Okay, I'd like to call the special meeting June 16, 2025 to order. Start with the flags move. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. A moment of silence to remember the service and sacrifices of the armed service members who protect our nation and the first responders who protect our neighborhoods. Clerk, please take the role.
Councilman Freellander. Councilman Sacket. Councilman Quinn here. Councilman Brooks here. Councilwoman New here. Councilman Salberg.
Councilman Vtovich here. Council Vice President Brooks here. Council President Morrison here. Notice of this meeting was sent to the daily record in the official newspaper for the township of Brocoy in compliance with public law 1975 chapter 231. Additionally, notice
was posted on the township website, the official bullet board and filed in the office of the township clerk. Before we open up the open to the public session, I want to hand the meeting over to Sandy, who's going to give us a presentation.
Thank you very much. Good morning everyone. I'm Sandy. I am the vice president of land preservation and stewardship with the land conservancy of New Jersey. Can everyone hear me? Okay. Yes. Um I've been employed there for
more than 23 years. Uh I want to thank the Roughway Township Council for hosting this public hearing for us in advance of the deadline of set by the Mars County Open Space Trust Fund. And we really appreciate each of them and
all of you who took the time out of their busy days to come out and discuss this conservation effort. Uh I have a fivem minute presentation for you and I'll provide a highlight of uh our application and some details about the
property and after that I am available to take questions. Uh I do want to apologize in advance. Um I have to leave this hearing by 11 o'clock like the council a lot going on today. I was asked to come to Trenton and testify on a piece of forest legislation. So, um,
it's all important. I'm trying to get it all done. Um, I we do have two members of the conservancy board who also are Rockway Township residents, Mr. David Brick and Mr. John Morer. They're in attendance and uh, after the meeting
out, you're welcome to speak with them. Um, so I'll get right to it. Um, you can, uh, by the way, you can also find my email address and phone number on the conservy's website, Land Conservancy of New Jersey. Feel free to reach out
anytime. Um, so moving on, we start with an overview of the map. The yellow surrounded property in the center of this map is the Heler track. Uh, it is approximately 123 acres. Uh,
the address of the property is 859 Green Pond Road, Rockway Township. And uh it's also known as block 40701, lot 91. And as you can see from this map, uh the property is surrounded on
the green side by the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, which is stateowned. And then along its northwestern boundary is the county owned West Morris Greenway. West Marway. You can't see can't see my
cursor, I guess, but that's okay. You can see the linear feature uh along the northwest boundary of the property. That is the West Mar. [Music] It's the point in front of the two
ponds. The point the property doesn't actually touch Green Pond even though it's addresses Green Pond. It has an access across state land. I imagine the property in front of pond used to be part of this
property I think. Um so there's an access um state land onto the property to where the house was formerly on this property. It's currently vacant in court. So, the Wildcat Ridge WMA
um uh covers 6,318 acres of forested mountains, streams, and lakes. It hosts a viewing platform at the entrance of the Hernian Mine, which contains New Jerseyy's largest backhum.
And it also hosts Hawk Watch, which you may have heard of, where volunteers monitor the hawk migration every year. It's a fish fishing destination and part of a brook trout conservation zone. Contains streams, stock rainbow trout,
and lakes for bass fishing. The WMA represents major past investments, conservation funding and effort on the part of the New Jersey Green Acres Program, Morris County, Rockaway Township, the Land Conservancy of New Jersey, and countless volunteers and
supporters who contributed to the effort to protect this vital area in the heart of Toery has acquired 11 properties totaling 1,089 acres that have been added to wild. Preservation of the Heler tract is
critical to maintain connectivity of previously preserved land, protect the intact forest canopy, avoid excessive intrusion of invasive species and buffer the counties adjoining West Mars Greenway. This shows you the West Mars Greenway.
