Field_Notes_MAR2002

The theme of this Field Notes issue is “National Wildlife Refuges” (NWR). As federal land, NWRs are a federal trust resource responsibility.

One of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (Service) major conservation priorities is to set the course for the future of America’s National Wildlife Refuge System (System). This is quite a goal for a small agency, yet the Service manages the fourth largest land base in the federal government.

The System is the most extensive network of lands in the world that are managed specifically for plants and wildlife. These lands preserve our Nation’s biological diversity. If compatible, many refuges provide hiking trails, observation areas, environmental education / interpretation, hunting and fishing, and other public use opportunities. In fact, the NWR System Improvement Act of 1997 provides guidelines and directives for administration and management of all areas in the System, especially wildlife-dependent recreation.

In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt took the first step in developing our NWR System by establishing Florida’s Pelican Island Bird Preserve. Our first refuge, a 3-acre island off Florida’s coast, has expanded to include

538 refuges on nearly 94 million acres of prime wildlife habitat in all 50 States and U.S. Trust Territories. These lands are devoted to the comprehensive management of fish and wildlife resources. In 2003, the System will celebrate a century of conservation!

Five NWRs have been established in the State of New Jersey: Wallkill River, Great Swamp, Edwin B. Forsythe, Supawna Meadows, and Cape May. Currently, they comprise almost 70,000 acres; projected acquisition is approximately 100,000 acres. These refuges support valuable wildlife habitats and exhibit great natural diversity, including bottomland hardwood forests along the Wallkill River, glacial lake basin palustrine forested wetlands in Great Swamp, and salt marshes in the coastal refuges. Located on the Atlantic Flyway, these managed lands provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including forest-dwelling and grassland birds, migrating waterfowl, wintering raptors, endangered species, and species of special emphasis. Wilderness is a designation made by Congress under the Wilderness Act of 1964, and federally designated Wilderness Areas are contained within Forsythe (6,000 ac.) and Great Swamp (3,600 ac.).

Lands within the System are acquired under a variety of acts, administrative orders and directives. Land may be acquired using the Transfer of Certain Real Property for Wildlife Conservation Purposes Act of 1948, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929, and especially via Land and Water Conservation Fund appropriations. Also, over the past 67 years, the Federal Duck Stamp Program raised over one-half billion dollars to purchase some 5 million acres of wetlands for inclusion in the System.

Our wildlife heritage contributes to the quality of our environment and is an important component of our Nation’s history. Refuges help to sustain and safeguard this heritage. Visit a refuge and experience the great diversity of biota that make these wild lands so unique. If inspired, participate in the special events hosted by a NWR, contribute to the NWR Comprehensive Conservation Planning process, become actively involved as a Service volunteer, or join a Refuge Friends Group. Citizens can help ensure that refuge lands are being sufficiently protected by keeping informed and becoming involved in the public review process. In our system of governing by checks and balances, officials and regulatory agencies are accountable for their actions, such as achieving and maintaining federally approved State Water Quality Standards (SWQS) (N.J.A.C. 7:9B) under the auspices of the Clean Water Act. Unfortunately, even today several of the refuge watersheds in our State are still void of some of the protective measures that are afforded under SWQS.

The Service has referred to its refuge system as the front yard showcase of the agency — and it is! Last year NWRs throughout the country hosted some 35 million people; collectively, New Jersey NWRs reported 621,700 visitors. Great Swamp and Forsythe, the more established NWRs in the State, had about 375,000 and 200,000 visitors, respectively. With expanded visitor facilities, these and the other three refuges could host over one million annual visitors. On the following pages are articles and photographs about each of the State’s five NWRs. Visit and enjoy our magnificent NWRs in New Jersey — and don’t forget to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp!

“Quiet. You might scare them away,” Linda cautioned. It was my first time on a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) — it happened to be the Edwin B. Forsythe – and Gene Nieminen, Visual Information Specialist at the
New Jersey Field Office (NJFO), was snapping photos of shorebirds, propping an immense and heavy telephoto lens on the hood of the Suburban. Linda Rubenstein, Forsythe’s Outdoor Recreation Planner, was with me inside the vehicle, leafing determinedly through a birding guide. I had spotted a winged pair stalking with surprising swiftness, their curved beaks sifting the shallow waters of the cove. With their quick, almost angular movements, these birds were unfamiliar to us. “I’ve got it!” Linda nearly shouted. “They’re American Avocets. That’s their winter plumage.” It was only September 25, but the pictures in the book matched what we were seeing: bright colors had faded to a dramatic white and black; we just hadn’t been prepared for it so early in autumn.

