Environmental Org. Acquires 10 Acres Of Open Space In Chatham

CHATHAM, NJ — The Great Swamp Watershed Association acquired 10 acres of open space in Chatham Township. Thanks to a family's donation, the environmental organization now holds 86.5 preserved acres in the Great Swamp watershed.

The space is located at the end of Evergreen Road in the Black Brood sub-watershed — one of the five sub-watersheds in the Great Swamp. The property connects to a large amount of preserved open space, which includes the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, along with a 3.5-acre tract of land known as the Hoag Property that the watershed association acquired 20 years ago.

The property is also adjacent to wildlife travel corridors and a population of endangered Indiana bats.

The Kent family purchased the recently acquired property in 1947. At the time, the land held a young deciduous floodplain forest — a mix of young forest and wetlands — according to the watershed group. It has since grown into a maturing deciduous forest with a "heavy understory" — a layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest — of invasive species, the Great Swamp Watershed Association said.

“The property is ripe for restoration as a future project for us,” said Hazel England, the organization's director of education, outreach and land stewardship. “Just knowing this piece of land is preserved and a part of the open space in Chatham Township is very satisfying.”

Anyone interested in preserving property in the region should reach out to the Great Swamp Watershed Association. The organization aims to protect and improve the water resources of the Passaic River region.

The Great Swamp Watershed Association has also partnered with Save Noe Pond, a grassroots coalition that opposes potential development at the side of the recently sold property. Read more: Efforts To 'Save' Chatham's Noe Pond Gain Steam, March Set

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