PennEast Pipeline: A habitat threat

Long Eared Owl at Baldpate Mountain - WCAS (Sharyn Magee)

The major component of the FoHVOS stewardship mission is protecting and restoring natural habitats.  A quick review of our stewardship staff and volunteers’ time indicate various types of activities that ultimately lead to protecting habitat. From invasive species management through forest and grassland restorations, our eye is always on stewarding an environment where flora and fauna will thrive.

With this mission in mind, we were disappointed to learn that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) seemed to change their habitat requirements on the PennEast application.  Previously the NJDEP noted that PennEast’s draft Environmental Impact Statement lacked information on the pipeline’s impact on threatened and endangered flora and fauna and required that they conduct two years of wildlife surveys along portions of the proposed route.  Unfortunately, these conditions were not included in their latest feedback to PennEast.

Hooded warbler

We are aware that many groups opposing the PennEast pipeline were encouraged when the Army Corps of Engineers and the NJDEP ruled that PennEast’s application for its Clean Water Act permits were incomplete, missing significant required data.  Additionally, NJDEP ruled that PennEast’s application was made without having legal authority to enter all of the impacted properties along the proposed route since almost 70% of landowners in New Jersey have denied PennEast survey access.   PennEast was given 30 days to remedy those application deficiencies.

Kentucky warbler

We are less encouraged.  The NJDEP delay does not mitigate our habitat concerns. Environmental impact should be considered before PennEast’s applications are reviewed. 

The Mercer County Parks Commission has partnered with FoHVOS for over 10 years to properly steward the Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain. Our FoHVOS champion for whom the preserve was named, spent a decade protecting the mountain from improper development.  Now, Baldpate Mountain is under serious threat from the proposed pipeline, with PennEast proposing to expand the existing utility right-of-way by clear-cutting an additional 150+ feet of mature forest. 

Baldpate Mountain is not only amon Mercer County’s largest contiguous forests and wildlife habitats, but has also been designated as an Audubon Important Bird Area and is an important migratory stop and breeding area for Neotropical birds, many of which are ranked by the American Bird Conservancy as birds of conservation concern.  Hooded and Kentucky warblers are not found elsewhere in Hopewell - Baldpate harbors the only forest large enough for them.  The potential damage to these breeding birds cannot be mitigated by PennEast. 

Bald Eagle - US Fish & Wildlife

In our developing Forest Stewardship Plan, we’ve found that nearly 1,000 species of plants and animals can be found at Baldpate.  Of these species, there are over 30 rare species and another 75 species of high conservation value.  Plant species include the beautiful wild comfrey and yellow giant hyssop.  Rare long-eared owls (see top photo) have recently been discovered by Washington Crossing Audubon Society and Hopewell Township just documented an American bald eagle directly on the pipeline’s proposed path. 

Baldpate Mountain was preserved with taxpayer monies to permanently protect its sensitive ecosystem and the rare species that depend upon it.  In a mostly built out state, it’s simply not possible to replace the preserved lands like Baldpate that PennEast is proposing to degrade or destroy.

We encourage the NJDEP to restore its previous protections and survey requirements for threatened and endangered flora and fauna, before it reviews PennEast’s permit applications.

Remembering Ted Stiles

 President
Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space
1989 - 2007

While most Hopewell Valley folks know Baldpate Mountain, few newcomers are familiar with its rich history including the decade long fight led by Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) early member Ted Stiles to save this beautiful land from development.

According to majority owner, Mercer County:

  

“In 1986 the property was sold to Trap Rock Industries, who planned to expand the quarry that already existed on Route 29.  When these plans failed, the remaining land was destined to be sold for luxury housing development.  Public concern and the efforts of the late conservationist Ted Stiles led to the property’s acquisition by Mercer County in 1998, creating today’s Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain.”

The Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain sign

The Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain now comprises over 1500 acres, making it the largest preserved natural area in Mercer County. 

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of Ted Stiles’s passing, yet his legacy lives on in our continued work at Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. 

We try to hold true to his vision and passion to ensure the land will be used and appreciated for generations to come.

For Ted, the presence of species like the Hooded or Kentucky Warbler would have further confirmed the great importance of protecting Baldpate. According to FoHVOS Stewardship Director, Mike Van Clef Ph.D.:

Kentucky Warbler

Hooded Warbler

"Above all else, Ted was fueled by an unabiding love of nature.  As an ecologist, he studied its intricacies and the interactions between its components (especially the co-evolution between birds and the fruit they eat). But for him, this was not enough.  He felt compelled to protect every last piece of nature that was humanly possible.  Untiring, he protected lands throughout the state, including adding many acres to the Hutcheson Memorial Forest (one of New Jersey's only old growth forests).  Lucky for all residents of the Hopewell Valley, Ted focused his protection efforts where he lived."  

Ted led or assisted with the protection of nearly 6,500 acres, which is over half of the protected lands in the Valley.  FoHVOS has continued his work and we now have increased our impact to almost 60% of the protected lands throughout the Valley.  A map and list of locations of our preserves is available here.

Our most recent preserve at Mount Rose will open in June 2017. Co-owners include Mercer County, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and Hopewell Township. We know that Ted would be so proud to see that work conclude with nearly 400 acres of preserved land.

Bronze Plaque dedicated at the first Ted Stiles Memorial Hike