The morning had started as a literal washout: Gene and I had driven to Trenton for an Earth Stewards canoe trip through the Hamilton-Trenton Marsh only to have it cancelled because of rain. Yet it seemed a shame to haul out such high-powered photographic equipment and not use it. Besides, I had been working for the Service a good two weeks by now. It was time I got acquainted with the Refuge System, and Linda was only too happy to show us around. Quietly inching the Suburban along the eight miles of Forsythe’s auto tour route, Gene shot picture after picture. Amid a stand of common reed two doe and a buck stared at us immobile, blending perfectly into their

background.

My introduction to each of the other four refuges was equally compelling. At Supawna Meadows NWR, Refuge Manager Tom Walker and I traversed tidal marshes and grasslands as well as forested areas with underbrush. I remember glimpses of a pond through the shrubs and a Black Vulture that caught my eye with his five-foot wingspan. I left Supawna Meadows fired with the ambition to return on a Sunday when the Finns Point Rear Range Light on refuge grounds is open to the public. The view of the Delaware River from the top of this historic lighthouse has to be spectacular!

In November, three NJFO colleagues and I were lucky enough to get a tour through Great Swamp NWR conducted by Watershed Biologist Mike Horne. Mike’s account of the refuge’s success with wildlife and

contaminants management was inspiring. Some weeks later, I joined Great Swamp staff and EPA and New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife representatives to inspect newly acquired acreage and watch partnering in action as three governmental agencies made amicable decisions about how to apportion the land.

When I arrived at Wallkill River NWR, the dusting of snow that still whitened the mountains was visible only in shadowed corners of the valley; hiking the Wood Duck Nature Trail, I could almost see the snow melt. The chance of spotting a bear interested me more than the snow, yet aside from signs of beaver and muskrat, the only mammal that I saw was a large, black, feral cat that ran into the first bit of upland it could find when alerted to my presence. Hunting season was to open the next day; a reconnoitering hunter I encountered gave me an orange cap to return to headquarters. With the hospitality typical of refuge staff, Assistant Manager Steve Kahl had loaned it to him.

Cape May NWR introduced me to
New Jersey’s holly trees. I was snapping pictures when I noticed the holly branches through which I was shooting were not shrubs but had trunks covered with a smooth, light bark. Suddenly I realized a small forest of holly surrounded me, some specimens forty feet tall! Cape May NWR is famous for the habitat it provides migrating birds, but that December day those beautiful holly trees were uppermost in my mind.

Thus I have begun my acquaintance with the refuges of New Jersey; this is the first Field Notes I have had the privilege of helping to prepare. But I have already learned how great a natural treasure New Jersey has in Wallkill River, Great Swamp, Forsythe,
Cape May and Supawna Meadows NWRs. I hope this edition of Field Notes spreads the word: come and visit our refuges. Better yet, join the Friends Group of the refuge nearest you. Get involved. Conservation isn’t just fun, and it isn’t just important. It’s essential.

In the northwest corner of New Jersey, between the green ridges of the Kittatinny Ridge and the New Jersey Highlands, lies a valley cut over unhurried eons by the Wallkill River as it flowed northward toward the Hudson. Now prolific with wildlife and plants, the river and the valley it created comprise the heart of New Jersey’s newest National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Congress established the Wallkill River NWR on November 16, 1990 to conserve the natural diversity of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats in a 7,500-acre area along nine miles of the Wallkill River.

Beginning with the first piece of land acquired by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 1992 from the New Jersey Conservation Fund, land acquisition has occurred virtually every year, thanks in large part to the continuous support of Congresswoman Marge Roukema and former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, and with the assistance of the trust for Public Land. To date, a total of 4,778 acres has been acquired in Hardyston, Wantage and Vernon Townships in Sussex County, New Jersey and in Warwick, Orange County, New York.

