Environmental Impact Report: Elm Street Park (ESP) & Florham Parks Open Space

"Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them". George Santayana

Section III: Florham Park Open Suggestions & Commentary

Space

Facts,

Usage,

Without a sound understanding of the current state of the Boroughs Open Space Inventory the 10 impact points contained in this report would not be understood in context. If anyone would like a clear pictorial view of the Boroughs land holdings in the Recreation & Open Space Inventory (ROSI), the Concerned Citizens of Florham Park have put together a nice summary link at:
http://www.fpcitizens.com/undeveloped-open-space-in-pictures.html Open Space Inventory

Total land encompassed by the Borough of Florham Park 4,778 acres or 7 square miles; Borough Owned Open Space = 226 acres (from 2011 OSMP) + recently acquired 82+/- acres off Elm Street (excludes 20 acre ESP site) = 302 total Borough owned acres; This equates to 6 % of the Boroughs Land Inventory designated strictly as Open Space. Bear in mind this modicum is not all forest, wetlands and quality land. Emmett Park, Stobeus Park (developed), Fish Brook Park, and Gun Club = 226 acres, 2/3 of Borough owned Open Space; The functionality of these Parks is moderate to low from an ecology standpoint (obviously high for its intended use as playing fields and active recreation). Impacts from those Parks construction and activities on the local ecology include but are not limited to:
1. Highly invasive non-native forest mosaics surround all these

sites. This has occurred in response to the change of landscape soils as a result of their development;
2. Sound

signatures from park usage sterilize peripheral woodlands of intricate fauna assemblages this is especially true on the gun club where constant firearm release acts as a barrier for all sensitive wildlife (local backyard wildlife
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excluded), i.e. you will never see a state threatened barred owl within a mile of this club even though the adjacent habitat could otherwise support its life history, Emmet Field can produce constant noise signatures during Spring Fall practice and game periods ;
3. Deer densities are very high in these parks as the sites act as

sod-eateries for the species their presence exacerbate ground cover exposure in adjacent forest interiors, in turn causing severe ecological degradation of what little habitat remains this is especially true of the interior forest patch within the residential areas that surround Stobeus Field;
4. Open grass fields act as prime forage areas for white tailed

deer which negatively feedback to the interior forest ecology as population increase; 6. Runoff from fields enters local ditches and streams and impacts negatively on water quality non-point source pollution from herbicide and pesticide use to maintain playing fields and silt go directly into Hassock Brook, Fish Brook, from Emmet and Stobeus respectively.

The 87.7-acre Gun Club property on Brooklake Road has impacted surrounding Passaic River Floodplain with lead shot until it was banned around 1977, and now steel-shot rains down in surrounding Fresh Water Wetland Ponds behind the club. In response to this activity the mitigated wetland ponds can no longer sustain viable waterfowl and wildlife normally associated with their ecology. I am not certain of the affects years of lead shot has had on the ecology of the surrounding wetlands of the club but I cant imagine this signature is a positive one. Not sure why the town has continued such a sweet-heart deal with such a large area of open space in the town it seems to me that outside the impact areas a larger scale ecological restoration plan should be in place very few of the Boroughs citizens are firearm devotees (1/2 of 1 percent I would guess). One would think that the majority of FPs citizenry should have a greater stake in the passive recreation potential this club consumes. However, because there is an affiliation with the local police who use a portion of the club as a training facility, I dont think this dog will ever hunt. In this instance, environmentalism in town takes a distant back seat to the desires of a limited group of weekend warrior firearm aficionados;
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Wetlands between Emmet Field entrance road, Tot-Lot, and First Street (+/- 10-acre) used to be an area where a passive recreation trail was located. Today the site has in-filled with yard wastes, sediments from roads, and backyard run-off and flood debris from storm events. This area now is garbage strewn and overgrown with invasive plants. This site could be a nice passive walking trail area with very little money and aid from the FP DWP.

