On May 16, 2003

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Recognizes Pine Hill Golf Club For Conservation Work

On May 16, 2003 during a report on the progress and future plans of the Pine Hill Golf Club Conservation Management Group, New Jersey Field Office Endangered Species Biologist Lisa Arroyo presented Mr. Eric Bergstol, President of Bergstol Enterprises and CEO of Empire Golf Management, with a plaque honoring the Pine Hill Golf Club for continuing work in conserving and protecting the federally threatened plant, swamp pink. The management group is a consortium formed by the Pine Hill Golf Club, the Borough of Pine Hill, the Pine Hill Environmental Commission, the Camden County Soil Conservation District, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited, and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Restoring and improving Mason's Run, which not only supports swamp pink on its riparian areas, but is the last remaining native brook trout (Salvelinus fortinalis) stream in southern New Jersey, has been a high priority for the group since its inception in 2001.

In Camden County, Mason's Run provides habitat for two colonies of the federally threatened swamp pink (Helonias bullata). The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service became involved in the restoration project when the Pine Hill Golf Club, having recently acquired some of the property, needed a State wetlands permit. Through coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pine Hill Golf Club, the Conservation Management Group was formed to restore and enhance habitat for swamp pink and native brook trout. Recent monitoring funded by the group revealed one swamp pink colony of 25 plants and another of 82 plants. Both colonies will be monitored annually to ensure health and growth. The smaller colony has been protected by fencing, and a stormwater filter is be installed just downstream of Mason's Run's headwaters near Clementon-Erial Road. The other colony, located on a secondary tributary, will require a smaller, separate filter. Trash removal and monitoring will be ongoing. With care, both colonies have the potential to become very robust. Since New Jersey is home to 70% of the world's population of swamp pink, Pine Hill's two colonies are of considerable significance.

The golf club has spent over $1 million constructing a new stream channel that unites the upstream and downstream channels of Mason's Run, at the same time eliminating a downstream pond as required by the wetlands permit. This has created an additional 1,100 feet of channel available to brook trout, more than doubling the stream's trout habitat. Attempts are underway to assess the size of the brook trout population.

New Jersey Field Office Supervisor Clifford Day and John Staples, Assistant Supervisor for Endangered Species and Federal Activities, both attended the ceremony, which was held at the Pine Hill Golf Club. Field Office personnel then toured sites along Mason's Run, including that of the smaller swamp pink colony.

Links:
New Jersey Field Office's Endangered Species Page
Swamp Pink Page
Swamp Pink Map
Spawning Partnerships - Bring Back the Natives (Fish)
Print a Swampink Poster (PDF File).