The refuge offers a rich assemblage of plants and animals. Forested wetlands and wet meadows adjacent to the river grading into small emergent wetlands and ponds, upland hardwood forests, limestone outcroppings topped with hemlocks, old fields, and restored grasslands all comprise the landscape of this refuge. Federally threatened bog turtles inhabit the refuge and nearby lands. All told, almost 225 species of birds have been documented to occur on the refuge. Forty-eight of these are listed by the State of
New Jersey as being endangered, threatened, or species of special concern. Species such as Wild Turkey can be found here year-round, while warblers and Northern Pintails are here only during migration. Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls are present during the winter and early spring. Visitors to the refuge occasionally observe black bears and coyotes, and beavers have been very successful in re-establishing formerly drained wetlands. Several rare species of butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies have also been identified on the refuge.

The refuge’s main priorities are native grassland restoration; increased productivity of nesting grassland birds and wintering raptors; protection, management, and restoration of bog turtle habitat; and restoration of historic wetlands to provide habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Other priorities include vegetation management to ensure early successional plant growth for songbirds and breeding American Woodcock; maintaining large blocks of upland forests to benefit forest-interior songbirds such as the Worm-eating Warbler; and management to eradicate invasive exotic species such as purple loosestrife, garlic mustard, common reed, Canada thistle, and Japanese buckthorn.

For visitors, the 1.6-mile linear Wood Duck Trail, the 2.5-mile Liberty Loop Trail, and the 2.7-mile Dagmar Dale Trail offer excellent opportunities to view and photograph wildlife. Anglers catch smallmouth bass and catfish on the river; birdwatchers canoe the waterways. The Wallkill River refuge also offers deer, spring turkey, and waterfowl hunting (by permit, of course).

Information about the refuge is available at http://wallkillriver.fws.gov. The refuge’s friendly staff welcomes visitors Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1547 County Route 565, the comfortable old farmhouse that serves as the refuge office in Vernon, New Jersey 07461 (telephone number: 973/702 7266).

At the end of the Nineteenth Century, the passenger pigeon that had once flocked America’s skies, shadowing the ground with clouds of beating wings, was already extinct in the wild. The bison, that had made the earth shake with the passing of its herds, was stampeding toward oblivion. Thoughtful Americans became concerned. Every day, stories less dramatic but nevertheless disconcerting were quietly playing out on American lands and in American waters: waterfowl and migratory birds were over-hunted; many fish species were over-harvested; fish and wildlife habitat was steadily being lost to exploitation. In response, Presidents began placing certain lands into forest preserves; in 1903, Theodore Roosevelt created the first of the 55 refuges he would establish for the protection of native species. The Lacey Act of 1900 regulated interstate wildlife commerce but had no authority over the taking of wildlife. Then the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 claimed all migratory game and insectivorous birds to be within the custody and protection of the United States government.

But these two Acts lacked one key element: funding for land acquisition. To correct this problem, Congress established an acquisition authority by passing the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929, creating a Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for review and approval of proposals to acquire land for the protection of migratory birds. There were two major sources for acquisition funding: the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF). Today, LWCF monies are generated from a wide variety of sources and applied to a range of state and federal recreational programs. The MBCF was originally to be funded by the proceeds from the sale of migratory bird hunting stamps; later the Wetlands Loan Act of 1961 supplemented these monies.

Shortly after the passage of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) created the Division of Realty (Division) to administer the acquisition of lands. Now for the first time the

Service had cadres of specialists trained and equipped to maneuver through the “fine tooth comb process” of land acquisition, as well as a sophisticated unit of cartographers and GIS mapping specialists who are responsible for mapping the lands of the National Wildlife Refuge System (System). Realty’s surveyors conduct water rights and land surveys, while appraisers work with towns on revenue sharing issues. The Department of Realty Management consists of realty specialists who negotiate agreements with landowners for the purchase, lease, donation, transfer, or exchange of land. They often work with partners, other state and federal agencies, native landowners, non-profit groups, and land trusts to acquire land for the Service. Their work begins with the initial landowner contact and continues to closing when the Service officially owns the property.

