|
Important Bird and Birding Areas
|
Vernon Valley Grasslands/Pochuck Marsh
Sussex CountyCoordinates: N 41.2235
W 74.47337
Skylands: Appalachian MountainsArea: 4,582 Acres Habitat: Nontidal wetlands with scrub-shrub, grassland and upland forestSite Description: This site encompasses Pochuck Creek and Wetlands, Vernon Valley Grasslands, Vernon Crossing Marsh, Masker Road Marsh and Black Creek Marsh. The site is bound by Route 517 to the northwest, Route 94 to the southeast and continues northeast into New York. Vernon Valley Grassland/Pochuck Marsh contains significant amounts of pasture and fallow fields associated with the Vernon Valley Grasslands as well as the extensive wetland complex of Black Creek Marsh and the Pochuck Creek. The area’s diverse habitats also include freshwater wetlands, bottomland hardwood forest, wet meadows, limestone fens, limestone forest, scrub-shrub habitat, deciduous forest, hemlock groves and fallow fields. This site is located within the Highlands Preservation Area, a region of exceptional natural resource value designated by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act (Highlands Act). This act was created to preserve open space and protect NJ’s diversity of natural resources.
 |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Steve Byland |
| |
Birds: This site provides habitat for an exceptional diversity of grassland, wetland and early successional bird species. The grasslands support breeding state-endangered Sedge Wrens, Vesper Sparrows and Upland Sandpipers. Additional breeding grassland birds include state-threatened Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows and state-special concern Eastern Meadowlarks. The freshwater wetlands support Great Blue Heron, Least Bittern and King Rail. The Least Flycatcher, Barred Owl, Cooper’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, American Woodcock, Veery and Kentucky Warbler also breed here. Migrating landbirds utilize these habitats for resting and foraging throughout spring and fall migration.Conservation: As part of the Highlands Preservation Area designated by the Highlands Act, activities within the Vernon Valley Grasslands/Pochuck Marsh are subject to stringent environmental regulatory standards enforced by NJDEP. Since its inception in 2005, the Highlands Act has limited development in this region and has led to the preservation of hundreds of acres, including the 560-acre VanDokkenburg Farm. The VanDokkenburg Farm, one of the last unprotected farms in the Vernon Valley, is now part of Wawayanda State Park. Although these and other sites are protected from development, the declining number of active farms in the area and the lack of active management on publicly and privately-owned grasslands has allowed critical grassland bird habitat to succeed to later stages of successional habitats and forest. Outreach to landowners should promote implementation of a variety of grassland management techniques, including delayed mowing and haying, grazing and prescribed burning. Landowners should also be encouraged to delay mowing until mid-June to allow young birds sufficient time to fledge. Habitat management may also include the creation of buffers, filter strips and native warm season grasslands. Grassland restoration and enhancement is a priority for several federal and state incentive programs that fund habitat improvement projects on private lands. Additional threats to this site include invasive plant species, degradation of water quality and unregulated off-road vehicle use. Invasive plant species, including purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and the common reed (Phragmites australis), are quickly replacing beneficial native marsh vegetation. Nonpoint source pollutants transported into the watershed by stormwater runoff regularly degrade water quality. NJDEP recently awarded the Black Creek Watershed Protection and Restoration Plan Grant to Vernon Township for development of a plan to protect the Black Creek Watershed, by reducing the amount of nonpoint source pollutants entering the waterways.Additional Information: Site Report
 |
| A wet grassland | John Parke |
| |
|
|