2020 NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY Prepared By: Tara Kenyon, AICP/PP Principal NJ License #33L100631400 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... 5 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN AND AROUND MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP ...................................................... 7 REGULATIONS AND PROGRAMS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE ...................................................................... 11 HEALTH IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURAL AVAILABILITY AND LOSS TO HUMANS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS .... 14 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO SUSTAIN AND ENHANCE AGRICULTURE? ................... 16 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 18 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 19 AIR QUALITY .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR .................................................................................................................................. 21 REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................... 21 HEALTH IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION TO HUMANS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS ................................................ 28 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY?................................................. 30 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 33 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 34 CLIMATE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35 CHARACTERISTICS OF CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 35 HOW CLIMATE AFFECTS AND IS AFFECTED BY THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................ 38 HEALTH IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE TO HUMANS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS ........................................... 40 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO ADAPT TO AND STABILIZE CLIMATE CHANGE? .......... 41 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 42 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 43 GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................................... 45 WHAT IS GEOLOGY? ............................................................................................................................................. 45 THE PIEDMONT PROVINCE AND THE NEWARK BASIN ..................................................................................... 45 GEOLOGY OF MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP ......................................................................................................... 47 WATER AVAILABILITY AND ITS IMPACTS ........................................................................................................... 49 HEALTH IMPACTS OF GEOLOGY ON HUMANS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS ......................................................... 50 HOW CAN GEOLOGY BE PROTECTED?.............................................................................................................. 50 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO PRESERVE GEOLOGY? .................................................. 50 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 52 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 53 HABITAT AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................ 55 HABITAT NEEDS, PATCHES AND CONNECTIVITY ............................................................................................. 55 THREATS TO HABITAT .......................................................................................................................................... 56 1 REGULATIONS AND PROGRAMS RELATED TO HABITAT AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ............................ 57 SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN, THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES IN AND AROUND MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP .................................................................................................................................. 59 HEALTH IMPACTS OF HABITAT LOSS AND DISCONNECTION TO HUMANS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS .......... 60 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO PROTECT, RESTORE AND ENHANCE HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY?...................................................................................................................................................... 62 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 67 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 68 LAND USE/ LAND COVER ......................................................................................................................................... 71 LAND USE PLANNING IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP ....................................................................................... 71 CURRENT LAND USE/LAND COVER SINCE PREVIOUS NRI (APRIL 2004) ....................................................... 72 FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO LAND USE/LAND COVER CHANGE .................................................................. 76 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 79 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 80 CURRENT INVENTORY AND TRENDS OF LAND PRESERVATION IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP ............... 81 REGULATIONS AND PROGRAMS RELATED TO LAND PRESERVATION ......................................................... 86 HEALTH, ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS OF LAND PRESERVATION ............................. 87 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO PROTECT, RESTORE AND ENHANCE PRESERVED LANDS? ................................................................................................................................................................... 88 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 90 CITATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 91 SOILS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 92 SOILS ACROSS NEW JERSEY AND IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP ................................................................. 95 REGULATING SOIL PROPERTIES AND MOVEMENT .......................................................................................... 98 WHAT IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP DOING TO PROTECT SOIL QUALITY AND IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH?99 THE IMPACTS OF SOIL HEALTH ON HUMAN, PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH ................................................ 100 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 101 CITATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................... 102 STEEP SLOPES AND TOPOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 104 CHARACTERISTICS OF TOPOGRAPHY AND STEEP SLOPES ........................................................................ 104 HOW TOPOGRAPHY AFFECTS AND IS AFFECTED BY THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................ 105 HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF DAMAGE OR ELIMINATION OF STEEP SLOPES TO HUMANS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS ...................................................................................................................... 106 HOW IS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WORKING TO PROTECT TOPOGRAPHY AND STEEP SLOPES? ...... 108 RECOMMENDATIONS AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS ........................................................................................ 108 CITATIONS ..........................................................................................................................................................