The red track through the county is the greenway. Uh I believe all or most of it is already owned by the county. Certainly the Rockway piece is the property is shown by the red star in the north. Uh and as you saw on the previous
map, the greenway actually joins this property. Uh the greenway connects all the way from Chester to the P County border in Rockway Central. So our subject property is mostly gentle, gently rolling and predominantly
mature upland deciduous forest. Most of the property exhibits an exceptionally robust and healthy understory and minimal invasive species, which I'll tell you is something I rarely get to say or see. Um, I don't know why this
property is in such great shape, but it really is. Um, invasives are really minimal and that you don't see frequently in town. Uh, there's a twoacre pond on the site that drains to burn me Brook and as you can see, it's really very picturesque place.
There's an old stone foundation on property. There are three walls present. Um that foundation will remain as a point of interest and uh provide historical context and character. The entire property is critical wildlife
habitat according to highlands mapping and 64 acres is prime groundwater recharge area. The site is um very rich in habitat. It's for federally endangered species including the endangered northern motus
or long bat and Indiana bat. State endangered species including eastern smallfooted little brown miotis andricolored bats. Northern gashop, boulderwing warbler, red shoulder timber rattlesnake and alig wood rat. It
also contains habitat for state threatened b owl bobcat eastern copperhead and wood turtle. NJP's geo web indicates the parcel lies within the New Jersey natural heritage priority site known as Lake Denmark. It
contains identified populations of state imperald and other rare species. All the pictures you're seeing with the exception of the hawkwatch photo were all taken on this property. property will be held by the conservancy in the short term and may eventually be
transferred to the state and added to the W. The acquisition of this property is a tremendous opportunity to secure a key parcel in a large and vital preserved landscape. It will provide recreational opportunities, habitat protection and
connectivity and serve the purposes of the New Jersey Highlands Act. The preservation of this tract is integral to existing state and county holdings and it's critical to protecting very significant past conservation investments in the immediate area.
I'll put the slides back to the map and that thank you. Um I love that everybody took time out of their day here for this. This is really really nice to see. Um, we also received
a tremendous amount of support via email from people that could not attend the meeting today. Um, and again, I just want to state that when the council was made aware of this, it became a no-brainer for us. Um, I
want to thank the the six members here uh for taking time out of their day, rearranging their work schedules uh to make sure that we attend. Uh time was of the essence here. It had to happen today. Uh so to the my fellow council members, thank you for uh for for coming
in today. [Applause] And before we do the open to the public portion, uh again, you have the council support on this. So if you still wish to come up and and speak um in favor of it,
keep in mind that you know that that job is already done. Um, that being said, in uh I will run down this list. Um, if you wish to come up, you'll approach the microphone, state your name and address for the record.
There is a threem minute time limit. Um, if you do not wish to speak any longer, just simply let us know and we will move on to the next person. David Brderich. Right up to the microphone, please.
That's okay. Just name and address. Um, good morning. I'm Jill Broad. I've been a resident in Rockway Township for 32 years at 10 place in Rockway Township and I've come to support this proposal for the addition of the land at 47 91.
to Wildcat Ridge. Um, what I'd like to have people notice, what struck me was how this m looks like a puzzle and there's a puzzle piece missing and so this lot would kind of make it a nice solid piece and a continuum of land that
would be really wonderful for our township. Um trying to scan who hear um um basically I really want to be here too so we move ahead and take care of this land because it's an opportunity
for us to protect our land and this opportunity might not know exist in the future. So now is the best time to do it. So just to wrap up quickly, I wholeheartedly support this project and thank the township and the committee for
having this hearing. Um and just again for the record, our family really wants to support it. So thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Bronin Springer. Hello. How is everyone? I'm Bronin
Springer, 1132 Green Pond Road here in Rockway and I just want to support the acquisition of this track property for our town. Thank you. Thank you, Jean Mo. John Moore. Sorry if I'm okay. Thank you. Apologies if I butcher some
