| North Jersey RC&D Accomplishments |
Building the Capacity of our Communities to Secure and Manage Grant Resources
North Jersey RC&D has long recognized the need to build the capacity of our communities to access and manage grant/funding resources. Towards this end RC&D has partnered with the Widgeon Foundation to provide comprehensive training on grants management and writing. In 1999 we were able to offer 11 free scholarships for a 4-day Grants Management Workshop held in Easton, Maryland. During April 2000 we offered 20 free scholarships to a 4-day grant writing workshop to be held during April in the RC&D Council area. In addition, 30 participants from community organizations were able to attend a 2-day leadership and development course offered in partnership with the Widgeon Foundation. This course helped community organizations build stronger boards and programs.
Farmers in the Raritan and Upper Delaware River Watersheds are doing their part to help protect and improve the water quality of our streams and rivers. This project focused on providing additional staff resources to farmers to help them better balance the fertilizer and pesticide usage to meet their crop needs. This cooperative effort between: North Jersey RC&D Council, NRCS, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset and Sussex County Soil Conservation Districts and the NJ Department of Agriculture has leveraged over $300,000 in funding from the EPA Pollution Prevention Program and NJDEP 319 Nonpoint Source Program to provide two Agricultural Outreach Specialists to work one-on-one with farmers. By the end of the 1999 cropping season, over 11,000 acres of farmland was being managed by watershed farmers who are implementing these "resource friendly" practices while saving money at the same time.
Earlier work completed with farmers in the Musconetcong River had shown that farmers are willing and able to adopt best management practices that help them manage their agricultural chemicals. This project continues those efforts to recruit more farmers in this high water quality, trout production watershed. At the end of the 1999 cropping season over 3,000 acres of farmland were managing their fertilizer and manure sources in water quality friendly ways. One new project goal is to help educate local and regional governments, school children and the public at large about the great effort farmers are making to protect the environment. This project is a collaborative effort of North Jersey RC&D Council, NRCS, Warren, Hunterdon, Morris and Sussex County SCD's.
This project has received $240,000 of support through NJDEP awarding of the US-EPA 319, Nonpoint Source Program Grants.
Stream Restoration Workshop for Citizen Conservationists As part of an ongoing education initiative, North Jersey RC&D Council partnered with NJ Council of Trout Unlimited, NRCS, NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife and South Branch Watershed Association to hold a workshop for citizen conservationists on stream restoration in the Fall of 1999. Fifty-five people attended the workshop and gained information and practical experience on how to implement habitat improvement projects on local streams. Using both classroom and hands-on learning experiences, participants learned about stream restoration techniques that involve stabilizing the stream banks and corridors by planting trees and shrubs. Vegetation is important to streams because it reduces erosion, enhances fish habitat by shading water and filters out chemicals, sediments and animal waste pollutants. During the afternoon session, participants worked on restoring a NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife site on the Musconetcong River at Butler Park. The State Council of Trout Unlimited is so pleased with these workshops they have committed to funding these workshops on an annual basis.
Musconetcong and Pohatcong Watershed Riparian Forest Buffer Project Identifying. preserving and enhancing streamside buffers is an important water quality priority along the cold water trout streams in Northern New Jersey. This project is a partnership between NRCS, North Jersey Resource Conservation & Development Council, Rutgers Cook College, NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife and NJDEP Division of Watershed Management to undertake an education and outreach program to communities in the Musconetcong and Pohatcong Watersheds. The project will be developing a GIS based methodology to evaluate the adequacy of streamside buffers, install buffer plantings and hold workshops for local communities on the value of buffers. Three communities will receive technical assistance and a mini-grant to help them evaluate their land development regulations for their stream buffer friendliness. This project has received two 319(h) nonpoint source pollution grants totaling over $250,000 to support these projects.
Limestone Outreach and Education The Limestone Committee of the North Jersey RC&D Council continues to provide education and outreach to communities impacted by sinkhole prone limestone formations. Presentations to municipal planning boards and community groups provide information to communities to help them better manage theses environmentally sensitive geologic bedrock areas. The Limestone Resource Committee is updating the model Limestone ordinance and planning a fall geology workshop and tour.
Restoring Our Rivers - South Branch of the Raritan River Project Sever stream bank erosion is becoming a tremendous problem along our streams in Northern New Jersey. The increased runoff causes erosion of our stream channels.
This project will be the first attempt at installing a stream restoration technique that can stabilize severely eroded stream banks using a restoration technique called stream barbs along with soil bioengineering techniques. Project partners include Ken Lockwood Chapter of Trout Unlimited, NRCS, North Jersey RC&D Council, as well as private firms involved in environmental engineering and restoration work. Planning is underway for a Fall 200 construction of the project.
Watershed Management Planning in the Raritan Basin Comprehensive watershed management is underway in many areas in New Jersey. NRCS and North Jersey RC&D Council are major partners in the efforts underwat in the Raritan Basin. Working with the project director New Jersey Water Supply Authority, RC&D and NRCS have sought to provide information for the various project technical reports. North Jersey RC&D is also serving as the key link back to the agricultural community, New Jersey Farm Bureau and conservation partner groups. The establishment of a Raritan Basin Agricultural Work Group has allowed these groups to stay informed about the progress of the watershed management process, as well as feedback on issues of concern to the agricultural community. Plans are underway for some collaborative training and projects on watershed management topics.
The economic impact of deer and geese on the farming community is of great concern to our Council. RC&D staff have been assisting farmers better articulate the financial impact that wildlife has on their operations. Council also supported Senator Schluter's legislative efforts at managing the deer problem in New Jersey.
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This page was last edited Friday, January 19, 2001 |
www.northjerseyrcd.org |