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NJDEP: 2018 Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area

Release Date: January 31, 2018
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has posted updated information regarding the forestry activities for 2018 at the Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area.

NJDEP: 2018 Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has posted updated information regarding the forestry activities for 2018 at the Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area at http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/sparta/sparta_updates.htm external link.

There will be two separate areas where activities will be carried out.

1. Stand 33 – Restore Old Growth Structure

  • Size: Approximately 17 acres
  • Location: SMWMA, south side of State Highway 23, Hardyston Township
  • Access: State Highway 23, Hardyston Township
  • Equipment to be used: Chainsaws or hatchets only, no heavy equipment
  • Objective: To accelerate old growth attributes through a process known as "gap-phase replacement", which mimics the natural processes of an old-growth forest.
  • Start Date: On or about February 14, 2018.
  • Duration: All cutting will cease prior to April 1, 2018 but may resume after November 15, 2018.

2. Stand 18 – Young Forest Restoration

  • Size: Approximately 18.5 acres
  • Location: SMWMA, north of powerline, Hardyston Township
  • Access: Existing powerline access road with gravel bed on north side of Edison Road, Sparta Township
  • Equipment to be used: Heavy equipment - all vehicle operators are aware of and will be in compliance of the DOT weight requirements for the roads they travel
    1. Skidder and/or shearing equipment, similar to typical construction equipment such as a small-medium excavator, will be hauled on Edison Road to the access road on a trailer at the beginning of the project, left on site during the project, and hauled out on a trailer at the end of the project.
    2. Tri-axle log truck, similar to a garbage or propane truck, will transport approximately 400 cords, or a total 40 truckloads of logs over the course of 6-12 months, out of the access road onto Edison Road.
  • Objective: To restore young oak-hickory forest by opening the canopy to allow for the growth of young oak and hickory trees, blackberries, sedges, and a variety of other shrubs and sapling species, thus creating breeding and/or foraging habitat for more than 60 different bird species, including the endangered Golden-winged Warbler.
  • Start Date: On or about February 14, 2018.
  • Duration: All cutting will cease prior to April 1, 2018 but may resume after November 15, 2018.