Within the System, the Atlantic Coast is one of the primary focuses for species survival. New Jersey wetlands are crucial for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. The five National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in the State continue to purchase additional land. Through the combined efforts of the Service’s land acquisition program, Congressional support, and non-profit partnerships, New Jersey’s NWRs expanded by nearly 10,000 acres to 69,800 acres from 1995 to 2000. The Division maintains contact with landowners within the approved acquisition boundaries of each refuge (in all, New Jersey NWRs have Congressional authorization to purchase some 27,000 additional acres). When a landowner expresses interest in selling, a real estate appraiser determines the fair market value, and the Service may offer to purchase the

The creation of the Great Swamp began some 18,000 years ago, where the Wisconsin glacier reached its furthest point south and stopped. As the melting glacier withdrew northward, melt water flowed into the basin behind it to form Lake Passaic, a glacial lake 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. Eventually the retreating glacier uncovered the outlet at what is now Little Falls Gap, and the lake waters drained out along the Passaic River. The lake basin eventually succeeded to palustrine conditions and was replaced by extensive marshes and hardwood swamps, one of which became the Great Swamp.

The establishment of a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the Great Swamp was the result of a very dedicated grass roots public effort. In 1959, the proposed building of a 10,000-acre jetport on the Swamp inspired the Great Swamp Committee of the North American Wildlife Foundation to raise more than one million dollars with which it purchased nearly 3,000 acres, donating them to the Department of the Interior. This land became the nucleus around which Great Swamp NWR was established in 1960.

Swamp woodland, hardwood ridges, cattail marsh, ponds, meandering brooks, and grassland typify what is now an approximately 7,500-acre refuge. The Swamp contains many large old oak and beech trees, stands of mountain laurel, mosses and ferns — in all over 600 plant species of both northern and southern botanical zones. With a current total goal of 9,000 acres proposed, the refuge is still expanding as willing sellers and funds become available.

Great Swamp refuge lies 26 miles west of New York City’s Times Square and 7 miles south of Morristown, New Jersey. This oasis of wilderness, surrounded by small farms and suburban areas, provides important habitats to fish and wildlife and a unique opportunity for over 370,000 annual visitors to enjoy wildlife and wilderness in what is considered to be within the New York / New Jersey Metropolitan Area. In 1966 it was designated a Registered National Natural Landmark and in 1968 Congress designated the refuge’s eastern half a Wilderness Area, the first such area on Department of the Interior lands.

The rest of the refuge is intensively managed to maintain optimum habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. The refuge's primary purpose is to provide migrating, nesting, and feeding habitat for migratory birds, with emphasis on waterfowl. Great Swamp NWR also encourages the growth of native plant communities by manipulating water levels, primarily in five shallow refuge impoundments. The refuge restores previously drained wetlands, controls invasive plant species, and manages habitats to provide conditions preferred by waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds and other species during spring and fall migrations as well as during the nesting season. Wood Duck and Mallards are the most common waterfowl at Great Swamp NWR, while Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon and teal are also abundant during migration. The Wood Duck has responded favorably to habitat protection and enhancement efforts. Natural nesting sites for the Wood Duck have declined throughout its range, so the refuge provides artificial structures as a supplement. Habitat management that promotes young, or early successional, forest types has been shown to increase local populations of breeding American Woodcock, numerous songbirds and many other wildlife species. The refuge maintains forest-age structures, from mature growth to young brush. Rotational cutting is one of the best methods of rejuvenating and maintaining early successional habitats, such as brush. Part of the maintenance strategy for the refuge’s several hundred acres of grasslands consists of mowing on

one to four-year rotational cycles. Grasslands provide diverse wildlife habitats, food resources and nesting cover for a wide variety of wildlife species. The refuge supports more than 222 species of birds (including the largest Wood Duck population and one of the largest breeding populations of Eastern Bluebirds in the State), 39 species of reptiles and amphibians, 29 species of fish, 33 species of mammals, 72 species of butterflies, and 198 species of moths. Twenty-six species found on the refuge are listed by the State of New Jersey as being threatened or endangered, including the federally threatened bog turtle.

Two of Great Swamp’s important success stories have been the management of contaminants within its land holdings and the refuge’s ongoing coordination of pollution reduction with townships and other groups within the Great Swamp Watershed. For example, the remediation and containment of a landfill in less than the projected time, under-budget, and with minimal disturbance to surrounding areas has become a model for similar operations within the NWR System. At the same time, neighboring towns are now voluntarily working to reduce or eliminate both point and non-point pollution sources.

Visitors to the refuge are welcome and are encouraged to observe, study, photograph and hike in designated areas. For further information, contact Great Swamp NWR, 152 Pleasant Plains Road, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920, or call at 973/425 1222 (the Friends Group website address: www.friendsofgreatswamp.org). Wildlife observation is rewarding year-round at
Great Swamp.