names today. Judith Brown, thank you for your good. Hi, my name is Judith Brown. I died at 1000 Green Palm Road. My husband and I were lucky enough to move to the township 32 years ago. We've witnessed
how the Sorry, my voice is weak. We've witnessed how the surrounding areas continue to change, not always for the better. U we are in favor of this preservation plan because we need to protect the Highlands area of which we are a part because it provides clean
water for millions in the state. Unlike the watershed parcels, there would be public access to this property. I also know from firsthand how well the land consery manages the properties they preserve and I hope the
township and the county well their great stewardship. That's [Applause] Nick. Uh Nick. I'm from Piponyany. I'm the
local advocate for the Highlands uh uh water protection and planning planning act. Uh I would like to uh agree with uh everything the land conservancy said and one important factor I'd like to uh lead
two reports for your interest and your education on the concept of proforestation and how important contigu contiguous forests are for the the remaining biodiversity of the planet and and human
This map here you'll see is above ground carbon sequestration and you'll see in Maine is purple and the top of Jersey in that green there goes all the way up
into uh New Hampshire Vermont you'll see green which means that we have a vital carbon sequestration biosphere and ecosystem. So this
land acquisition enforces that biodiversity that ecosystem services that the great spirit gave this planet and that we have a habit of injuring and taking away. So, I'd like to uh leave
you with um two scientific reports for your uh pleasure. Intact forest in the United States, pro-forestation mitigates climate change and serves the greatest good. So, I'd like to if you
could leave it with the clerk and we'll make sure that the full council and administration gets a copy. Thank you. [Music] Neil Weiss Neil Weiss 51 over Mountain Avenue, Rockway, New Jersey. I've been a member
or member, I should say, part of Rockway Township since 1949. I've hiked up to that area quite a few times and I only have one question beside the fact that uh as past uh chairman of the environmental committee for Rockway
Township uh I support this completely. The one question I have is uh at the moment do you know of any group or persons that are against this? None have been brought to my attention. Thank you. And definitely we should go ahead and do
this. [Applause] Elizabeth Holste apologies. Hi, Elizabeth Hol 44 Center Bro20 Randolph. Um I do a lot of hiking and a
lot of different events in this area. I belong to several organizations. Marcela Community Club, Hawaii Township Historical Society, Green Pond Historical Society, and I would just like to say yes. I would like to see this property safe.
Sandy, did you want to speak again? Lisa Cast. Hello, Lisa Castlo. 83 Jacobs Road, 27 years resident of Rockaway Township. I just want to say that I'm grateful that the New Jersey Land Conservancy has
taken action to acquire this property. And I'd also like to say that I'm not an official representative of the Jacobs Road preservationist, but they're 20 uh there about 22 email addresses
associated. We've notified all of them um including Ingred and Lou Susi who've sent in emails of support and we really border right on this property and utilize and appreciate the uh great gift
and long-term dividend this is going to give all of us. Thank you. Thank you. Jess Corbert. I also live at 83 Jensen Road on a walk this morning. I was walking down a trail by our house and I noticed a squirrel
sitting on a tree and he was winking at me as I moved closer. Okay, he told me this. He said, "For all the animals, I speak for all the on my committee. Thank you very much.
We arranged for that. [Applause] I'm glad he did his job. Kathy Fle. Good morning. I live at 69 LED road in Green Pond and I just want to say that
whatever funding is needed for this, whatever fight legal challenges may or may not happen, we need to pursue this 100%. Thank you. Thank you. Just for the record, Miss Paul, there is no um financial uh effect on the town
for this, correct? No, that is correct. Thank you. Uh, Joseph Callahan, everybody's spoken for me. I'm good. Um, is there anybody who did not fill out the sheet that wishes to speak? Okay, with that being said,
resolution R25130, a resolution supporting a grant application to the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund by the Land Conservancy of New Jersey for the acquisition of Wildcat Ridge Preserve, also known as Rockaway Township, block
4071, lot 91, commonly known as the Heler Track. Can I have a motion? So move. Second. Clerk, please take the Councilman Quinn, yes. Councilman Brooks, yes. Councilwoman
Nun, yes. Councilman Boyovich, yes. Council Vice President Brooks, yes. Council President Morrison, yes. And with six yeses, motion passes. Thank you everybody for your time. The meeting by consensus. All in favor?
Hi, Mark. How are you? That's a Just make your girlfriend [Music] here. That's my best right white
shirt. Yeah.