Glovers Pond

Site Conservation Plan: Introductory Information

Site Conservation Plan Name:                     Glovers Pond

Total Area of Site:                                         4,915 acres (1,989 hectares)

Ecoregion Name:                                          Lower New England/Northern Piedmont

Primary Ecoregional Targets:

• BogTurtle (Clemmys muhlenbergi1)–G3S2
• Calcareous Fen–G3S1
• Dry-Mesic Calcareous Forest–G3G4S2?
• Calcareous Sinkhole Pond Communities–Ranksvary Terrestrial Cave Community-G4S3
• Aquatic Cave Community–G4S2

Secondary Ecoregional Targets:

• Wood Turtle  (Clemmys insculpta)–G4S3
• Pitcher  Plant  Borer  Moth (Papaipema  appassionata) –G4S2S3
• Spreading  Globeflower  (Tro/lius laxus ssp.laxus) –G4T3S1

State Rare Targets:

• Longtail Salamander  (Eurycea   longicauda  ssp. longicauda)    – G5T5S2 Blue-spotted  Salamander   (Ambystoma   laterale)  –G5S1
• Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum ) –G4S3 BarredOwl(Strix varia)–G5S3B
• Owlet Moth–(Macrochilohypocritalis)–G4S3S4
• Yellow Stoneroot Borer–(Papaipema astuta) –G3G4SU Acadian Hairstreak –(Satyrium acadicum) –G5S2S3 Water Sedge–(Carexaquatilis) –G5S1
• Showy Lady’s Slipper–(Cypripediumreginae)–G4S1 Few-flower Spike-rush–(E/eocharisquinqueflora)–G5S1
• Labrador Marsh Bedstraw–(Galiumlabradoricum)–G5S1 Small Bedstraw–(Galiumtrifidumssp.trifidum)–G5T5S1

County/State:

Warren County,NewJersey

Municipalities:

Allamuchy Township, Frelinghuysen Township,and Hope Township 

PlanningTeam:

• Paul Brangs, The Nature Conservancy of NewJersey
• Louise Galasso, The Nature Conservancy of NewJersey 
• Albert Joerger, The Nature Conservancy of NewJersey
• Holly Muller, The Nature Conservancy of NewJersey
• Angela Shoemake, The Nature Conservancy o fNewJersey
• Michael VanClef, The Nature Conservancy o fNewJersey
• KeriVanSchaften, The Nature Conservancy of NewJersey

Executive Summary

Conservation Value

The Glovers Pond portfolio site is part of the Great Limestone Valley Conservation Area, which encompasses 256 ,000 acres in Warren and Sussex Count ies, New Jersey . The area is characterized by northeast-southwest oriented ridge formations , rock outcroppings, pinnacles, sinkholes, and caves found over veins of limestone-rich bedrock . Glovers Pond is a 4,915-acre site containing a large, contiguous wetland complex, upland forests , and agricultural fields . The site is extremely important due to occurrences of six Lower New England/Northern Piedmont primary ecoregional targets (bog turtle, calcareous fen , dry-mesic calcareous forest community , calcareous sinkhole communities, terrestrial and aquatic cave communities) , three secondary ecoregional targets (wood turtle, pitcher plant borer moth, spreading globeflower) , and twelve state rare species . The overall Site Biodiversity Health Rank is “Good” .

The Challenge

The most critical threat at the Glovers Pond portfolio site is primary home development. Important stresses created by this threat include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, excessive groundwater withdrawal , and creat ion of toxins and nutrient loading. A second critical threat is invasive species, which may lead to severe degradation of the conservation targets. Other potential threats include forestry practices, crop production practices, poaching, and recreational vehicles .

Although this site is largely rural and agricultural, it is experiencing a rapid conversion of farmland into residential development. The demand for housing in this area is primarily from young families looking for affordable housing . This development pressure is expected to persist as long as the rise in land values continues to outpace the economic benefits of farming in New Jersey .

The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey, along with various stakeholders, have made progress to protect this priority habitat through the creation of the 115-acre Glovers Pond Preserve. Given the pressures of suburban sprawl, it will be essential to act swiftly over the next 10 years to continue to increase the boundaries of the preserve. Additionally, the State Agriculture Development Committee has preserved 696 acres, approximately one-half of the farmland within the site conservation boundaries. It will be important to continue to support farmland preservation while promoting compatible farming practices at this site.

The Solution

The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey will combat these threats through a combination of acquisitions of priority habitat and conservation easements, building partnerships and funding opportunities, stewardship for invasive species control and continuing education and outreach. Over the next 10 years, changes in land use will be monitored to determine the impact of the conservation strategies on the landscape level. Individual targets will be monitored to measure their viability, as well as the abatement of their critical threats. Due to the overall biodiversity ranking of the site as “Good”, through continued conservation planning and implementation, it is highly likely to achieve conservation success at the Glovers Pond portfolio site.