Until the passage of the landmark National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act (Act) in 1997, the National Wildlife Refuge System (System) had no legally specified, unifying mission. The Act finally set in law the singular mission of wildlife management for the System and provided guidance for both management and growth. The Act also required the Service to manage the System as a “system,” stressing the need for cohesion and consistency across regions. Further, in the Act, Congress underscored the need for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) to articulate what the System would be in the next century.

The major instrument mandated by the Act for accomplishing the mission of the System is the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) that each refuge is to have in place by October 2012. The Act also requires revision of the CCPs every 15 years or sooner, as necessary. The Service characterizes a CCP as “. . . a document that describes the desired future conditions of the refuge.” CCPs are intended to “. . . [provide] long range guidance and management direction for the refuge manager to accomplish the purposes of the refuge, contribute to the mission of the System, and to meet our relevant mandates.” Service policy requires that all refuges be managed in accordance with approved CCPs that set forth goals, objectives and strategies for achieving refuge purposes and contributing to the mission of the System.

The Service’s planning process for the System involves two levels: the development of a broad CCP, and the formulation of detailed step-down management plans to implement the CCP fully. Each CCP will be consistent with the principles of sound fish and wildlife management, current science, legal mandates, and other Service policies, guidelines and planning documents. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, public involvement is incorporated into the process at all appropriate stages, including the preparation and revision of the CCP itself. Step-down management plans provide the details necessary to implement the CCP. Examples of these plans include the Habitat Management Plan; Wildlife Population Management Plan; and Plant, Fish and Wildlife Inventory and Monitoring Plan.

The CCP will also guide annual budget requests and the use of refuge assets. Refuges are expected to allocate funding and staff time to management strategies, tracking progress toward the goals established in the CCP

through monitoring and evaluation. Unfunded costs of implementing CCP strategies can be identified in budget databases and addressed in budget requests.

Comprehensive conservation planning ensures that the Service manage refuge lands for the conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats, maintaining consistency with Service policies, the System’s mission, and the purpose for which each refuge was established. Applying an ecosystem approach to account for the broader goals of the watershed beyond the bounds of the System proactively conserves biological diversity and integrity. Refuge management must be efficient and consistent as well as adaptive to updating refuge plans as new scientific findings necessitate.

The Act has created the impetus for the System to meet the challenges and opportunities of the new millennium. In the CCP, Congress has provided National Wildlife Refuges with a powerful tool for fulfilling the Service’s mission.

The skyline of Atlantic City, some five miles across Reeds Bay, may dominate the horizon, but the Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets stalking fish on the shores of Turtle Cove are impervious to this reminder of urban development. Black Skimmers ply the surface of the placid waters, deftly scooping prey into their beaks. Edwin B. Forsythe is truly a refuge not only for indigenous wildlife but also for numerous migratory fish and wildlife species. Congress established Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in 1984 by combining the Brigantine NWR and the Barnegat NWR, renaming them in memory of the late conservationist Congressman from southern Jersey.

The story of the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR actually begins in 1939, when Congress established the Brigantine NWR to preserve habitat for Atlantic Brant, American Black Ducks and rails. Then in 1967 Congress also created the Barnegat NWR, but when it finally united the two it could not automatically provide a land bridge between them. Today, Forsythe consists of the Barnegat Division and the Brigantine Division. In all, Edwin B. Forsythe extends along more than 50 miles of the New Jersey coast. The approved acquisition boundary of the refuge encompasses more than 56,600 acres, of which the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) owned or leased 44,980 by September 30, 2001. The Service is actively pursuing further acquisition from willing sellers.

The refuge comprises land that is of national and international significance. In 1975 Congress designated 6,600 acres of Edwin B. Forsythe as the Brigantine Wilderness Area in order to “…preserve them from the encroachment of modern mechanized and motorized society.” Additionally, Forsythe estuarine wetlands and Great Bay are one of only 17 sites in the United States classified as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, a treaty among 92 nations that provides a global network of wetlands and estuaries.