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Fish Brook Park is an ad hoc hunting club area used only by local law enforcement personnel and their friends deer stands remain up all year long, cans, bottles, barb wire, and other garbage of all sorts riddles the property. We are aware of the FPECs request for budget money and/ or town funding to address these issues, but since the Parks purchase more than 4 years ago, the response to start performing ecological restoration and passive recreation access is always the same NO MONEY. To the Boroughs credit, especially with direct involvement of Mayor Eveland and Councilman Mark Taylor, this land was purchased with Morris County Open Space & NJ Green Acres funding as well as FP Open Space Trust Fund money, representing a truly great addition to the Boroughs open space inventory. However, the current administration via the council liaison has told the FPEC that the Department of Public Works (DPW) cannot perform even the initial cleanup (+/- 60 hours, +/$2,150.00 labor) because of monetary constraints with budget. The site is dominated by invasive vegetation this need to be removed and replanted with native understory species. Currently a monoculture of predominantly mid-seral stage red maples, red oak and white oak dominated the canopy. A deer exclosure fence would expedite the restoration of the site and post-restoration the site could be used for local environmental education programs. This site should be the crowning jewel of FPs passive recreation plan, but currently it just lies fallow. Compare this lack of initiative with that of the almost overnight development of a 20-acre recreation facility ESP; how is it the town can initiate a $5 million dollar project but cares not to find the pittance of money ($2,160.00) to make Fish Brook Park safe and free of garbage for passive recreation? I wish I didnt have to pen this criticism but anyone who knows me realizes I would be the first one out at the site helping the DPW remove garbage and start with trail creation if the Borough backed the initiative. It would simply take a directive from the council, a little bit of funding for initial trail creation and cleanup, and a public announcement for volunteers; the mayor and council could be out there on that day to help like they often did with the One Day, One School Project this could be called One Day /One Park This could have happened in short order if the modicum budget requested by FPEC for this was earmarked or if the Borough, at minimum, directed the DPW to do the initial cleanup of the site.. Question: Why didnt they; Answer: because simply it is not a priority; It is a good thing that open space money was used for the purchase of this modicum 11.5 acres in a very environmentally sensitive area in the Borough; unfortunately, it is an equally sad commentary that the Borough administrators have yet to recognize the pleadings of its EC to restore it and use it as a passive recreation/conservation management

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area. The FPEC could try and organize work days with local volunteers in order to clean the barbwire from the property but this is not a function of an Environmental Commission. The EC has been doing this on the other two pocket parks it manages, and I am sure with a little financial backing would be out at Fish Brook, but again this is not the sole stated purpose of any Environmental Commission. Suggestion - the ad hoc hunting club might want to do this since their stated purpose is to help the environment by culling deer. Cleaning the site of garbage could make the site safe for club members and may help invite people to the park for its stated purpose passive recreation;

10.18 Acres of Floodplain with the Passaic River is owned by the Borough behind Indian Lane, just south of Columbia Turnpike where the River crosses under. This is exceptional resource value wetlands, EPA priority wetlands and fantastic wildlife habitat. To its credit, The Borough, especially Mayor Eveland, and Councilman Taylor, with logistical aid from the FPEC have made every attempt to annex privately owned land adjacent to Columbia Turnpike in order to extend this greenway. This was done in the hope that a future passive recreation trail might be easily accessed from these uplands and for the preservation of prime open space. The property owners to this point have denied fair market value offers. The FPEC has suggested that a Blueways trail entrance be developed at the access point along Columbia for future use as a portage point for canoes and kayaks; 66 acres of FP Borough is owned by the state as parkland no access to the public all overgrown wetlands, 33 acres of which is a monoculture of a non-native red grass called Phragmites Borough or private land holders would not be able to build on it, as it is wetland and floodplain confined. Benefit: this land performs a good ecological service as recharge, flood storage, and moderate wildlife habitat; The 65-acre Pinch Brook Golf Course Ecologically inert, highly invaded wetland fringes, eroded stream courses (Pinch Brook), open sod, constant human activity, non-point source pollution sink, little wildlife value with the exception of sighted backyard wildlife, i.e. skunks, raccoons, fox, turkey: examples of a compromised ecological nexus. Benefit: Great Blue and Little Green Herons utilize the detention ponds. Water quality on and off the site is extremely low; 36 acres owned by the Passaic River Coalition along the Passaic River adjacent to River Road in the southeastern corner of the Borough. This area is found within a highly sensitive slice of the Passaic River Floodplain (PRF). One of only a few remaining exceptional resource
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value pieces of Open Space left in the Borough to date no public access this should be a future initiative of the Borough;

7.85 acres of prime forested and open water wetlands exist along the north western border of Passaic Avenue tangent with the Sterling Townhomes. These are EPA priority wetlands and ones I would consider to be exceptional resource value they are part of a greater wetland system called the Central Valley Wetlands. This land is prime wildlife, water recharge, and floodplain. These wetlands associate directly with the Passaic River Floodplain (PRF). This property should be viewed as an area where ecological restoration and passive recreation should be considered; This site along with other areas mentioned within the PRF and 72 acres of floodplain in the Borough owned by the City of East Orange make up one of only two greenway corridors within the Borough areas where adjacent build-out should be placed off limits if the Borough values the tenets of its OSMP. The other area is the Black Meadows Ecological Complex (BMEC) on the Boroughs western edge , site of ESP 27 acres of this is owned by NJ Exposition Authority and the newly acquired 110 acres owned by the Borough (84 acres uncleared), the remainder of the BMEC is predominantly open marsh with channelized streams, reed grass dominates, these areas are owned by FD University, NJ Land Trust , and Southeast Water; 12-acres of marsh owned by the Morristown Airport within the Borough these contain freshwater wetlands moderate wildlife value; A significant portion of privately owned open space in the Borough is owned by the Brooklake Country Club (BLCC) 150 acres. As a golf course this site is impacted in a similar fashion as those already indicated referencing Pinch Brook above. However, the current operational and facilities manager is a highly competent land steward that has a solid grasp of environmental economics. A highly competent man that I am sure would not like me to use his name here. Let it be known however that he has involved himself at all levels of local government and has been a valuable resident of the Borough. Under his guidance the club uses best management practices for pest and nonpoint source pollution control. The site is also managed for wildlife enhancement to the best extent practicable. I feel that the Borough should be proud of BLCC for all these initiatives that, behind the scenes, sets a good example for proper land stewardship. It should also be noted that the joint owners of BLCC have supported many local initiatives in town including but not limited to the restoration of the
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Conservation Management Area on Brooklake Road and Spring Garden Lake;

