, but this secondary product has not been verified by Hunterdon County and is not county-authorized." The NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Environmental Services Program provided a large quantity of the data used in the preparation of this document. In accordance with NJDEP policies, we provide the following statement: "These maps and reports were developed using New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Geographic Information System Digital Data, but this secondary product has not been verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized." We would also like to thank the tax-paying citizens of East Amwell for the funding that made this project possible. I. INTRODUCTION This Greenways and Open Space Element of the East Amwell Township Master Plan is a guide for a township-wide network of preserved open spaces, including farmland, recreation, and conserved forested areas; and stream corridors, called greenways. Greenways and open spaces are valuable for many reasons. They provide habitat and migration corridors for wildlife in a State where such habitat is being lost to development rapidly. They can provide a visual respite, preserve community character, and also provide passive and active recreational opportunities. They serve to protect valuable, irreplaceable resources and are, therefore, a useful tool in planning potential development. Greenways and open spaces also help reduce the amount of Township budget required for public services and other infrastructure and, therefore, may help limit tax levels. East Amwell is unique in that the majority of the Township is characterized by one or more important natural resources. It also contains historic and recreational features. The stated objectives of East Amwell's Greenways and Open Space Plan project are to promote its goals of farmland preservation, protection of stream corridors, water supplies, and forest resources, and preservation of its rural environment. This Plan will also help guide land use policies, recommend regulatory actions in keeping with the agricultural, rural and historic nature of East Amwell Township, allow qualification for "fast track" Green Acres Program review (and financing), and target properties for preservation and acquisition. This Greenways and Open Space Plan seeks to expand public recreation opportunities which are respectful of the sensitive character of natural lands, farmlands, and cultural resources. Public access is currently limited to existing Township and County recreation and open space lands and lands preserved by non-profit organizations. Amy S. Greene Environmental Consultants, Inc. was hired to update the Greenways and Open Space Element of the East Amwell Township Master Plan. The funding for the project came partially from a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Environmental Services Program and partially from Township funding. Through the use of various digital mapping sources, as well as several existing texts, ASGECI has assembled a compilation of maps that include natural, agricultural; recreational, and historic resources of the Township. The main mapping source was Hunterdon County Division of Geographic Information Systems through a special Spatial Data Distribution Agreement (see Appendix A). This compilation is the property of East Amwell and has been made in ARC-VIEW GIS format. The Township has the ability to update the information as needed, and to overlay the various layers to make planning decisions and perform various analyses. 1 II. METHODS Much of the information provided in this report is a result of analysis of data provided by either Township sources, NJDEP Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Resource Data, or the Hunterdon County, New Jersey, GIS Digital Data. The mapping for this project was done in ARC-VIEW 3.1 format. Mapping included the identification of natural resources (such as wetlands and forests), approved historic districts, and recreational, and agricultural resources. Figure 3 indicates existing Preserved Open Space and Greenways. This map indicates parcels that are currently preserved, as well as those that are expected to be preserved in the near future due to current preservation negotiations. Once resources were mapped in GIS, each resource was further divided into meaningful categories. For example, the forested area coverage was divided into contiguous forests either greater than or less than 100 acres ( 40 hectares). These two categories were chosen because certain wildlife species (including certain endangered/threatened species) require large tracts of contiguous forests. Similar categories were used for other resource coverages. In several cases, the categories were chosen in a way that would cause a clumping effect, creating concentrated areas of higher value resources, rather than a scattered pattern of resources. After the coverages were devised, a weighted ranking system was developed in an effort to identify high-ranking parcels, and groups of high-ranking parcels, for preservation planning (see Appendix B). This ranking system was approved by the East Amwell Environmental Commission. The ranking system recognizes the Township's primary commitment to agricultural preservation. Secondarily, the Township has strong commitments to expanding its recreational opportunities, preserving historic resources,