The global significance of the Forsythe wetlands is due in large measure to their location on the Atlantic Flyway and the support they lend to the migratory routes of many birds of the Americas. Refuge lands and waters provide important resting and feeding habitat for tens of thousands of ducks and geese, wading birds, shorebirds, and also migratory fish during the spring and fall. Several bird species listed as endangered or threatened either by the Federal government or the State of New Jersey nest on refuge beaches. Edwin B. Forsythe has thus become a birdwatchers’ paradise complete with an 8-mile auto tour route for observation and photo taking. Snow Goose, American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Glossy Ibis and many other species attract more than 150,000 visitors annually.

In addition to wildlife observation there are a variety of hunting and fishing opportunities as well as environmental education and interpretation at the Headquarters Building in the Brigantine Division on Great Creek Road off Route 9 in Oceanville, New Jersey 08231. Those wishing to write the refuge may post their letters to P.O. Box 72, Great Creek Road, and website fans may browse the pages and links at http://forsythe.fws.gov (Friends Group website address: www. friendsofforsythe.org) or call the refuge at 609/652 1665. The Edwin B. Forsythe NWR provides not only a haven for wildlife but also countless hours of pleasurable visiting for the American public. Visiting hours are dawn to dusk daily.

The Challenge Cost Share Program offers partnership opportunities designed to leverage U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) funds in support of fish and wildlife, recreational, or educational projects on the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) lands or adjacent areas. Each fiscal year the Service builds partnerships and provides funding for a vast range of projects through this program. The idea is simple . . . work cooperatively with partners on projects that support the management, restoration, and protection of natural resources on NWRs, fish hatcheries, and private or tribal lands. The program encourages mutual shared interest and participation with the real beneficiaries of wildlife programs -- People.

The Challenge Cost Share Program can be applied to Service lands or private lands. The Service provides up to 50 percent of the cost of a particular qualifying project and the partners / cooperators (e.g., tribes, state / local governments, private individuals / organizations) provide the remaining 50 percent. The cost share must come from non-federal contributions. The partners / cooperators may provide their share of the cost in the form of cash or non-monetary contribution such as volunteers, materials, equipment, land or other in-kind services.

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, a companion program to Challenge Cost Share, is a habitat restoration program that encourages private landowners to restore wetlands and other habitats for wildlife through funding and technical assistance. The Partners Program is proactive and voluntary, and is implemented on-the-ground to help landowners create or enhance fish and wildlife habitat. In some cases both programs may be applied to a given project.

The Service manages approximately 94 million acres comprised of 538 NWRs, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. In New Jersey there are five NWRs that encompass nearly 70,000 acres, not including the several hundred thousands of acres that surround these NWRs. There are abundant opportunities to restore habitat within and surrounding our NWRs, and all it takes is a commitment to partner. If you would like to work together to restore, protect, and manage our natural heritage and wish to initiate a project under the Challenge Cost Share Program or you would like more information, please contact the New Jersey Field Office, at 609/646 9310, extension 46 or your local NWR.

Along the New Jersey coast between Cape May and Wildwood lies a natural barrier island landscape – the pristine Two-Mile Beach, which is managed as part of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Barrier island ecosystems are greatly influenced by human activities, and the contrast between the wildlife value of Two-Mile Beach and the recreational beach of Wildwood is striking. Recreational ocean beaches are usually raked daily during the summer months to give the inviting appearance of sugar sand. However, Cape May NWR’s management retains natural beach conditions, including an organic wrack line, and thus provides greater nutrient availability and water retention. Thousands of birds feed on the invertebrates found in this wrack-line material, while relatively few birds attempt to forage at the Wildwood beach.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) first established Cape May NWR in 1989, with neighboring Edwin B. Forsythe NWR overseeing its management. Located in Cape May County, Cape May NWR comprises the Delaware Bay Division, the Great Cedar Swamp Division, and the Two-Mile Beach Unit. It has an approved acquisition boundary of more than 17,600 acres, of which the Service presently owns approximately 10,600. With the November 2001 arrival of Manager Howard Schlegel, Cape May NWR has achieved administrative autonomy, and the refuge is looking forward to developing its facilities, staff and programs as it begins a new period of growth.

The wetlands of the Delaware Bay are one of only 17 sites in the United States designated as Wetlands of International Importance

under the Ramsar Convention, and some of these wetlands lie within the refuge. Cape May NWR is within the Service’s Twin Capes Project area (Cape May, New Jersey and Cape Charles, Virginia). It is also partially within the Pinelands National Reserve, the Great Egg Harbor National Scenic and Recreational River, and the Cape May Migratory Bird Stopover Project.