A significant area of the BMEC is owned by Farleigh Dickinson University 586 acres since most of this is open marsh along Rt. 24 I would consider its value as high for flood storage and other important ecological free services. Because of its wetland designation this land cannot be developed or altered without exceptional circumstance high wildlife value land; 29 acres - Spring Garden Lake Conservation Management Area and Conservation Management Area along East Madison Avenue together these two sites are currently managed by the FPEC for passive recreation only. Intensive environmental management on both sites have increased biodiversity, managed water quality, and provides habitat for species of special concern in the state of New Jersey people who wish to learn more about the management of these sites can go the FPECs website www.florhamparkenvironmental.org; Many small inclusions are part of the Rossi, i.e. Parker Court, Prudden Park, Patriot, Campfield Park all less than 0.35 acres nice little areas of town that are a combination of mowed and wooded - used for beautification points of interest in the Borough. The Florham Park Garden Club has helped keep some of them looking good over the years minimal function for local wildlife ; The two properties owned by the Borough behind Mann and Florham Avenue (3.62 acres) are compromised woodlands devoid of understory vegetation. They are garbage strewn, lawn waste sites, and heavily deer browsed. This would be an area that the FPEC should perform ecological restoration in the future. Potentially local residents could take some satisfaction in maintaining these woodlands that are in their own backyards. These woods are an access point for off road and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) activity. ATVs have been seen in the Pinch Brook destroying the stream bed and causing local erosion, hence sedimentation of the water way. Obviously sound signatures disturb local wildlife patterns during peak activities. Most residents would be appalled to see the state of these woodlands. These woodlands are buffer woodlands with the Black Meadows Ecological Complex and should be maintained with more consideration for their function within this sensitive ecological complex;

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The 3.6 acres of Borough owned property behind the northwestern corner of Murphy Circle consists of predominantly forested wetlands with inclusions of emergent wetlands function as prime wildlife habitat, recharge and flood storage, and fine buffer land tangent with the BMEC. This site is on the ROSI but has never been developed for passive recreation. With the annexation of the recently acquired 110 acres this site has the potential for ecological restoration, passive recreation, and nature study. Yard waste and garbage is prevalent behind many homes directly associated with these wetlands; 9.9 acres of Borough owned wetlands abuts Quail Run and Partridge Way along Columbia Turnpike. Heavily deer browsed this very young stand of red maple (+/- < 50 year stand) is acting as recharge for the Buried Valley Aquifer. The site is hydrologically connected to the BMEC. Yard waste and garbage have choked the edges of these sites. Some basic ecological improvements could be applied in the future to this Borough owned property; 100 +/- Alferi/ Precision Rolled site: This site off Columbia Turnpike across from the entrance to the environmental center consists of open fields and two large detention ponds it is buffer land with the BMEC. It is slated for office buildings but continues to receive grandfathering from past administrations. I am told that the Borough is legally obligated to allow them to keep the land undeveloped until such time that the applicant decides the market condition is right to begin construction. The property owner back in 1987 cleared this substantial area of open space just before the 1988 freshwater wetland regulations were enacted. A total and abject disregard for the environment, but a smart business move at the time. Most of the site was wetland and they realized that their land value was about to be zeroed-out. They created two large detention ponds to hold the converted wetland hydrology. For the past many years these ponds have become prime wildlife habitat acting like grasslands I have seen years where state threatened savannah sparrows nested here. Unfortunately the land owner cuts the grass every year around June before the birds can complete their life cycle. If I listed the species of birds and wildlife I have seen here during the years youd find it staggering. Unfortunately the land holder cuts it twice a year, sprays herbicides, and generally treats the resource poorly. Sooner or later this open area you pass every day on Columbia Turnpike will be large Buildings another major aesthetic downturn in the headlights of the Borough.

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