During migrations large numbers of raptors and songbirds stop over at the Cape May Peninsula, making this area critical to several populations of western-hemisphere, migratory birds. Indeed, the peninsula is considered one of the top ten birding spots in North America, and is referred to as the “crossroads of migration.” The billions of eggs deposited annually by horseshoe crabs on Delaware Bay beaches provide a vital and irresistible food source for migrating shorebirds.

As part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve network, the peninsula’s Delaware Bay shoreline and marshes are recognized as important breeding habitat for several threatened or endangered beach-nesting bird species. Also, the marshes and tidal creeks of the refuge offer important spawning and nursery areas and nutrient resources for many popular species of fish, including summer flounder, weakfish, and striped bass. Blue crabs and lady crabs breed and feed in these areas as well. The Bald Eagle, federally listed as threatened, occasionally uses the refuge’s protected habitats, and New Jersey-listed species documented on refuge lands include: Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Short-eared Owl, Barred Owl, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-

crowned Night Heron, and Grasshopper Sparrow. Other State-listed species found on Cape May NWR include the corn snake, northern pine snake, pine barrens tree frog, and eastern tiger salamander.

Although not listed, the American Woodcock is a species of concern with a declining population. On the Atlantic Coast only Cape Charles, Virginia hosts concentrations of American Woodcock comparable to those at Cape May (the woodcock – also known in some parts of the country as a “timber doodle” – walks as if it were doing the rumba).

Almost all of the refuge lands are open to visitors on foot to observe and photograph wildlife. While Cape May NWR is just beginning to forge designated trails, many trails wind through the refuge’s varied habitats and are available for environmental education. To enhance public access for wildlife observation at the Two-Mile Beach Unit, the refuge is proposing the construction of trails and observation platforms. During the breeding and nesting season of the Piping Plover, the beach will be closed. The Piping Plover, federally listed as endangered, nests in adjacent beach areas. The Woodcock Trail, at the end of Woodcock Lane off Route 47 in Middle Township, is especially worth the hike. The refuge also provides a variety of hunting opportunities coinciding with State-regulated seasons and requirements. Begin your visit to the Cape May NWR at the refuge office at 24 Kimbles Beach Road, Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey 08210 or call 609/463 0994. The staff will be happy to assist you.

After the sharp bend to the right heading downriver from Philadelphia and Camden along the meandering Delaware, the watercourse runs, if not quite straight, at least in gentle curves as it begins its approach to the Delaware Bay. Then, only miles below the Delaware Memorial Bridge and almost at its confluence with the Bay, it careens abruptly left. As boats steer around the point, they can easily find themselves on a collision course with Pea Patch Island, the largest rookery of colonial wading birds north of Florida, which sits midstream. Sailing past the island, crews may suddenly be struck by the appearance on their left of a dark, spindly structure projecting above the wetlands along the shore. They will have spotted the Finns Point Rear Range Light, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, situated about a mile inland on the grounds of the Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

Supawna Meadows NWR was first proposed in 1961 as the “Goose Pond Addition” to the Killcohook Migratory Bird Refuge. Killcohook had been established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934, as a secondary use of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge spoil disposal site. In 1967, The Philadelphia Conservationists, Inc., began purchasing land in Salem County to hold in trust until the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) had funds to purchase the “Goose Pond Addition.” Then in 1971 the Service purchased the first 653 acres. To date 2,880 of the 4,430 acres within the approved boundary are now part of the refuge, and acquisition continues.

The dredge spoil deposited by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decreased Killcohook’s value for wildlife, so in 1974 the Service renamed the “Goose Pond Addition” the Supawna Meadows NWR to make it distinct and separate from Killcohook, although the Service still exercised secondary jurisdiction over the migratory bird refuge until 1998. Also in 1998 Supawna Meadows, first staffed in 1986, became independent of the John Heinz NWR (at the Tinicum Refuge Complex near the Philadelphia Airport), which had managed it until then.

Management of the refuge centers around protection and enhancement of high quality habitat for migratory birds. Approximately 80 percent of the refuge is comprised of brackish tidal marsh that provides wintering, feeding, and nesting habitat for a variety of migratory waterfowl. It also supplies important feeding areas for the ten species of colonial wading birds nesting on Pea Patch Island (the rookery hosts over 6,000 pairs of herons and egrets, especially Cattle Egrets). The refuge’s tidal mud flats and impoundment offer rest and nourishment to shorebirds migrating along the Delaware Bay, and in the late summer thousands of Tree Swallows forage the northern bayberry shrubs that are abundant on the refuge. Ospreys and a pair of Bald Eagles also nest on refuge lands.

Visitors to Supawna Meadows NWR can enjoy a hike or may bring a pair of binoculars and a camera for birding in the meadows. Seasonal hunting (deer and wildfowl) is also allowed by permit. Or come on the third Sunday of the month, April through October, between 12 and 4 o’clock and climb the 130 steps to the top of the Finns Point Rear Range Light. By the time you reach it you may be out of breath, but the view is worth the effort! To contact the refuge, call 856/935 1487, or write Supawna Meadows NWR, 197 Lighthouse Road, Pennsville, New Jersey 08070. The staff is always eager to be of service.

This may come as a surprise to many
New Jersey Field Notes readers, but according to leaders of the refuge Friends Group movement there are an estimated 30,000 – 40,000 members of the 210 locally-cultivated support groups aligned with refuges across the country. While a surprising number are individuals from around the world who have stopped by higher visitation refuges like Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, a vast majority are local individuals who, recognizing the important role these unique lands and waters play in the conservation of habitat and species, have chosen to make a personal commitment of time and/or money to making these places stronger for the future.

Why is this important? Because as we approach the National Wildlife Refuge System’s centennial in 2003, it’s vital that we take stock of the local citizen support we have for Theodore Roosevelt’s magnificent natural legacy; for the challenges refuges faced over the past 100 years pale in comparison to what we can expect in the next century. Population pressures, invasive exotic species and water shortages combine to present refuges with unprecedented challenges.

Consider New Jersey, where the population has increased from 7.7 million people in 1990 to about 8.4 million in 2000 and is expected to grow an additional 1 million by 2025. That

number translates into approximately 250,000 additional housing units, nearly 350,000 additional cars and all the food, fresh water, infrastructure and durable goods necessary to support the State’s expanding population over the next 23 years.

If we’re going to be confident in our ability to ensure healthy and diverse habitats in
New Jersey and across the country in the coming years, we must have a solid base of local citizens who are willing to speak out for the needs of our National Wildlife Refuges and who will actively enlist communities in their protection. While land acquisition for refuges remains an important conservation strategy, we will never have the capacity to buy all the habitat necessary to ensure the survival of species in our country.

Increasingly, local refuge supporters will need to work with landowners adjacent to refuges to carve out conservation strategies consistent with their objectives. Indeed, volunteering on behalf of refuges will need to go beyond the construction of boardwalks and providing of interpretive services for visitors. Refuge volunteers will need to become envoys to private landowners and decision-makers in their communities.

This is why the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), along with the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, sponsored the first annual National Refuge Friends Conference in Washington, DC in late February. This first ever event was a milestone for both the refuge Friends movement and the National Wildlife Refuge System, and attracted more than 220 members of the Friends community from 43 states. It served to begin building local Friends and volunteer groups into a cohesive national corps of citizens, providing them with the tools to make their refuges and the broader Refuge System stronger in the future.

One of the most compelling aspects of the conference was the broad sponsorship by national partners ranging from Defenders of Wildlife to the National Rifle Association to the Trust for Public Land. The conference also received strong support from the Administration and Congress, expressed by three of the key speakers: Interior Secretary Gale Norton welcomed Friends to the conference with a taped message expressing her appreciation for all the work they do locally on behalf of refuges; Judge Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, praised and encouraged the Friends at the Saturday evening awards reception; and Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) emphasized the value of Friends’ developing close relationships with their members of Congress and staff.

The message to Friends was clear: a broad coalition of national partners offer their resources and expertise to support Friends in their work to achieve local objectives.

The NWRA believes that Friends Groups and volunteers at refuges hold the key to the future well-being of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and we will continue working to provide the tools and resources to help them help their refuges. We thank the representatives of New Jersey’s Friends Groups for joining us in February. To learn more about the conference or efforts underway by the NMWRA to build local and national support for refuges, please visit our website at www.refugenet.org or call Gretchen Muller at 202/333 9075.